VP, Design - APAC

The Role

We're looking for a VP Design, APAC, based in Singapore, to lead Nscale's data centre design function across the region. You will build and lead a multidisciplinary team of engineers, architects, BIM specialists and design managers, and be accountable for the quality, speed and cost of every APAC design.

Nscale designs its AI data centres in-house to a high level of completion. Systems, plant arrangements, pipework and cable routes are fully defined by Nscale, so contractors can focus on procurement, fabrication and installation. You will make sure the APAC team designs to that standard, at the pace AI infrastructure demands.

This is a design leadership role. You will work closely with Development, Delivery and Operations from early site assessment through construction and into operation, but you will not own land acquisition, construction delivery or facility operations.

About Nscale

Nscale is building a vertically integrated cloud built for AI. We own the data centres, software, and applications that power today's AI stack using sustainable technology solutions. We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency.

As a Nscaler, you'll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. Collaboration is key, and we work together swiftly and respectfully, embracing adaptability and resilience in all we do.

What You'll Do

• Leadership of the APAC design function
• Lead the APAC design function, setting direction, priorities and ways of working in line with Nscale's global design approach.
• Build the regional team: recruit and lead the discipline directors and leads, and shape the structure as the APAC portfolio grows.
• Line manage the Directors of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Architecture, the VP Design Delivery & Management, the BIM Manager and the Senior Fire Systems Engineer.
• Build a culture of technical rigour, ownership, collaboration and calm delivery under pressure.
• Develop leaders and succession across the team.
• Technical authority and standards
• Act as the senior technical authority for design in APAC, with the depth to review and challenge designs in detail across all disciplines.
• Apply and help develop Nscale's reference design, adapting it for APAC climates, grids, seismic and typhoon exposure, regulations and supply chains.
• Own each project's Basis of Design and approve key design strategies, equipment selections and changes.
• Make sure every design is justified against the customer service level agreement (SLA) and the contracted availability, resilience and performance requirements. The burden of proof sits with us.
• Make sure designs comply with the building regulations, codes and safety requirements of each country of operation.
• Lead design health and safety across the APAC function: make sure risks to the people who build, operate, maintain and eventually remove our facilities are identified, eliminated or reduced through design, and that residual risks are recorded and communicated. Apply UK CDM principles as Nscale's standard, while meeting local law such as Singapore's Workplace Safety and Health (Design for Safety) Regulations.
• Design delivery and governance
• Own sign-off of each design stage, and the design freeze at which a construction-ready design is handed to Delivery.
• Through the VP Design Delivery & Management, make sure programmes, resourcing, change control, risk and information management are run consistently across the portfolio.
• Run design governance: technical reviews, design assurance, calculation checking and lessons learned.
• Drive value engineering and standardisation, balancing CAPEX, programme and total cost of ownership without compromising resilience, safety or maintainability.
• Manage external design consultants and local specialists where they add capacity or local expertise, including civil and structural.
• Technical scope
• Grid connections, HV substations, power distribution, UPS, energy storage and standby generation.
• Liquid cooling, heat rejection and central plant for high-density AI/GPU deployments.
• Controls, monitoring and BMS.
• Architecture, building envelope, planning and approvals.
• Fire strategy, fire systems and insurer requirements, including FM Global.
• Prefabricated and modular power and mechanical plant.
• Interfaces and stakeholders
• Partner with Development on site assessment, test fits, grid and site due diligence.
• Partner with Delivery and Construction on design handover and technical support through construction, factory acceptance testing, integrated systems testing and commissioning.
• Partner with Procurement on specifications, tender evaluations and supplier technical engagement.
• Represent Nscale's design to customers, lenders' technical advisers, utilities and authorities.
• Report design progress, cost, programme, risks and decisions to senior leadership.
• Work with design leaders in other regions to share standards, lessons learned and capacity.

What You'll Bring

• Essential
• A degree in electrical, mechanical or building services engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• At least 15 years' experience in mission-critical design, with substantial data centre experience.
• At least 10 years leading multidisciplinary design teams, including leading other senior leaders.
• Deep technical knowledge of data centre power and cooling systems, with the ability to challenge designs in detail.
• A track record of delivering designs to a construction-ready level of detail across multiple projects.
• Experience of justifying designs against contractual performance requirements and customer SLAs.
• Strong commercial judgement across CAPEX, programme and operating cost.
• Experience of managing consultants, contractors, manufacturers and utilities.
• Excellent communication skills, with confidence presenting to customers, lenders and executive leadership.
• A strong understanding of designers' health and safety duties and design risk management, such as UK CDM or Singapore Design for Safety, and a track record of putting safety first.
• Willingness to travel across APAC as required.
• Desirable
• Chartered or equivalent professional registration — for example CEng (Engineering Council, UK), Professional Engineer (PE) registration in Singapore, CPEng (Engineers Australia), or an equivalent registration in another country.
• Experience of hyperscale or AI/GPU data centres, including liquid cooling.
• Experience of design in Singapore and other APAC markets.
• Experience from an operator, hyperscaler or engineering consultancy.
• Experience of building a new regional design team from the ground up.
• Experience of reliability analysis methods, such as FMEA or RAM studies.
• Uptime Institute or TIA-942 qualifications (for example ATD or CDCP), as evidence of data centre experience. Nscale designs to its customer SLAs rather than to these schemes.
• Your First Year
• First 3 months: learn Nscale's reference design, standards and APAC pipeline; build relationships with Development, Delivery, Procurement and global design leaders; agree the APAC team structure and hiring plan.
• By 6 months: have the discipline directors and VP Design Delivery & Management recruited or in progress; have design governance and stage sign-off running on active APAC projects.
• By 12 months: have a working APAC design function delivering construction-ready designs; have regional adaptations of the reference design documented for the main APAC markets.
• Key Relationships
• Internal: SVP DCI Design EMEA & APAC; CTO Engineering DCI; APAC discipline directors and leads; Development; Delivery and Construction; Procurement; Operations; design leaders in other regions.
• External: customers; lenders' technical advisers; utilities and network operators; authorities; design consultants; main contractors; equipment manufacturers; insurers.
• Why This Role
• You'll build and lead Nscale's design function in APAC, with direct influence over how the region's AI data centres are designed and how quickly they are built.
• You'll shape the team, the standards and the way design works with the wider business across a fast-growing region.
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• Here.
• Nscale does not accept unsolicited candidate submissions from recruitment agencies.