Vice President, Site Selection

Core Scientific•Austin, TX

About The Position

The Vice President, Site Selection is the company’s senior leader responsible for driving the global strategy for identifying, securing, and entitling new data center sites—with a concentrated focus on the long‑term power and energy needs of hyperscale infrastructure. This role ensures that every new site is selected with optimal access to reliable, scalable, cost‑efficient power and that utility partnerships, grid capacity, and energy resilience are foundational to the site development process. The VP will be a key interface between internal technical teams, external utilities, regulators, and local jurisdictions, ensuring each development meets the company’s power roadmap, sustainability objectives, and long‑term energy strategy.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in real estate, Engineering, Business, Geography, Planning, or a related field.
10–15+ years of experience in site selection, data center development, real estate strategy, or mission‑critical infrastructure; 5+ years in senior leadership.
Deep understanding of data center power, cooling, fiber networks, and utility infrastructure.
Experience negotiating complex real estate acquisitions, colocation contracts, and SLAs.
Proven ability to lead multi‑region, multi‑project pipelines in a fast‑growing environment.
Strong executive communication, vendor management, financial modeling, and strategic planning skills.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (MBA, MS in Engineering, Energy, or Real Estate).
Experience working across regulated and deregulated power markets.
Prior leadership experience within hyperscale, cloud, or mission‑critical environments.

Responsibilities

Lead the global site selection strategy for new data center development, incorporating power markets, fiber availability, land constraints, and infrastructure scalability
Direct market assessments to identify high-potential regions, evaluating risk, cost, entitlement complexity, and competitive dynamics
Partner with executive leadership to align site strategy with company growth targets and infrastructure needs
Oversee all pre-construction and due diligence activities, including environmental, civil, geotechnical, and land use analysis
Direct and review Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) and manage Phase II investigations as required
Oversee procurement, review, and interpretation of ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys, title commitments, and easement constraints
Lead coordination of civil engineering design activities, including:
Site grading and earthwork
Stormwater management and drainage
Utility routing and infrastructure planning
Access, transportation, and constructability considerations
Review geotechnical reports, environmental constraints, wetlands, floodplain impacts, and subsurface conditions to inform site viability
Ensure integration of site design, constructability, and cost considerations into early-stage decision-making
Identify and mitigate risks related to entitlements, environmental conditions, and site constraints
Evaluate power availability, interconnection timelines, grid capacity, cooling feasibility, and network infrastructure across target markets with support of internal power professionals
Serve as the senior point of contact with utilities, transmission operators, and critical infrastructure partners
Secure long-term power capacity and guide interconnection strategy and infrastructure planning to support hyperscale growth
Integrate energy resilience, redundancy, and sustainability objectives into site and design strategy
Lead entitlement and permitting strategies, including zoning, land use approvals, and jurisdictional coordination
Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, including environmental and development requirements
Engage with municipalities, agencies, and community stakeholders to advance project approvals
Lead the company’s colocation strategy, including provider evaluations, portfolio optimization, and long-term planning
Oversee negotiations for leases, SLAs, and expansion agreements with colocation vendors
Ensure colocation environments meet power, cooling, security, and network requirements
Partner with Engineering, Operations, Construction, Energy Procurement, Legal, and Finance to validate site feasibility and transition projects into development
Guide early project planning by establishing pre-construction schedules, budgets, scopes, and risk mitigation strategies
Provide executive-level reporting on market analyses, site pipeline, due diligence findings, risks, and investment recommendations
Build and lead a high-performing team responsible for site selection, due diligence, and early-stage development
Develop scalable processes, standards, and governance frameworks across regions
Manage and coordinate external consultants, including civil engineers, surveyors, environmental and geotechnical firms
Cultivate relationships with brokers, developers, utilities, regulators, and community stakeholders
Foster open, respectful, and professional communication across teams and leadership
Perform other duties as assigned