Electrical Design Lead - Data Centres

About the role

Zircoe Recruitment is looking for an experienced Electrical Design Lead to own electrical engineering standards, design strategy and technical governance across a growing portfolio of data centre campuses in Sub-Saharan Africa. The role is full-time and technical leadership, with remote work from anywhere in Europe and regular travel to project sites. It covers power infrastructure from utility connection through to the IT white space, across design, procurement, construction, commissioning and handover.

Key responsibilities

• Lead electrical design for HV, MV and LV systems, including switchgear, transformers, busbars, cabling, UPS, generators, transfer switches and battery systems
• Set electrical design standards, specifications and technical governance; review and approve single-line diagrams, cable schedules, earthing drawings and protection coordination studies
• Review drawings, calculations and contractor submissions, assess proposals and support technical tenders and procurement
• Witness and approve FAT, SAT and IST, support commissioning plans and review as-built drawings and test certificates
• Oversee electrical testing, commissioning and operational handover, including MOP, EOP and SOP
• Drive power efficiency, power quality, harmonics, metering and monitoring, and evaluate renewables, battery storage and low-carbon options
• Ensure compliance with Kenyan legislation and standards such as EPRA, IEC, IEEE and NFPA 70, and set electrical safety procedures and risk assessments
• Mentor electrical engineers, liaise with stakeholders and prepare engineering reports, risk assessments, design reviews and CapEx proposals

Required profile

• BSc or BEng in Electrical Engineering from a recognised university
• Registered or chartered professional engineer (e.g. EBK, ECSA, Engineering Council UK or US PE), willing to obtain any additional registration needed to practise in Kenya
• Minimum 10 years' progressive electrical engineering experience, including at least 5 years in data centres
• Demonstrable experience as electrical technical authority on Tier III or higher data centre projects, with hands-on experience with HV/MV switchgear, transformers and protection relays
• Ability to travel regularly across Sub-Saharan Africa

Required skills

• Understanding of data centre power architectures (2N, N+1, distributed and block redundancy) and TIA-942, EN 50600 and Uptime Institute tiers
• Experience with large UPS installations, standby generators and commissioning
• Desirable: Master's degree, ATD/CDCP certification, renewable energy and battery storage experience, SCADA/EPMS/BMS familiarity, manufacturer training (Schneider Electric, ABB, Eaton)

What we offer

• Remote working from anywhere in Europe
• Senior technical leadership position with significant ownership of engineering standards and design strategy
• Competitive compensation package with performance-based incentives