Sr. Director, Digital Infrastructure Development

Talen Energy•Columbus, OH

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Talen is seeking a Senior Director, Digital Infrastructure Development to lead the strategy, execution, and delivery readiness of powered land site development initiatives. This role will oversee end-to-end development of sites suited for data center customers through utility power strategy, zoning, permitting, pre-construction, and handoff into execution while aligning development decisions with customer requirements, capital discipline, and long-term portfolio value. This role serves as a key partner to commercial leadership in advancing customer engagements currently underway.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive experience in data center, digital infrastructure, power infrastructure, large-scale industrial, energy, or mission-critical project development, with at least 5 years leading complex cross-functional programs or teams.
Demonstrated success developing large, multi-stakeholder infrastructure projects involving site control, permitting, utility power delivery, commercial negotiations, and transition into construction or operations.
Deep experience working with electric utilities, transmission or distribution interconnections, substations or other medium- and high-voltage infrastructure, and power-related commercial or regulatory matters.
Strong commercial judgment with experience in project underwriting, contract negotiation, capital budgeting, risk management, and executive-level decision support.
Willing to travel as needed (25%-50%) to evaluate sites, meet stakeholders, and oversee projects.
Bachelor’s degree in engineering, construction management, real estate, business, finance, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience in one or more of the following environments: hyperscalers, colocation providers, digital infrastructure developers, utility-affiliated infrastructure platforms, power developers, EPC firms, or energy-intensive industrial development.
Familiarity with data center design and delivery considerations such as phased campus development, customer deployment requirements, redundancy expectations, commissioning readiness, and operational reliability standards.
Experience engaging with public utility commissions, state and local economic development entities, environmental and land-use permitting authorities, and community stakeholders.
Knowledge of energy markets, renewable energy solutions, and grid interconnection.
Familiarity with GIS tools and site evaluation technologies.
Experience working across multiple geographic regions and regulatory environments.
Strong operator who can drive execution in ambiguous, fast-growth environments with multiple internal and external dependencies.
Credible external representative with the judgment and presence to negotiate with utilities, customers, developers, regulators, consultants, and senior executives.
Excellent communicator who can distill complex technical, regulatory, and commercial issues into clear recommendations for executive stakeholders.
Advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead Powered Land Strategy & Execution: Develop and execute the strategy for powered land site identification, acquisition support, and readiness for data center development.
Oversee site development lifecycle including permitting, infrastructure planning, utility coordination, and readiness timelines.
Develop utility and energy strategies for each project, including transmission and distribution service, substations, interconnection, backup power, storage, tariff strategy, and clean energy pathways that support reliability, cost, and sustainability goals.
Coordinate due diligence and development activities across engineering, design, environmental, water, legal, tax, finance, and commercial teams to ensure each project is technically sound, commercially competitive, and executable on schedule.
Build and maintain senior relationships with customers, utilities, developers, landowners, public agencies, and community stakeholders to improve execution certainty.
Build and lead a high-performing team responsible for site development delivery.
Cross-Functional Leadership: Serve as the central point of alignment between development, engineering, operations, transmission/interconnection, environmental, and regulatory teams so project scope, schedule, cost, and technical requirements remain synchronized through notice to proceed.
Establish development processes, governance, reporting, and decision frameworks that improve speed, accountability, and portfolio visibility across multiple concurrent projects and markets.
Coordinate with internal stakeholders to align development timelines with generation and infrastructure capabilities.
Foster a culture of safety, ethical conduct, disciplined risk management, and constructive engagement with customers, utilities, regulators, and local communities.
Commercial Support & Customer Engagement: Support ongoing data center customer discussions led by business development team by providing technical, development, and site-readiness expertise.
Support or lead negotiations for power supply, utility cost sharing, economic development incentives, tax abatements, and other arrangements that improve project economics and time to market.
Translate customer requirements into viable site strategies and development plans.
Participate in customer meetings, proposals, and negotiations as a subject matter expert.
Pipeline Development & Market Positioning: Build a scalable pipeline of powered land opportunities aligned to market demand and strategic priorities.
Evaluate market trends, competitive positioning, and customer requirements to inform site strategy.
Risk Management & Execution Discipline: Identify and mitigate development, regulatory, and execution risks.
Ensure projects are delivered on schedule, within scope, and aligned with business objectives.
Own development budgets, milestone plans, risk registers, underwriting inputs, and stage-gate approvals; present opportunity recommendations, risks, and mitigation plans to executive leadership.