About CTS Group

CTS Group is a fast-growing international design and build company specialising in data centre development across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). We combine engineering excellence, innovation, and digital transformation to deliver high-performance, sustainable, and future-ready data centre solutions.

With over 40 nationalities represented across our teams, CTS fosters a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance culture where innovation and technical precision drive every project. Beyond construction, CTS develops digital systems and standardised modular data centre units to meet the evolving needs of hyperscalers, colocation providers, and enterprise clients.

Our proven track record and strong partnerships have established CTS as a trusted industry leader delivering large-scale, complex data centre facilities with speed, efficiency, and excellence.

Role Overview

The Senior Design Manager sets the design management strategy for a major data centre programme or portfolio and holds overall accountability for design delivery, quality, and compliance. They define standards, processes, and the design execution approach, hold design sign-off authority, and lead and mentor a team of Design Managers and Junior Design Managers.

The role owns the most senior client, consultant, and authority relationships, drives design risk and commercial strategy, and ensures design is delivered to programme, budget, and CTS's and the client's technical standards, from concept through construction and handover, across CTS's EMEA project portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and own the design management strategy, standards, processes, and governance for a major project, campus, or programme.
• Hold design sign-off / approval authority and act as the senior technical decision-maker on design matters.
• Lead, manage, and mentor a team of Design Managers and Junior Design Managers, setting objectives and developing capability.
• Own the senior client relationship on design, presenting strategy and progress to executive stakeholders.
• Direct the appointment, scope, and performance management of design consultants and specialist vendors, including fee negotiation.
• Set the design programme strategy across multiple workstreams/buildings and manage interdependencies with procurement and construction.
• Own design risk management, value engineering, and design-to-budget strategy at programme level.
• Oversee the overall BIM/digital delivery strategy and common data environment standards.
• Lead engagement with planning and permitting authorities (câmara municipal, national regulators) on major approvals and complex compliance matters.
• Drive continuous improvement, lessons learned, and standardisation across projects, including reference designs and modularisation strategies.

Required Skills and Experience

• Degree in Architecture, Civil/Structural or MEP Engineering, or Construction Management; postgraduate qualification advantageous.
• 10+ years of experience in design management, including senior leadership of design delivery on major, complex projects.
• Substantial track record on data centre / mission-critical or comparable large-scale infrastructure programmes, with deep understanding of MEP systems, resilience topology, and Uptime Institute Tier standards.
• Expert knowledge of the full design and construction lifecycle, design programme strategy, and commercial/contract management.
• Strong command of BIM strategy and tools (Revit, Navisworks, BIM 360 / ACC) and programme tools (Primavera P6, MS Project).
• Authoritative knowledge of Portuguese/EU regulations, the RJUE permitting regime, câmara municipal licensing, and Eurocodes.
• Proven leadership, mentoring, and executive/client stakeholder-management skills.
• Fluent Portuguese and English.
  
  
  

  What We Offer

  CTS Group provides the opportunity to work on distinguished international data center projects within a structured, high-performance environment. The company supports progressive career growth and exposure to recognized engineering and construction teams across EMEA.

  If you have the profile we’re looking for, apply for the opportunity to join an excellent team and contribute to the success of a fast-growing international company.