Director, Pre- Construction (Data Centers)

About the role

We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and technical Director of Pre-Construction & Powered Land Opportunities to lead our data center site selection, utility interconnection, and pre-development strategies. In this role, you will bridge the gap between real estate acquisition, utility/power infrastructure, and technical pre-construction planning. The ideal candidate possesses deep market intelligence in global/regional data center markets, a strong network within power utilities, and proven expertise in taking greenfield or brownfield sites from initial evaluation through land acquisition, zoning/entitlements, utility interconnect agreements, and baseline site infrastructure planning.

Responsibilities

• Site Identification & Land Acquisition: Lead the sourcing, identification, and underwriting of strategic land parcels suitable for hyperscale and enterprise data center developments; partner with real estate brokers, landowners, and economic development agencies to secure sites via purchase agreements, options, or joint ventures; conduct comprehensive land due diligence, including title review, environmental assessments (Phase I/II), geotechnical evaluations, flood zone risks, and baseline topography.
• Power Procurement & Utility Strategy: Target, evaluate, and secure sub-station, transmission, and power utility capacity (MW to GW scale) for prospective data center campuses; engage directly with regional utility providers, independent system operators (ISOs/RTOs), power brokers, and energy developers to negotiate Interconnection Agreements (IA) and Power Purchase Agreements (PPA); evaluate alternative power solutions, including on-site generation, microgrids, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and renewable energy integration.
• Pre-Construction & Site Development Planning: Oversee early-stage engineering, master planning, and site layout design in collaboration with internal architects, developers, construction professionals, engineers, and MEP consultants; develop baseline budgets, capital expenditure estimates (CapEx), and high-level schedules for off-site utility extensions, civil grading, and site preparation; evaluate critical path constraints such as fiber connectivity, water supply/wastewater capacity, and sound/environmental restrictions.
• Entitlements, Zoning & Regulatory Approvals: Lead local government, community, and regulatory engagement to secure necessary entitlements, re-zoning approvals, conditional use permits (CUP), and environmental clearances; represent the company at public hearings, city council meetings, and neighborhood workshops; partner with legal counsel to structure options, land purchase agreements, right-of-way (ROW) easements, and development agreements.
• Cross-Functional Leadership & Partnership: Collaborate closely with Design & Construction, Operations, Finance, and Commercial Leasing teams to align land/power availability with customer delivery timelines; present site investment memos and risk-mitigation strategies to Executive Leadership and Investment Committees.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Real Estate Development, or related field (Master’s or MBA preferred).
• 8+ years of direct experience in data center real estate acquisition, pre-construction management, or utility infrastructure development.
• Proven track record of securing powered land (tens to hundreds of MWs) for hyperscale, colocation, or enterprise data center operators.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating with utility companies (e.g., Dominion, PJM, ERCOT, MISO, Duke, First Energy etc.) and navigating interconnection queues.
• In-depth knowledge of high-voltage transmission networks, substation engineering concepts, and utility tariff structures.
• Solid understanding of civil engineering, environmental due diligence, and zoning/entitlement processes.