Development Director

Iren Group; Madrid; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

IREN Group in Madrid seeks a Development Director to lead its development activities in Spain, overseeing origination, structuring, planning and delivery readiness of large-scale AI and high-performance computing data center projects from opportunity assessment through construction handover.

Based in Madrid and reporting to the Spain CEO, the role directs the Development Department and ensures integration of land, grid, utilities, permitting, stakeholder management and investment readiness,

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering, Architecture, Business, Real Estate, Construction Management, Energy or related field.
• 12–15 years in real estate or data center development in Spain.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary development teams and external stakeholders.
• Strong knowledge of Spanish development processes, permitting, grid and investment approvals.
• Fluent Spanish and professional English required.

Responsibilities

• Lead development strategy and portfolio in Spain.
• Unite Development Dept across land, grid, planning and connectivity.
• Drive development through full lifecycle to readiness.
• Ensure investment readiness with gates and milestones.
• Manage risks and dependencies affecting development.
• Provide portfolio visibility and executive decision support.
• Maintain external stakeholder relationships with authorities, grid operators and partners.
• Coordinate with engineering, legal, finance and sustainability.
• Oversee transition from development to execution.
• Build scalable development organization with governance.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder mgmt

Strategic planning

Project development

Cross-functional

Negotiation

Risk management

Spanish fluency

English proficiency

Education

Engineering degree

Architecture degree

Job description

The Development Director leads IREN’s development activities in Spain, with overall accountability for the development portfolio and the origination, structuring, planning, and delivery readiness of large-scale AI and high-performance computing data center projects from early opportunity assessment through construction handover.

Based in Madrid and reporting to the IREN Spain CEO, the role leads the Development Department and ensures the effective integration of project development, planning, land, grid, utilities, connectivity and solution engineering, permitting, stakeholder management, and investment readiness activities. The Development Director is accountable for ensuring that projects progress through the development lifecycle in a structured, coordinated, and commercially disciplined manner and achieve the required level of maturity for investment and execution.

In the context of IREN’s European expansion and vertically integrated AI Cloud platform, the Development Director provides strategic and operational leadership to the development organization, working closely with Engineering, Construction, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Sustainability, and other corporate functions. The role enables scalable growth by building a portfolio of technically feasible, commercially viable, permitted, connected, and execution-ready projects, while maintaining clear governance, risk visibility, and alignment with IREN’s business objectives.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the IREN Spain CEO, the Development Director is responsible for:

• Lead IREN Spain’s development strategy and portfolio, establishing project priorities, development roadmaps, key milestones, and resource requirements in line with business growth objectives.
• Lead the Development Department, integrating Project Development, Land, Grid, Utilities, Planning, and Connectivity & Solution Engineering to ensure clear accountability and coordinated execution across projects.
• Drive projects through the full development lifecycle, ensuring that land, grid connection, utilities, permitting, technical feasibility, planning, and commercial requirements progress in an integrated manner and meet defined development milestones.
• Ensure project and investment readiness, establishing appropriate development stage gates and ensuring projects achieve the required technical, regulatory, commercial, and financial maturity before progressing into execution.
• Manage and prioritize critical development risks and dependencies, particularly those related to land, power availability, grid connection, permitting, utilities, schedule, development cost, and technical feasibility.
• Provide clear portfolio visibility and recommendations to the CEO and Management, including project maturity, critical path, development expenditure, key risks, investment requirements, and decisions required.
• Lead key external stakeholder relationships, including public authorities, landowners, grid operators, utility providers, consultants, and strategic partners, resolving critical issues affecting project development.
• Ensure effective coordination with Engineering, Construction, Legal, Finance, Procurement, Sustainability, and other functions, aligning development decisions with downstream execution requirements.
• Ensure an effective transition from Development into execution, with clear handover of permits, land rights, grid and utility commitments, technical requirements, commercial assumptions, risks, and outstanding actions.
• Build and develop a scalable Development organization, establishing effective governance, processes, capabilities, and ways of working to support IREN’s growth in Spain.

Requirements

• Degree in Engineering, Architecture, Business, Real Estate, Construction Management, Energy, Infrastructure, or a related discipline; postgraduate studies in project management, business, real estate, energy, or infrastructure development will be positively valued.
• Minimum 12–15 years of experience in real estate development, data center development, energy infrastructure, industrial projects, utilities, construction, or complex technical project environments, including significant experience in Spain.
• Proven experience coordinating multidisciplinary development teams and external stakeholders across land, permitting, grid, technical design, planning, commercial analysis, construction preparation, and governance processes.
• Strong understanding of Spanish development processes, permitting pathways, land management, grid connection procedures, project controls, investment approval requirements, and the main technical and commercial drivers of mission-critical infrastructure projects.
• Ability to provide direction, structure priorities, manage complex dependencies, make informed recommendations, and communicate project status, risks, and decisions clearly to executive stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• High level of leadership, negotiation, stakeholder management, analytical judgement, commercial awareness, and accountability, with the capacity to operate in a fast-paced international environment and support IREN’s growth in Spain.
• Fluent Spanish and professional English are required; experience in AI infrastructure, data centers, renewable energy, grid-connected developments, or mission-critical environments will be positively valued.

Compensation

• Compensation will be determined based on factors such as experience, qualifications, and market data for the region.
• Total Compensation package may be inclusive of annual incentive bonus, and equity (long-term incentive)
• Medical, dental and insurance coverage.
• Wellhub: access to gyms, fitness classes and wellness services.
• Pluxee: flexible benefits for meals, transportation and childcare expenses.