Technology Scout, R&D

Crusoe•Denver, CO

4d•$161,000 - $195,000

About The Position

Crusoe is a vertically integrated AI infrastructure company on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence—bending the arc of energy toward sustainability. Our R&D organization identifies, evaluates, and accelerates the technologies that will define the next generation of AI data center infrastructure. We are seeking a Technology Scout to join our R&D team and serve as the organization’s eyes and ears across the emerging technology landscape. You will systematically scan the industry—from early-stage startups and university labs to established vendors and national research programs—to identify the innovations that could reshape how data centers are powered, cooled, built, and operated. This is a foundational hire. You will build the technology scouting function from the ground up—developing the methodology, tools, processes, and external relationships that enable Crusoe’s R&D team to continuously identify and evaluate emerging opportunities. Your work will directly inform which technologies Crusoe invests in, pilots, and ultimately deploys at scale. The ideal candidate combines deep technical knowledge across energy and infrastructure domains with the curiosity, network, and analytical rigor to separate signal from hype in a fast-moving landscape.

Requirements

Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in technology evaluation, R&D, engineering, or technical strategy roles within energy, data center infrastructure, industrial systems, or related industries.
Technical Breadth: Strong generalist knowledge across multiple domains relevant to AI infrastructure: power systems, cooling and thermal management, data center design, and compute/networking. Ability to evaluate technologies at the intersection of these domains and assess their implications for future data center architectures.
Energy & Infrastructure Depth: Particular depth in energy systems (generation, storage, distribution) and/or data center infrastructure (cooling, power delivery, facility design).
Research & Analysis: Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex technical information from diverse sources—academic papers, vendor datasheets, conference proceedings, patent filings, industry reports—into clear, actionable intelligence.
External Network: Established relationships or demonstrated ability to rapidly build relationships with technology vendors, startup ecosystems, university research groups, and/or national laboratories.
Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to produce compelling technical briefings, deep-dive reports, and executive-level summaries.
Process Building: Experience designing or significantly improving a technology scouting, competitive intelligence, or R&D intake process. Comfortable building from scratch in an entrepreneurial environment.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or a related technical discipline. Advanced degree or equivalent depth of industry experience preferred.

Nice To Haves

Background in technology strategy, venture capital technical diligence, or corporate development.
Track record of identifying early-stage technologies that were subsequently adopted at commercial scale.
Familiarity with AI infrastructure, GPU-accelerated computing, and high-performance computing environments.
Experience at a national laboratory (DOE, NREL, Sandia, ORNL), university research center, or corporate R&D lab.
Experience contributing to technical publications or supporting industry conference presentations.
Knowledge of supply chain dynamics and commodity markets affecting technology availability.

Responsibilities

Industry Scanning & Emerging Technology Identification: Proactively scan the technology landscape—startups, university research labs, national laboratories, conferences, publications, and early-stage vendors—to identify innovations that could impact the future of AI data center design, construction, and operations.
Technology Portfolio Management: Own and maintain Crusoe’s R&D technology portfolio. Track technology readiness, competitive developments, vendor roadmaps, and deployment timelines. Provide regular portfolio updates to R&D leadership.
Intelligence Briefings: Produce and deliver regular technology intelligence briefings covering industry trends, vendor announcements, research breakthroughs, and competitive developments relevant to the future of AI infrastructure.
Deep-Dive Assessments: Conduct in-depth technical evaluations of specific technology areas, comparing vendor claims against independent data, assessing roadmap credibility, and evaluating how emerging technologies could shape future data center architectures from pilot scale through hyperscale deployment. Deliver actionable recommendations to R&D leadership and engineering teams.
Vendor & Research Engagement: Build and maintain relationships with technology vendors, startup founders, academic researchers, and national lab contacts. Conduct regular meetings to stay ahead of technology curves and identify partnership or evaluation opportunities.
Engineering Team Partnership: Work closely with engineering teams across the company to understand their technology needs, respond to ad hoc requests, and ensure that R&D scouting priorities reflect both near-term engineering challenges and longer-term strategic direction.
R&D Pilot Support: Support the development of technical scope for R&D pilots and feasibility studies by providing technology landscape context, vendor and startup shortlists, and evaluation criteria. Help frame the questions that pilots need to answer to determine readiness for hyperscale deployment.
Scouting Process Development: Design and build the technology scouting methodology, tools, and workflows from scratch. Establish repeatable processes for technology monitoring, evaluation, and portfolio management that scale with the organization.