Data Center Development Lead

Invenergy•Chicago, IL

3d•$210,000 - $240,000•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced Data Center Development Lead to oversee the development, project management, and strategic growth of multiple data center projects. The Lead will manage a data center pipeline and work cross-functionally to secure locations, navigate permitting, and drive the load interconnection processes while ensuring alignment with our energy solutions teams such as wind, solar, and thermal generation, and energy storage. The ideal candidate will possess deep expertise in data center development, a keen understanding of the commercial side of energy generation, and the ability to negotiate and structure agreements with hyper-scalers and industry players. This person will help build internal capabilities, grow partnerships, and manage site selection and technical requirements for existing and future projects. This position is based on site at Invenergy’s downtown Chicago office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
Ability to reside and/or commute FT in Chicago.
10+ years of experience in project development, project management, and commercial negotiations, preferably within the data center or hyper-scaler industries.
Strong knowledge of data center development and construction lifecycle
Experience leading cross-functional teams and working with regulatory, interconnection, and development teams.
Familiarity with utility frameworks and energy markets (MISO, SPP, PJM, SERC) preferred.
Proven experience managing land acquisition, permitting, and technical interconnection processes.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with commercial acumen.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, balancing multiple priorities and deadlines.

Nice To Haves

12+ years of experience in project development, project management, and commercial negotiations, preferably within the data center or hyper-scaler industries.
Previous experience working with energy development and interconnection processes.
Strong network within the data center industry, including relationships with hyper-scalers and property owners such as REITs.
Ability to interpret regulatory frameworks and manage sleeved transactions.
Proficiency in project management tools and familiarity with Oracle or other ERP systems.

Responsibilities

Lead the development of a growing national portfolio of data center sites, including land and permitting efforts.
Identify and secure strategic sites and collaborate with internal teams during prospecting to incorporate grid constraints into analyses alongside other development constraints.
Manage land acquisition through landowner negotiations.
Assess local zoning ordinances for data centers and, where necessary, manage the re-zoning process to accommodate data centers.
Obtain local and state permits to support development advancement.
Monitor permitting and development requirements to ensure compliance with local regulations.
Manage commercial negotiations, creating deals with hyper-scalers and other counterparties.
Establish and nurture relationships with hyper-scalers and industry participants and lead efforts to identify specific customer needs and opportunities.
Coordinate with the interconnection team to shepherd projects through the load interconnection process, addressing technical requirements and construction needs.
Work closely with market-specific interconnection leads across regions (MISO, SPP, PJM, etc.).
Build and lead a team to grow and manage the pipeline.
Guide and support project developers by driving development progress and standardizing pricing and negotiation processes.
Negotiate energy supply tariffs with utilities and retail supplies to support commercial deal structures and development timelines.
Follow, influence, and leverage regulatory frameworks to support portfolio success.
Bridge utility conversations and regulatory matters to drive the industry to workable solutions.
Collaborate with regulatory teams and interconnection leads to address evolving, market-specific challenges, and opportunities.
Gather, distill, and distribute industry insights and competitive intelligence to inform site selection and product offerings.
Coordinate cross-functional efforts, provide presentations for management, oversee internal communication flow, and maintain centralized repositories of project data.
Support the vetting of new software tools and other resources to improve project development processes.