Design Project Manager

What you'll do

As Design Manager, you'll be the central nervous system of Giga's design operations. You'll stand at the intersection of Engineering, Sales, and Construction, ensuring that our technical Plan of Record is adapted, permitted, and issued for construction seamlessly across hundreds of deployments.

You're not just tracking dates—you're managing the scope, the vendors, and the regulatory hurdles that stand between a concept and a live data center. You'll orchestrate Mechanical, Electrical, Structural, and Architectural teams, manage external A&E firms, and drive the permitting process from Site Feasibility to IFC (Issued for Construction).

This role demands someone who can speak the language of engineers while managing like an operator. You'll turn concepts into contracts and permits, ensuring our standardized manufacturing approach translates smoothly to site-specific execution. You'll manage projects moving faster than anywhere else in the industry, enabling Giga's competitive advantage of weeks-not-years deployment timelines.

Where you'll work

If based outside of our Houston, Long Beach, Reno, or San Francisco hubs, this role will be based remotely from your home office. You must be willing to travel as needed to our job sites and to one of our hub offices.

Responsibilities 

• Own end-to-end design schedule: Create and maintain detailed Gantt charts (MS Project/Primavera) tracking every milestone from Site Feasibility to IFC (Issued for Construction) across multiple concurrent projects
• Lead interdisciplinary coordination: Run weekly design coordination meetings ensuring Mechanical, Electrical, Structural, and Architectural teams are synchronized, identifying scope or timeline clashes before they become construction delays
• Manage Plan of Record governance: Control release versioning of standard design products, ensuring site-specific projects utilize the correct version of our manufacturing "Kit of Parts"
• Write vendor scopes of work: Create precise, ironclad Scopes of Work (SOW) for external Architecture & Engineering firms, managing the RFP process to select local partners for site adaptation
• Manage A&E performance: Hold external consultants accountable on budgets, change orders, and deliverable quality, ensuring adherence to Giga's BIM standards and technical specifications
• Support sales cycle: Partner with Sales during pre-deal phase, providing rapid test fits and feasibility schedules to help close deals with hyperscale customers
• Drive permitting process: Lead entitlement and permitting strategy, interfacing directly with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs), Planning Departments, and Utility providers to unblock approvals Manage design-to-construction handoff: Oversee the RFI (Request for Information) and Submittal review process during construction to ensure design intent is maintained
• Coordinate cross-functional teams: Bridge communication between Engineering, Sales, Construction, and external partners to maintain project momentum
• Track critical path items: Identify and escalate risks to schedule or scope, proactively solving problems before they impact delivery timelines
• Maintain design quality standards: Ensure all deliverables meet Giga's technical specifications and manufacturing requirements

Requirements 

• Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Engineering, or Construction Management
• 8+ years of experience in Design Management or Project Management, specifically within data centers, high-tech manufacturing, or industrial construction
• Ability to read and interpret technical drawings including P&IDs, One-Lines, and Architectural floor plans Proficiency in Bluebeam Revu, MS Project or Smartsheet, and project management platforms (Procore or similar)
• Strong understanding of entitlement and permitting lifecycle (Zoning, Building Permits, Utility Interconnects)
• Proven track record managing external A&E consultants and holding them accountable to scope and schedule
• Experience creating detailed project schedules and managing critical path dependencies
• Strong communication skills for interfacing with AHJs, engineers, sales teams, and construction partners
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects in fast-paced environments
• Experience managing budgets, change orders, and consultant performance

Bonus points

• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification
• Experience managing
• Design-Build delivery methods
• Previous experience working on the owner's side (Owner's Rep or similar)
• Background in modular construction or prefabricated infrastructure
• Experience with BIM coordination and clash detection processes
• Familiarity with data center or mission-critical facility delivery
• Understanding of manufacturing-first design approaches and standardization
• Startup or high-growth company experience
• Track record managing projects with accelerated timelines
• Experience coordinating multi-disciplinary engineering teams
• Knowledge of utility interconnection processes and timelines

Benefits

• Subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance
• Equity (options) in a rapidly growing startup
• 401(k) with 4% employer match
• Unlimited PTO
• Parental leave
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Commuter benefits
• Monthly team onsites where all offices come in–person to collaborate