Associate Director

WSP in the Middle East is seeking an experienced Associate Director – Mission Critical & Data Centres (Electrical), based in Dubai, UAE, supporting the continued growth of our Building Services Data Centre discipline.

You will be responsible for the end-to-end design, delivery, and technical leadership of mission-critical data centre facilities. You will act as the single technical authority, interfacing directly with clients, vendors, and internal teams to ensure projects meet performance, reliability, and compliance targets from design inception through to delivery.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the single point of contact for all technical aspects of assigned data center projects, leading client discussions and negotiating technical scopes. 

• Lead and approve concept, schematic, and detailed designs across electrical and mechanical disciplines, including UPS, generators, switchgear, HVAC, cooling, public health systems, Building Management Systems, fire protection and fire/life safety. 

• Develop and standardize scalable, repeatable data center solutions to drive consistency and efficiencies across UAE and KSA. 

• Conduct site assessments, capacity planning, and feasibility studies aligned with Uptime Institute Tier requirements. 

• Ensure compliance with international standards (Uptime Institute, TIA-942, NFPA, ASHRAE) and local regulations. 

• Mentor and coach engineering teams, drive knowledge transfer, and capture lessons learned for continuous improvement. 

• Collaborate with the supervision team and other stakeholders to control costs, manage vendors, and mitigate technical risks. 

• Drive business growth by contributing to technical proposals, client presentations, and by identifying opportunities for service enhancements 

• Champion Engineering Standards Lead cross-regional collaboration to ensure consistency, innovation, and technical excellence in design methodologies and delivery practices across all data center projects. 

• Cultivate Strategic Technical Partnerships Serve as a senior liaison among internal engineering teams, regional centers of excellence, external consultants, construction leads, and key stakeholders to align technical vision and drive successful execution. 

• Oversee End-to-End Engineering Lifecycle Direct all phases of engineering and design, including site feasibility analysis, conceptual development, basis of design formulation, scope definition, and construction documentation—ensuring alignment with business objectives and performance targets.