AI HPC Design Consultant

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: AI HPC Design Consultant

Company: Computacenter AG & Co. oHG

Location: Remote (GBR - Mobile Eng)

Job Type: Standard (Full-time)

Category: Sales & Pre-Sales & Alliances / Data Centre Design & Implementation

Date Posted: 2026-09-21

Experience Level: Mid-Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote (with potential for mobile engagement within England)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is a critical bridge between pre-sales and technical delivery, focusing on the design and implementation of complex data centre infrastructure, with a specialization in AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC) environments.

• The consultant will be responsible for developing robust technical solutions, from initial customer engagement and solution design through to installation, commissioning, and successful project handover.

• Key to this position is the ability to translate customer requirements into detailed infrastructure designs, including power, cooling, cabling, and cabinet layouts, ensuring commercial viability and technical excellence.

• The role demands strong stakeholder management skills, fostering collaboration with customers, sales teams, logistics, vendors, and delivery engineers to ensure seamless project execution and client satisfaction throughout the entire project lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "AI HPC Design Consultant," the description highlights a broader "Data Centre Design & Implementation Consultant" role, emphasizing the end-to-end lifecycle from pre-sales to commissioning. The specialization in AI/HPC is a key differentiator. The "GBR - Mobile Eng" suggests that while remote, there might be an expectation for occasional on-site engagement within England for client meetings or project oversight.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Engage in pre-sales activities by collaborating with customers and internal sales teams to develop and architect tailored data centre infrastructure solutions, with a focus on AI and HPC workloads.

• Design comprehensive data centre physical infrastructure, including detailed layouts, cabinet placement strategies, power distribution, cooling solutions, and intricate cabling designs (P2P mapping).

• Develop accurate cost models, detailed Bills of Materials (BoMs), and Statements of Work (SoWs) to support customer proposals and ensure project profitability.

• Conduct thorough reviews of technical designs and BoMs to proactively identify and mitigate risks, design gaps, or potential mismatches before implementation.

• Produce and maintain high-quality, installation-ready documentation, such as detailed P2P cabling maps, labelling schemes, and physical infrastructure schematics.

• Liaise closely with logistics, vendor management, and on-site delivery teams to ensure efficient and timely project execution, troubleshooting any implementation challenges.

• Provide expert technical guidance and support during the installation and commissioning phases, resolving design-related issues and ensuring adherence to specifications.

• Cultivate and maintain strong, trusted relationships with clients, partners, and internal stakeholders across the sales, consultancy, and delivery functions.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of data centre design standards, implementation methodologies, and documentation processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a blend of technical design, project management, and client-facing responsibilities. The emphasis on "installation-ready documentation" and "P2P cabling maps" points to a need for meticulous attention to detail and practical understanding of physical infrastructure deployment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No specific degree mentioned, but a strong technical background in IT infrastructure or a related field is implied.

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in data centre infrastructure design, implementation, or related consultancy roles is recommended.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in data centre infrastructure, with a specific focus on AI and HPC environments, including physical layouts, cabinet design, and power/cooling considerations.

• Proficiency in interpreting and creating physical and logical infrastructure designs, including rack elevations, power flows, and cooling strategies.

• Proven ability to develop accurate cost models, comprehensive Bills of Materials (BoMs), and detailed Statements of Work (SoWs).

• Experience in producing delivery-ready documentation, such as P2P cabling maps, installation guides, and labeling requirements.

• Practical understanding of data centre installation, commissioning, and operational delivery processes.

• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with a track record of successful collaboration with customers, vendors, sales, and delivery engineers.

• Strong organizational capabilities with the ability to effectively manage multiple complex projects concurrently.

• A collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset and the flexibility to engage across the project lifecycle from design to delivery. Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with specific vendor technologies relevant to AI/HPC infrastructure (e.g., high-speed networking, specialized server configurations).

• Experience with data centre design and management software.

• Knowledge of industry standards and best practices for data centre design and operation (e.g., TIA-942, Uptime Institute).

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level suggests a candidate who can operate with a degree of autonomy but also contribute to a team. The emphasis on AI/HPC points towards a need for specialized knowledge beyond standard enterprise data centres. The blend of technical and soft skills is crucial.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate successful data centre infrastructure design projects, showcasing your ability to create detailed physical layouts, power, and cooling solutions.

• Include examples of cost models, Bills of Materials (BoMs), and Statements of Work (SoWs) that you have developed, highlighting accuracy and commercial awareness.

• Present examples of installation-ready documentation, such as P2P cabling maps, rack elevations, and labeling strategies, emphasizing clarity and completeness.

• Showcase case studies or project summaries that illustrate your involvement in the end-to-end project lifecycle, from initial design through to commissioning and delivery. Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of your ability to document complex infrastructure workflows, including cabling plans, power distribution diagrams, and cooling strategies.

• Illustrate your experience in creating documentation that facilitates smooth installation and commissioning by delivery teams.

• Demonstrate how your documentation supports ongoing operational management and future upgrades.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role involving design and implementation consultancy, a portfolio is essential. It should clearly articulate the candidate's technical design capabilities, project management involvement, and documentation skills. Emphasis should be on practical examples that reflect real-world data centre deployments, especially those involving AI/HPC.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the "Mid-Level" experience (5-10 years), the UK location (England), and the specialized nature of AI/HPC data centre design, a competitive salary range is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in the UK, this could range from £55,000 to £80,000 per annum, depending on specific experience, skills, and the exact client engagement requirements.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health and wellness programs, potentially including private medical insurance.

• Retirement savings plan (e.g., company pension scheme with employer contributions).

• Generous paid time off (holiday entitlement, public holidays).

• Opportunities for professional development, training, and certifications relevant to data centre technologies, AI, and HPC.

• Company-provided mobile or laptop for work purposes.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses or incentives.

• Flexible working arrangements, leveraging the remote work policy.

Working Hours: The job description implies a standard full-time contract. While specific hours are not stated, a typical 40-hour work week is standard in the UK. The remote nature may offer some flexibility in daily scheduling, but project deadlines and client needs will likely dictate the working pattern.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on general UK market data for mid-level IT consultants specializing in infrastructure. The specific compensation will depend heavily on Computacenter's internal banding and the candidate's demonstrated expertise in AI/HPC data centre design. The mention of "GBR - Mobile Eng" suggests that while remote, there might be an expectation for some travel within England, which could be factored into benefits or expense policies.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: IT Infrastructure Services and Solutions Provider. Computacenter is a significant player in helping organizations with their IT strategy, implementation, and management.

Company Size: Approximately 21,000 employees worldwide, indicating a large, established, and global organization. This size offers stability and a broad range of opportunities but also necessitates efficient internal processes and clear communication channels.

Founded: The founding date is not provided, but the company's scale suggests a long history of operation and evolution within the IT services sector.

Team Structure:

• The role sits within the "Sales & Pre-Sales & Alliances" business unit, specifically supporting technical design and implementation.

• You will be part of a collaborative team of data centre specialists, working alongside sales, consultancy, logistics, operational delivery teams, vendors, and customers.

• The reporting structure is not explicitly detailed but likely involves a team lead or manager within the Sales & Pre-Sales function, with close collaboration with project managers and delivery leads. Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: The role requires analyzing customer needs and technical requirements to propose viable solutions.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Designing efficient data centre layouts, power, cooling, and cabling strategies to optimize performance, cost, and scalability.

• Automation & Efficiency: While not explicitly automation-focused, the design of infrastructure directly impacts operational efficiency and future automation capabilities within the data centre.

Company Website: https://www.computacenter.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Computacenter's emphasis on being an "independent provider of IT infrastructure services" suggests a vendor-neutral approach, allowing for the selection of best-fit solutions for clients. The company culture, described as "friendly, open working environment without too much fuss about hierarchy," points to a collaborative and less bureaucratic atmosphere, which can be appealing for consultants who need to move quickly.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid-level consultancy position, requiring 5-10 years of experience. It's a hands-on design and implementation role that serves as a crucial link between technical solutions and their physical realization. It’s not purely pre-sales nor purely delivery, but a blend, offering a unique development path.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, the role is within the "Sales & Pre-Sales & Alliances" business unit. This implies reporting to a manager within that unit, with significant collaboration across various departments including Sales, Consultancy, Logistics, and Delivery teams. The remote nature means communication will be heavily reliant on digital tools.

Operations Impact: The consultant’s impact is significant, directly influencing the success of client infrastructure projects. By designing robust, cost-effective, and technically sound data centre solutions for AI and HPC workloads, they enable clients to achieve their performance, scalability, and business objectives. Their work minimizes project risks, reduces delivery challenges, and ensures successful outcomes, contributing directly to client satisfaction and Computacenter's reputation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI/HPC data centre design, potentially leading to senior or lead consultant roles in this niche.

• Broader Infrastructure: Expand knowledge into other areas of data centre operations, cloud integration, or broader IT infrastructure strategy.

• Technical Leadership: Progress into roles overseeing larger design projects, managing design teams, or becoming a subject matter expert within Computacenter.

• Client Relationship Management: Develop stronger client advisory skills, potentially moving into more strategic consultancy or account management roles.

• Training & Certification: Leverage Computacenter's support for professional development to gain advanced certifications in data centre design, AI/HPC technologies, or project management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a valuable career path for individuals passionate about the physical infrastructure of modern computing, particularly in the rapidly growing fields of AI and HPC. The blend of technical design and project involvement provides a well-rounded development experience.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The primary work arrangement is "Remote OK," with a specific designation of "GBR - Mobile Eng | Remote." This suggests a fully remote role, but potentially with the expectation of occasional travel within England for client meetings, site visits, or project coordination.

Office Location(s): While remote, the "GBR - Mobile Eng" designation implies the role is based in or primarily serves clients within England, United Kingdom. Specific office locations are not detailed, as the role is remote.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the role emphasizes strong collaboration with internal teams (sales, logistics, delivery) and external stakeholders (customers, vendors). This necessitates proficiency with collaboration tools.

• Tools & Technology: Access to Computacenter's suite of collaboration, design, and project management tools will be essential. The role will likely involve working with various software for CAD, BoM generation, and documentation.

• Team Interaction: Regular virtual meetings, calls, and digital communication channels will be the primary means of interaction with colleagues and clients.

Work Schedule: As a full-time role, a standard 40-hour work week is anticipated. The remote nature may offer flexibility in daily hours, but project deadlines and client availability will be key drivers for the schedule. The ability to adapt to urgent client needs or project milestones is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Mobile Eng" aspect is important; candidates should be prepared for potential travel within England, even if the role is primarily remote. This implies a need for flexibility and a willingness to be on-site when required for project success.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and potentially a brief call with an HR representative to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Technical Interview: Expect in-depth discussions about your data centre design experience, particularly with AI/HPC environments, power, cooling, and cabling. You may be asked to walk through specific design challenges or solutions from your past.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you present selected projects from your portfolio. This is where you'll demonstrate your design process, problem-solving skills, and ability to articulate technical details clearly. Be prepared to discuss the challenges, your solutions, and the outcomes.

• Stakeholder/Team Interview: Interviews with potential colleagues or managers to assess collaboration skills, communication style, and how you would integrate into the team and interact with clients.

• Final Interview: Potentially a discussion with a senior leader to finalize the decision and discuss terms.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Select Relevant Projects: Prioritize examples that showcase your AI/HPC data centre design experience, including detailed layouts, power/cooling strategies, and cabling plans.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each project, clearly outline the client's challenge, your design approach, the specific solutions implemented (BoMs, SoWs, documentation), and the tangible results or benefits achieved.

• Quantify Your Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs (e.g., power efficiency improvements, cooling capacity, cost savings).

• Highlight Documentation Skills: Showcase your ability to create clear, concise, and actionable installation-ready documentation, such as P2P cabling maps.

• Be Prepared to Discuss: Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs considered, and how you managed project constraints.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Scenarios: Be ready for hypothetical design challenges. For instance, you might be asked to outline the initial steps for designing a data centre rack for a specific AI workload, considering power, cooling, and connectivity.

• Problem-Solving: Practice articulating how you would approach troubleshooting a design issue discovered during installation or commissioning.

• Stakeholder Communication: Prepare to explain how you would communicate a complex technical design or a design change to different audiences (e.g., a technical delivery team versus a non-technical client stakeholder).

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is key. Candidates should prepare to not just show what they've done, but how they did it, explaining their thought processes and decision-making. Emphasis on AI/HPC specifics will be critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Data Centre Design Software: Proficiency with CAD tools (e.g., AutoCAD, Visio) for creating layouts, rack elevations, and cabling diagrams is highly probable.

• BOM & Costing Tools: Experience with spreadsheet software (e.g., Microsoft Excel) for developing Bills of Materials and cost models.

• Documentation Tools: Familiarity with word processing and presentation software (e.g., Microsoft Word, PowerPoint) for creating Statements of Work and technical documentation.

• Collaboration Platforms: Essential for remote work, including video conferencing (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom) and project management/communication tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary analytics role, understanding how to interpret data center performance metrics (power usage effectiveness (PUE), cooling efficiency) derived from designs will be beneficial. CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) used by the sales team to understand client context and project initiation processes.

• Understanding of how infrastructure designs can impact or enable automation within the data centre environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is less about using specific operations software and more about using design and project management tools effectively. The candidate needs to be adept at translating technical specifications into documentation and costings using standard business and design software.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Teamwork: Explicitly mentioned as a shared value. Collaboration with diverse teams (sales, logistics, delivery) and customers is central to this role.

• Performance: The role requires delivering technically robust and commercially sound solutions, contributing directly to project success and client satisfaction.

• Customer Focus: The client-facing nature of the role demands a strong commitment to understanding and meeting customer needs.

• Openness & Collaboration: Computacenter values an open working environment without excessive hierarchy, encouraging input and shared problem-solving.

• Adaptability & Solutions Focus: The ability to adapt to project needs and provide practical, effective solutions is critical.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role necessitates working seamlessly with sales for understanding requirements, logistics for procurement and delivery, and delivery teams for implementation.

• Process Review: Collaboration likely involves reviewing and refining design processes, documentation standards, and implementation methodologies.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that encourages sharing best practices, lessons learned, and technical insights across teams, especially concerning AI/HPC infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture seems geared towards a professional, team-oriented environment where individuals are empowered to contribute and collaborate across departments. The emphasis on "winning together" and "people matter" suggests a supportive and performance-driven atmosphere.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapidly Evolving Technology: AI and HPC infrastructure are at the forefront of technological advancement, requiring continuous learning to stay abreast of new hardware, cooling techniques, and power requirements.

• Balancing Design Constraints: Juggling technical specifications, client budgets, physical space limitations, and vendor capabilities to create optimal solutions.

• Remote Collaboration Effectiveness: Ensuring clear communication and seamless project execution with distributed teams and clients requires strong digital collaboration skills.

• Bridging Pre-Sales and Delivery: Effectively translating pre-sales promises into actionable, implementable designs and ensuring the delivery team has all necessary information.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Training: Access to training on the latest AI/HPC hardware, data centre design principles, and advanced cooling technologies.

• Vendor Certifications: Opportunities to obtain certifications from leading technology vendors in areas relevant to data centre infrastructure.

• Project Management Skills: Developing skills in managing complex, end-to-end infrastructure projects.

• Consultancy Skills: Enhancing client advisory capabilities, negotiation, and presentation skills.

• Industry Events: Potential for attending industry conferences and expos related to data centres, AI, and HPC.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to working with cutting-edge technology and complex projects. Computacenter's size and focus on IT services suggest a commitment to employee development, making this a promising environment for growth in a specialized field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex data centre infrastructure design you've been responsible for, particularly focusing on AI or HPC workloads. What were the key challenges and how did you address them?" (Focus on your design process, technical choices, and problem-solving).

• "How do you approach developing a Bill of Materials and Statement of Work for a data centre project? What are the critical components to ensure accuracy and client clarity?" (Demonstrate your understanding of commercial and contractual aspects).

• "Walk me through your process for creating installation-ready documentation, such as P2P cabling maps. How do you ensure it's comprehensive and useful for a delivery team?" (Highlight your attention to detail and practical implementation awareness).

• "Imagine a client requires a high-density compute solution for AI training. What are the primary power, cooling, and connectivity considerations you would address in your initial design?" (Showcase your technical acumen and strategic thinking). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Computacenter and this specific role in AI/HPC data centre design?" (Research Computacenter's recent projects, values, and their position in the market).

• "How do you collaborate with sales teams and delivery engineers to ensure project success?" (Emphasize your cross-functional communication and teamwork skills).

• "Describe a time you had to manage conflicting priorities or tight deadlines on a project. How did you handle it?" (Illustrate your organizational and problem-solving abilities). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each portfolio piece, follow a STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or similar narrative structure. Clearly state the client's need, your role, your specific actions (design, documentation, costing), and the measurable outcome.

• Visuals: Use clear diagrams, schematics, and examples of your documentation to support your presentation. Ensure they are legible and well-organized.

• Focus on AI/HPC: Highlight aspects of your designs specifically related to the demands of AI and HPC (e.g., high-speed networking, power density, advanced cooling).

• Articulate Value: Beyond technical details, explain the business value and ROI your designs delivered for the client.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for a candidate who can blend deep technical knowledge of data centre infrastructure with strong project execution capabilities and excellent communication skills. Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific technical details and demonstrate their problem-solving approach.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this AI HPC Design Consultant position:

• Submit your application through the Computacenter careers portal via the provided URL.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in data centre design, AI/HPC infrastructure, power/cooling, cabling, BoM/SoW creation, and project lifecycle management. Use keywords from the job description.

• Portfolio Preparation: Curate a portfolio that includes at least 2-3 strong examples of data centre design projects, showcasing your technical drawings, BoMs, SoWs, and installation documentation. Be ready to present these effectively.

• Technical Deep Dive: Review fundamental data centre design principles, focusing on the specific requirements for AI and HPC workloads (e.g., NVIDIA DGX systems, high-density racks, liquid cooling considerations, Infiniband/Ethernet networking).

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Computacenter's services, company values, and recent news, particularly in the data centre and high-performance computing space.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.