Director, Physical Security Design, NA

Vantage Data Centers powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well-known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

Physical Security Department

The North America Physical Security Department is focused on delivering a best-in-class security program aligned with Vantage’s vision of becoming the leading industry physical security data center provider. Our mission is to safeguard our data center environments through comprehensive, scalable, and standardized physical security processes that deter threats, promote rapid incident response, ensure regulatory compliance, and support Vantage’s rapid growth.

The department leads all physical security efforts across North America, ensuring that every Vantage data center operates within a consistent, scalable, and standardized security framework. Our teams design and implement physical security programs, systems, and processes that deter threats, strengthen site resiliency, and enable rapid response to incidents. We partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Construction, IT, and cross-functional stakeholders to ensure that physical security is embedded into every phase of the asset lifecycle and supports Vantage’s rapid expansion.

Position Overview

The Director, Physical Security Design is a newly created, mission-critical leadership role responsible for building, leading, and maturing the Security Design vertical. This leader owns the strategic direction, technical standards, program governance, and operational execution of all physical security designs across Vantage’s North American data center portfolio.

This role provides both strategic leadership and deep technical oversight, ensuring that all physical security design programs, engineering decisions, vendor engagements, and system deployments align with Vantage’s global security standards, business objectives, and rapid expansion strategy.

The Director is accountable for building a high-performing design organization, establishing scalable design workflows, eliminating single points of failure, and driving standardization and quality across all current and future design deliverables.

Duties

Strategic Leadership & Program Ownership

• Develop and execute the long-term strategy for the Physical Security Design program across all North American markets.

• Build, scale, and lead a high-performing team of design engineers and emerging technology specialists.

• Establish a unified, scalable, and standardized design methodology that supports rapid expansion across multiple simultaneous builds.

• Ensure all security design initiatives directly support the Physical Security Vision & Mission and organizational objectives.

• Provide thought leadership on new technologies, threat trends, and industry best practices.

Design Governance, Standards & Quality Management

• Own the creation, maintenance, and governance of all physical security design standards, templates, diagrams, Bill of Materials (BOMs), and programming matrices.

• Oversee version control, documentation governance, and controlled distribution of all design artifacts.

• Drive adoption of standardization across internal teams, external design firms, and integration partners.

• Serve as the final escalation point and approval authority for all design decisions in North America.

Program Execution & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as the primary interface between Physical Security, Design Engineering, Construction, IT, Operations, and Facilities teams.

• Ensure each campus design is delivered on time, on budget, and aligned with standards, client requirements, and regional codes.

• Manage and oversee the work of contracted design firms, ensuring output consistency, quality, and accountability.

• Partner with IT to ensure proper capacity planning for security networks, servers, storage, and platform infrastructure.

• Provide executive-level visibility of design workload, project prioritization, risks, and interdependencies.

Innovation & Emerging Solutions

• Lead the Emerging Solutions function, testing, evaluating, and onboarding new technologies that support program advancement.

• Serve as the executive owner for technology roadmap development for all physical security systems.

• Identify opportunities to leverage automation, AI, analytics, and advanced technologies to improve visibility, resilience, and operational efficiency.

Leadership, Culture & Organizational Development

• Build a culture of accountability, clarity, collaboration, and high performance within the Design vertical.

• Mentor and develop a strong bench of technical design talent, enabling succession planning and program scalability.

• Promote a “no ego, no arrogance” leadership philosophy that embodies Vantage values.

• Ensure the team collaborates effectively with Delivery, Operations, Security Engineering, Governance, and the SMC.

• Other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

Required

• 10+ years of experience in physical security design, engineering, systems architecture, or senior security program leadership.

• Demonstrated experience leading design programs or engineering organizations in complex, large-scale, multi-site environments.

• Deep expertise in access control, video surveillance, intrusion detection, electronic door hardware, and security network architecture.

• Strong leadership capability with experience growing and managing high-performing technical teams.

• Proven ability to build standardized programs, workflows, and governance models.

• Exceptional communication, executive presence, and stakeholder-management skills.

• Ability to manage simultaneous projects in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Preferred

• Experience in hyperscale data centers, mission-critical environments, or large technology infrastructure organizations.

• Experience developing or managing technical standards programs.

• Genetec ecosystem design and deployment experience.

• Familiarity with AI-driven analytics, security automation, or next-generation security technologies.

• Experience operating in global or multi-regional organizations.

Wait, there’s more! At Vantage Data Centers, we offer our Colleagues:

• Collaborative work environments with dynamic growth opportunities

• Our commitment to your ongoing career development and education

• Comprehensive and competitive benefits package

• Opportunity to work on some of the world's most iconic and innovative projects and to shine as an industry leader

Additional Details

• Salary Range: $175,000 - $190,000 (this range is based on Colorado market data and may vary in other locations)

• This position is eligible for company benefits including but not limited to medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and AD&D, short and long-term disability coverage, paid time off, employee assistance, participation in a 401k program that includes company match, and many other additional voluntary benefits.

• Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including your qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience and may fall outside of the range shown.

Physical Demands and Special Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop or kneel; talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

#LI-Remote #LI-AH1 

We operate with No Ego and No Arrogance. We work to build each other up and support one another, appreciating each other’s strengths and respecting each other’s weaknesses. We find joy in our work and each other, actively seeking opportunities to inject fun into what we do. Our hard and efficient work is rewarded with an above market total compensation package. We offer a comprehensive suite of health and welfare, retirement, and paid leave benefits exceeding local expectations.

Throughout the year, the advantage of being part of the Vantage team is evident with an array of benefits, recognition, training and development, and the knowledge that your contribution adds value to the company and our community.

Don't meet all the requirements? Please still apply if you think you are the right person for the position. We are always keen to speak to people who connect with our mission and values.

Vantage Data Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Vantage Data Centers does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm agencies. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of Vantage Data Centers.