Director, Utility Development

About Nscale

NScale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI. We provide cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure for AI start-ups and large enterprise customers. NScale enables AI-focused companies to achieve superior results by reducing the complexity of AI development. Our GPU cloud bolsters technical capabilities and directly supports strategic business outcomes, including cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility. At NScale, our Design and Construction team plays a critical role in delivering data center facilities that are optimized for AI deployments. We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency. As an NScaler, you'll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. If you join our team, you'll be contributing to building the technology that powers the future.

About The Role

We are looking for a Director of Utility Development (East) to lead utility development strategy and execution for NScale's data center portfolio in the Eastern United States. This leader will own end-to-end responsibility for securing power, water, fiber, and related utility infrastructure for East region projects. You will serve as the primary technical and commercial owner for utility interfaces in the East region, leading external partners, including outside fiber providers, to deliver projects on aggressive schedules.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the utility development strategy for East region data center projects.
• Evaluate and select sites based on grid capacity, reliability, and regulatory constraints in Eastern markets.
• Build and maintain load forecasts and translate them into utility capacity plans.
• Support development of power supply strategies that include both grid supply and on-site/behind-the-meter generation, evaluating trade-offs across reliability, schedule, fuel availability, emissions, and total cost of ownership.
• Lead technical and commercial engagements with Eastern utilities, ISOs/RTOs, and transmission owners from site diligence through energization.
• Negotiate interconnection agreements, service agreements, and tariffs in partnership with Legal and Energy Procurement.
• Track and influence grid upgrade timelines affecting project schedules.
• Support generation interconnection and utility coordination for behind-the-meter and/or utility-parallel operation, including studies and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate with municipal and regional water and sewer authorities to secure adequate capacity for data center cooling and domestic uses.
• Support development and review of water and sewer service agreements, connection requirements, and rate structures.
• Lead fiber development for East region sites, securing diverse, redundant fiber routes to support data center connectivity requirements.
• Engage and negotiate with outside fiber providers (carriers, dark fiber providers, and third-party network operators) on route planning, builds, and lit/dark fiber service agreements.
• Coordinate fiber easements, conduit agreements, and construction timelines with municipal authorities, utilities, and property owners along fiber routes.
• Align fiber delivery milestones with overall utility development and construction schedules, escalating route or provider risks as needed.
• Serve as the utility development owner for East region projects from due diligence through energization.
• Partner with Development, Construction, and Operations to align utility milestones with project schedules.
• Visit sites as needed to support commissioning, troubleshooting, and design clarifications.
• Lead and develop an Analyst supporting East region utility development.
• Act as the subject matter expert on East region utility and grid topics for internal stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a related field.
• 8-12+ years of experience in utility development or grid-connected infrastructure, with exposure to large-scale data centers or industrial loads.
• Proven experience working directly with utilities and ISOs/RTOs in Eastern U.S. markets.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, multi-stakeholder projects from concept through energization.
• Experience securing fiber connectivity and negotiating with outside fiber providers for large facilities or campuses.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Experience with high-density AI/GPU or HPC data centers.
• Familiarity with water systems and utilities.
• Familiarity with fiber route engineering, IRUs, and dark/lit fiber commercial structures in Eastern U.S. markets.

Pay

Salary Range: $160,000 USD - $300,000 USD