Director, Data Center Development
Nscale
| Company | Nscale |
| Category | Data & Analytics |
| Location | Houston |
| Remote | On-site (inferred) |
| Employment | Not stated |
| Level | Director |
| Salary | Not stated by the employer |
| Posted | 27 Jul 2026 |
| Last verified | 30 Jul 2026 |
| Source | Employer career page (greenhouse) |
Description
ROLE OVERVIEW
Nscale is seeking a Director, Data Center Development to lead end-to-end development of new AI data center sites across the Americas — from origination and site control through entitlement, design coordination, and partnership with construction for ultimate delivery. Reporting to the SVP, Site Selection, you will own a portfolio of development projects and lead a team of internal reports and external consultants delivering Nscale’s speed to market.
You will be accountable for advancing sites through the full development lifecycle — securing land and power (in partnership with Nscale’s power team), managing due diligence, permitting, and entitlements, and coordinating design, energy, and preconstruction workstreams to bring shovel-ready, powered sites to Final Investment Decision (FID).
DEVELOPMENT LEADERSHIP & EXECUTION
Lead a development team responsible for advancing a portfolio of AI data center sites from origination through diligence and FID
Own project development strategy, budgets, and schedules across the portfolio, driving speed-to-power and speed-to-market
Manage the full development lifecycle — site control, due diligence, entitlements, permitting, utility coordination, and design management
Coordinate cross-functional workstreams across Energy and Power, Design, Preconstruction, and Sales to keep projects on schedule and on budget
SITE CONTROL, DUE DILIGENCE & ENTITLEMENTS
Direct site due diligence — title, survey, geotechnical, environmental, zoning, and utility studies — and lead risk identification and mitigation
Lead land acquisition and site-control efforts (purchase, option, ground lease) in partnership with Legal and external resources
Manage entitlement and permitting strategy and schedule, engaging jurisdictions, land-use counsel, and consultants to de-risk the path to FID
Partner with Energy and Power teams on utility interconnection and self-generation power procurement to validate deliverability
PROJECT DELIVERY & FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT
Develop and manage integrated development budgets and total development cost, partnering with Preconstruction and Finance on capital planning and FID packages
Track project milestones, costs, and risks, and report status to executive leadership
Manage external consultants, engineers, and design partners through the development phase
Drive standardization and continuous improvement of development processes, playbooks, and reporting
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Represent the development team in executive reviews, investment committees, and partner and jurisdiction meetings
Build and maintain relationships with landowners, developers, brokers, utilities, and local authorities
Hire, mentor, and develop junior team members building a high-performance team culture as the group scales
QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s Degree in Real Estate, Engineering, Construction Management, Finance, or a relevant discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience
8+ years of related experience in data center, real estate, or infrastructure development, with a track record advancing complex projects from site selection to construction
Data center or mission-critical facility development experience strongly preferred
Demonstrated expertise across the development lifecycle — site control, due diligence, entitlements and permitting, and design coordination
Experience managing development budgets, schedules, and total development cost, and preparing FID / capital approval packages
Working knowledge of power and utility interconnection and its role in data center deliverability
Proven ability to lead teams and manage multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced environment
Proficiency in Google Suite and Microsoft Office tools
Willingness to travel up to 25% based on business needs
ABOUT NSCALE
Nscale is taking on the hyperscalers by building a vertically in