VP, Site Acquisition

Riot Platforms, Inc. • Castle Rock, CO

2d

About The Position

Riot is hiring a Vice President of Site Acquisition to lead the sourcing, evaluation, and securing of powered land for data center development across the United States. The role leads execution and contributes significantly to acquisition strategy, building the site pipeline for Riot's growth. It is part of the corporate development team and works across engineering, leasing, construction, power, finance, and legal to turn raw parcels into shovel-ready campuses. As the pipeline grows, the VP will build and lead a team of acquisition professionals.

The position helps refine target markets and site criteria, originates opportunities, conducts diligence, underwrites investments, negotiates transactions, and drives deals from letter of intent through close. It also develops creative joint ventures and partnerships with landowners and power partners. Riot strongly prefers candidates near its Irvine/Orange County, California, or Denver, Colorado offices, but remote work is possible for an exceptional candidate, with regular travel as the pipeline requires.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in land or site acquisition, real estate development, or energy infrastructure, with a track record acquiring powered land or comparable mission-critical sites.
• Demonstrated success sourcing deals and closing complex, high-stakes land transactions from origination and diligence through negotiation and close.
• Strong command of data center siting fundamentals, including high-voltage power, interconnection, transmission and substation capacity, fiber, cooling, water, and tax and incentive structures.
• Hands-on experience reviewing technical and utility documents and translating them into clear buildability and risk conclusions.
• Proven ability to structure and negotiate purchase and sale agreements, options, and leases, with strong commercial and financial judgment.
• Financial fluency in real estate underwriting, scenario modeling, and ROI analysis, with the ability to build and defend an investment case.
• Experience building, leading, and mentoring acquisition or development teams.
• Deep familiarity with U.S. land use, zoning, entitlement, and permitting processes and related diligence.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills across brokers, landowners, utilities, and government, and the ability to operate independently in a fast-moving environment.
• Willingness to travel as projects require.
• Bachelor's degree required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience structuring joint ventures or partnerships with landowners or power providers.
• Experience with behind-the-meter natural gas generation development for large-scale loads.
• Experience with substation and transmission capacity procurement, and powered-land structures where energy is committed before construction.
• Experience securing economic incentives and development agreements, and a long-term land-banking mindset.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to Riot's site acquisition strategy by refining target markets, utility territories, and site criteria.
• Identify, originate, and evaluate development sites nationwide, including large industrial and raw parcels suitable for hyperscale campuses, prioritizing deliverable power, transmission access, and fiber connectivity.
• Review and interpret technical and utility documentation, including interconnection studies, load letters, capacity availability, easements, title, environmental, zoning, and entitlement materials, to assess buildability and risk.
• Lead real estate underwriting, scenario modeling, and ROI analysis, and present investment recommendations to executive leadership.
• Lead commercial negotiations and structure and negotiate purchase and sale agreements, options, and long-term leases, driving transactions from LOI through diligence to signature.
• Develop joint venture and partnership structures with landowners and power partners to contribute land or power to development projects while sharing in the upside.
• Coordinate with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, municipalities, and economic development officials to confirm power deliverability, secure incentives and development agreements, and build community support.
• Cultivate relationships with brokers, landowners, developers, and power partners.
• Partner with engineering, leasing, construction, power procurement, finance, and legal teams to assess feasibility and align acquisitions with Riot's development and commercial roadmap.
• Hire, mentor, and lead acquisition professionals, and represent Riot at industry and community events.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary commensurate with experience, plus bonus and sign-on equity grant.
• Eligibility to participate in Riot's equity incentive programs.
• 401(k) retirement plan with a generous company match.
• Multiple medical plan options, including 100% company-paid plans.
• Free gym memberships.
• Pet insurance.
• Childcare discounts.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive