Head of Data Center Development

Maincode; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Superannuation

Job summary

Maincode in Melbourne, VIC is seeking a seasoned infrastructure leader to own core data center facilities lifecycle, including upgrades, greenfield site development and high voltage connections. You will drive site selection, contractor management, and end-to-end delivery from ground to readiness for high density compute.

You will coordinate with AEMO, grid operators and construction partners to ensure timelines and budgets are met, while maintaining a lean operation and rapid on-site decision

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience delivering critical infrastructure and data center projects.
• Proven track record of large greenfield builds and site upgrades.
• Strong network of Australian contractors, consultants and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Manage upgrade and maintenance of existing data centers to improve power, cooling and floor loading for high density clusters.
• Navigate councils, zoning laws and environmental regs to secure sites and permits for greenfield construction.
• Lead negotiations with grid operators and energy providers to secure large power agreements for compute across sites.
• Oversee end-to-end construction and fit-out of new facilities to support high density compute architectures.
• Source and manage top-tier construction partners and subcontractors within budget and timelines.
• Define repeatable processes for new builds and establish an operating playbook for site management.

Skills

Infrastructure delivery

Data center construction

Project management

Vendor management

Site leadership

Job description

About Maincode

Maincode makes Matilda, an Australian-made AI stack we own end to end, from tin to token. We own and operate our own infrastructure here in Australia, we train and maintain our own frontier models, and we run multiple surfaces on top of them, including chat, coding and API. Everything we ship is built on capability we control ourselves. We are hiring someone who cares about that. You should be passionate about Australian-made technology, a builder first, and keen to execute at the highest levels of physical infrastructure.

The role

Building and training Matilda taught us what it takes to power compute at scale. We are now expanding our infrastructure footprint by upgrading and maintaining our existing sites while developing new data centers from the ground up.

You will be our foundational boots on the ground leader, turning our physical infrastructure roadmap into reality. You will own the entire lifecycle of getting our sites live. This includes managing the improvement of current facilities and leading greenfield site acquisition and high voltage grid connections. If you are currently building critical infrastructure at a massive scale but want to escape legacy bureaucracy to build high density compute facilities, this is your opportunity to build a lean operation from day one.

What you will do.

• Manage the upgrade and maintenance of existing data centers, improving power, floor loading, and cooling architectures for high density clusters.
• Navigate local councils, zoning laws, and state environmental regulations to rapidly secure optimal sites and permits for greenfield construction.
• Lead negotiations with AEMO, state grid operators, and energy providers to secure the massive high voltage power agreements required for compute across both new and existing sites.
• Oversee the end to end construction and fit out of new facilities, ensuring the physical build supports in-row CDUs, direct to chip plumbing, and advanced heat rejection.
• Source, vet, and direct top tier construction partners, MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) contractors, and specialist vendors, holding contracting teams accountable to strict budgets and timelines.
• Act as the primary owner of our physical footprints, defining repeatable and lean processes for new builds and establishing the operational playbook for long term site management.

What you will bring.

• 10+ years of experience in critical infrastructure delivery, data center construction, or massive scale telecom build outs.
• A proven track record of successfully delivering facility upgrades alongside large greenfield builds.
• Deep technical fluency in commercial real estate, heavy electrical provisioning (substations, high voltage), and the unique physical constraints of high density compute environments.
• An established network of top tier subcontractors, MEP consultants, and vendors in the Australian market who deliver when you call.
• A project manager’s mindset who thrives on site. You have the pedigree of a massive enterprise but the operational speed of an entrepreneur, capable of executing without the bloated support staff of a legacy telco.

Highly regarded.

• Experience at a tier-one Australian operator (e.g. Telstra, AirTrunk, NextDC, CDC).
• Prior exposure to liquid cooling architectures and high power density deployments.

Eligibility.

• Must have the right to work in Australia.
• Willingness to undergo background and national police checks as required for critical infrastructure management.

Details.

• Location: Melbourne, VIC (or Hybrid/On-Site across Australia). Regular work from active construction sites and Maincode offices.
• Type: Full time, permanent.
• Remuneration: Negotiable based on experience, plus super and equity.

Who thrives here

Builders who want to spend time on site, and infrastructure leaders who actually execute. If you care about Australian-made technology and you would rather spend your week getting shovels in the ground, upgrading sites, and getting power connected than sitting in steering committee meetings, you will do well here.