Design Lead, Data Centre – Korea

About RHAELM

RHAELM is the sovereign AI cloud built to accelerate secure AI deployment at scale, combining power and infrastructure pipelines with global capability and local, in-country operations. Headquartered in London, with deployments across Europe and APAC, we deliver ring-fenced compute, networking, and storage infrastructure alongside a sovereign platform and flexible Bare Metal, Kubernetes, and AI-as-a-Service models. Focused on regulated and mission-critical sectors including Government, Defence, Healthcare, and Financial Services, we give organisations sovereign control over their AI infrastructure, platform, and data.

This Role

You will lead the technical design of RHAELM's data centre developments across South Korea, from concept through to construction handover. You will turn client, hardware and regulatory requirements into buildable, high-density facility designs, directing multi-disciplinary consultant teams and holding final technical authority on design decisions for the market.

As RHAELM scales its sovereign and hyperscale footprint in Korea, you will be the single point of design accountability in the region. You will report to the Head of Design & Engineering, APAC, and work with a high degree of autonomy in a developing market.

Key Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end design lifecycle for new-build and expansion projects in Korea, from site due diligence and concept design through to construction documentation and handover

Direct and coordinate architectural, structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, fire and ICT design teams across internal engineers and external consultants

Translate business, hardware and workload requirements into facility specifications covering power density, cooling strategy, redundancy topology and floor space planning

Define high-density rack power, UPS configuration and cooling trade-offs (air, liquid, immersion) to meet current and future GPU cluster demand

Lead design reviews and page-turns across Basis of Design, sequence of operations and commissioning documentation on concurrent workstreams

Ensure designs comply with Korean building codes, KEPCO grid connection requirements and relevant international standards, including Uptime Institute Tier guidance and ASHRAE

Manage the RFP, appointment and ongoing performance of design consultants operating in the Korean market

Own value engineering, constructability review and design-to-cost trade-offs at each project gate

Act as primary technical contact for Korean landowners, EPC partners, utility providers and local authorities

Partner with Programme Management, Construction and Operations to preserve design intent through build, commissioning and handover

Experience

7–10 years' experience in data centre design, ideally across both consultancy and owner-operator environments

Demonstrated track record leading design for hyperscale or mission-critical facilities in South Korea or the wider APAC region

Working knowledge of the Korean regulatory and utility landscape, including KEPCO connection processes and local planning approvals

Experience directing multi-disciplinary consultant teams across concurrent, fast-moving projects

Track record managing design consultants through RFP, appointment and delivery, including invoice review and standards compliance

Exposure to high-density, AI/GPU-driven data centre design, including advanced cooling topologies

Skills

Strong technical command of MEP systems, structural design and data centre topology (Tier III/IV, N+1, 2N)

Fluent in reading and critiquing architectural, structural and MEP drawings and specifications

Confident stakeholder manager, able to represent RHAELM credibly with landowners, utilities and regulators

Skilled in value engineering and constructability review under commercial and schedule pressure

Korean language proficiency strongly preferred

Clear, structured communicator who can translate technical detail for executive audiences

Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy in a developing regional market

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Architecture, Civil, Structural, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering, or a related discipline

Professional chartership or equivalent registration in a relevant engineering or design discipline preferred

Formal training or certification in data centre design standards (Uptime Institute ATD or equivalent) desirable