Technical Director

Zerra develops and operates hyperscale data centre campuses across Australia, Japan and India, delivering capacity at scale into markets driven by the growth of cloud and AI. Zerra's flexible campus developments support hyperscale and neocloud organisations, enabling some of the world's fastest-scaling technology businesses to grow with certainty and ambition. 

At Zerra, we empower exceptional people to challenge convention, drive innovation and make a real impact in digital infrastructure. Our culture fuses entrepreneurial agility with global expertise, enabling our teams to deliver results that matter. 

We believe that diverse perspectives, inclusive leadership and equitable opportunities are essential to building stronger teams and better outcomes. We are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels respected, supported and empowered to thrive. 

Zerra is part of AGP, an independently owned investor and asset manager that develops and operates real assets across the energy, digital and real estate sectors. 

Western Downs Digital Park
Western Downs Digital Park (WDDP) is a master-planned digital and energy precinct in regional Queensland, developed and operated by Zerra. Planned across multiple delivery phases, WDDP brings together AI-ready data centres, energy infrastructure and a purpose-built campus environment. 

Located close to major power infrastructure within the Western Downs Special Industry Area, WDDP represents a major investment in Queensland's digital future and an opportunity to help deliver the critical infrastructure supporting the continued growth of cloud computing and artificial intelligence.

• Substantial technical leadership experience in the design and delivery of hyperscale or large-scale data centre projects.
• Demonstrated end-to-end responsibility for data centre projects or campuses, ideally including at least two projects taken from concept through handover.
• Strong experience with liquid-cooling requirements in a data centre environment.
• A multidisciplinary engineering perspective, supported by deep capability in either electrical or mechanical engineering.
• Experience gained within a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy, data centre developer or operator, or a major hyperscale technology organisation.
• Proven ability to lead technical teams and coordinate complex engineering interfaces across multiple disciplines.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving project environment, exercise sound technical judgement and drive decisions to closure.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management capability, with the credibility to influence consultants, contractors, suppliers and senior project leaders.
• A practical, hands-on leadership style and the ability to contribute immediately with limited ramp-up time.

Desirable Qualifications and Professional Certification

• Degree qualification in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a closely related engineering discipline.
• Relevant professional engineering registration, chartership or equivalent professional accreditation.

The Technical Director is the principal technical authority for WDDP and is accountable for design outcomes across the project. Reporting to the Head of Design and Engineering, the role leads the multidisciplinary design and engineering team and provides end-to-end technical leadership from concept design through delivery, commissioning and handover. 

This is a senior project leadership role for an experienced data centre professional who can establish technical direction, integrate multiple engineering disciplines and lead delivery at pace. The Technical Director will ensure that design decisions, interfaces and technical risks are actively managed across the project and aligned with Zerra's requirements. 

Responsibilities

• Act as the principal technical authority for WDDP and maintain accountability for design outcomes across the project.
• Lead the multidisciplinary design and engineering team, with the majority of project engineering resources reporting through the role.
• Set and maintain the project's technical and design direction from concept through detailed design, delivery, commissioning and handover.
• Coordinate electrical, mechanical, high-voltage, energy storage, controls, owner-supplied equipment and other specialist engineering inputs.
• Understand and manage the impact of design decisions on workstreams beyond engineering, including development, construction delivery, procurement and commercial, energy and grid connection, planning and approvals, and operations. Liaise closely with those teams to translate technical positions into programme, cost and operability implications and surface downstream impacts early.
• Manage technical interfaces and dependencies across disciplines, consultants, contractors, suppliers and other project stakeholders.
• Provide technical leadership for the integration of owner-supplied equipment into the overall building and campus design.
• Lead the identification, assessment and resolution of design risks, technical issues and engineering decisions that could affect programme, cost, quality or delivery.
• Ensure the design is developed for an AI-ready hyperscale data centre environment, including the requirements associated with liquid-cooling systems.
• Act as the senior technical representative to customers, leading technical engagement, translating customer requirements into project design requirements, resolving technical queries, deviations and change requests, and maintaining design integrity while responding to customer needs.
• Provide clear technical advice and recommendations to the Head of Design and Engineering and the wider project leadership team.
• Build an effective, delivery-focused engineering culture and enable specialist leads to perform with clear priorities, accountabilities and interfaces.