Development Manager & Senior Development Manager

Nscale; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Nscale is seeking a Development or Senior Development Manager to lead critical data centre projects across Europe. The ideal candidate will manage everything from site identification to delivery readiness, driving development activities for AI-focused infrastructures.

This role requires a firm grasp of utility systems and real estate with at least three years of experience. The position is flexible within the UK/Europe, offering a unique chance to shape the next generation of data centres.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in front-end development of data centres or mission-critical infrastructure.
• Proven experience in site acquisition and permitting.
• Strong grasp of utility infrastructure and planning systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead front-end development activities across AI data centre projects.
• Drive site due diligence and pre-development design coordination.
• Manage permitting and licensing roadmaps across EMEA.

Skills

Clear communication

Organizational skills

Commercial awareness

Collaboration

Adaptability

Education

Degree in Engineering, Planning, Real Estate, or related discipline

Job description

Development and Senior Development Manager – Data Centre Development, EMEA

Shape the Infrastructure Powering AI

At Nscale, we are building the next generation of infrastructure for Europe’s AI revolution - large‑scale, mission‑critical data centre campuses that underpin hyperscalers, AI pioneers, and enterprise innovators across EMEA. We move fast, think boldly, and hold ourselves to the highest standards of development and delivery.

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is driving unprecedented global demand for compute and GPU infrastructure. Positioned at the heart of this transformation, we are delivering the platforms that will enable the next decade of innovation. We’re developing cutting‑edge, sovereign generative AI solutions powered by a new generation of high‑performance, sustainable data centres and GPUs built specifically for AI workloads.

Working closely with the world’s most advanced AI technology providers, Nscale integrates next‑generation compute hardware and GPU clusters across both partner and self‑delivered facilities.

This is a rare opportunity to join a high‑growth business at a genuinely formative stage of our growth. As Development or Senior Development Manager, you will take real ownership of complex, high‑impact projects – from first site identification through to commercially viable, delivery readiness – and grow alongside a business that rewards ambition, adaptability, and clarity of thought.

Role Overview

You will lead and coordinate front‑end development activities across a portfolio of European AI data centre projects, including greenfield and brownfield development as well as colocation opportunities. Working closely with senior leadership, you will drive site due diligence, acquisition, permitting, utility agreements, and pre‑development design coordination – managing a broad network of consultants, authorities, utilities, and internal teams.

This role suits someone who is commercially sharp, highly organised, and thrives in an entrepreneurial culture. You will be a trusted point of accountability across every stage of the development lifecycle – the person who keeps complex workstreams moving and brings clarity to a fast‑evolving environment.

Key Responsibilities

Market Screening, Site Identification & Acquisition

• Strategically match our End User GPU needs with available capacity across the EMEA region.
• Develop site feasibility assessments and business cases for strategic opportunities, assessing power, fibre, water, environmental, and planning constraints.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary due diligence – legal, geotechnical, environmental, transport, and utilities – managing consultants and internal teams.
• Support commercial negotiations with landowners, developers, and partners; maintain acquisition trackers, risk registers, and gating documentation.

Site Development, Design & Utilities

• Drive front‑end development from feasibility through developed design activities, including permitting roadmaps, risk mitigations, enabling works and power strategies.
• Lead utility engagement across power, fibre, gas and water – including grid connection applications, off‑grid solutions and capacity assessments.
• Produce and develop early‑stage Project Execution Plans to enable smooth integration of detailed design, delivery and operational teams.
• Develop risk‑adjusted project cost plans and schedules to underpin Business Cases and manage development budgets, schedules, risk registers, and reporting.

Planning, Permitting & Stakeholder Management

• Coordinate planning and operational permitting applications and technical submissions across multiple EMEA jurisdictions.
• Engage proactively with local authorities, utility providers, landowners, and communities.
• Manage permitting and licensing roadmaps, approval conditions, and regulatory compliance throughout the development pipeline.
• Enable sales teams to market opportunities with increasing clarity as new sites progress towards an investable, sellable and deliverable business opportunity.

Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Act as a connector across development, design, delivery, legal, finance, procurement, compute deployment, operations and delivery teams.
• Contribute to the evolution of Nscale's development standards, governance frameworks, and delivery processes.
• Stay ahead of market shifts – utility constraints, planning policy changes, and sector trends – sharing insight that sharpens our strategy.

What We’re Looking For

We are seeking proactive and commercially aware development professionals at both Development and Senior Development Manager level, team members who take ownership, communicate with confidence, and bring structure to complexity.

Experience & Qualifications

• Ideally, 3+ years in client‑side, front‑end development of data centres, mission‑critical infrastructure, or complex real estate.
• Proven experience across site acquisition, due diligence, permitting, entitlements, and pre‑construction coordination.
• Strong grasp of utility infrastructure, planning systems, and large‑scale development processes.
• Degree in Engineering, Planning, Real Estate, Construction Management, or a related discipline.

Skills & Experience

• Clear communicator who can translate complex technical and commercial information for diverse audiences.
• Highly organised – able to manage multiple projects simultaneously without dropping the detail, nor becoming fixed by it.
• Commercially astute, with the confidence to challenge assumptions and present well‑reasoned business cases.
• Collaborative by nature, but decisive – comfortable holding accountability and driving outcomes across teams.
• Adaptable and curious: energised by the pace of a high‑growth business and willing to evolve as the role does.

Location

Flexible within UK / Europe, with travel required to development sites, stakeholder meetings, and project engagements.

Equal Opportunities Statement

We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio‑economic backgrounds. If there’s anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.

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