Data Center Development Director U.S.

ContourGlobal; Houston, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

ContourGlobal seeks a senior data center development executive with 15+ years in datacenter and renewable infra to lead powered land and DC opportunities across Europe and beyond, coordinating with utilities, hyperscalers, and developers.

You will own site selection, power procurement, interconnection, and commercial structuring, driving construction readiness and partnerships with utilities and data center tenants.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in datacenter, real estate, renewable energy, or related infrastructure project development, with at least 5 years focused on data centers, powered land, or digital infrastructure real estate

Responsibilities

• Evaluate development pipelines to identify attractive data center sites
• Define location theses across European markets considering regulatory, infrastructure, and hyperscaler demand
• Lead internal center of excellence for powered land and DC development and transfer know-how to growth functions
• Lead screening and advancement of powered land opportunities including power topology, interconnection path, fiber routes, water, permits
• Advance data center opportunities from strategy through feasibility, site control, diligence, commercial structuring, and construction readiness
• Define a disciplined project prioritization framework based on speed-to-power, demand, interconnection, and monetization potential
• Collaborate with utilities, land teams, and commercial leadership to embed DC workflows into asset base
• Lead relationships with hyperscalers, co-location providers, cloud operators, and infrastructure investors
• Structure land leases, JV structures, develop-and-sell, and own-and-operate models
• Represent ContourGlobal in negotiations with tenants, developers, utilities, and strategic counterparties across Europe

Skills

Data center development

Powered land

Hyperscaler engagement

Utility coordination

Fiber routing

Tenant engagement

Site due diligence

Commercial structuring

Project leadership

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

ContourGlobalis a KKR-backed next-generation Independent Power Producer (IPP) operating across the United States, Latin America, Europe and Africa. The company manages a diversified portfolio of nearly6 GWof renewable generation, flexible thermal power and battery energy storage assets, providing reliable, dispatchable power solutions that support the transition to a more electrified and sustainable future.

ContourGlobal is transforming into a predominantly renewable power platform through the decarbonization of its thermal fleet and the development of large-scale renewable energy and battery storage projects. Leveraging its in-house development, engineering and operational capabilities, the company currently has more than 2 GWof renewable and BESS projects under construction and approximately15 GWin development.

Building on its advanced commercial and energy management capabilities, ContourGlobal partners with utilities, industrial customers and digital infrastructure operators to deliver tailored power solutions through long-term contracts, corporate PPAs and powered-land solutions that shorten time-to-market for data center developments.

We are looking for a

Houston /Hybrid

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven senior data center development executive with a demonstrated track record originating, conducting diligence on, commercializing, and advancing powered land or data center campuses from site concept through customer engagement, utility coordination, and construction readiness. The successful candidate will lead the identification, evaluation, and advancement of data center opportunities across European markets, leveraging the company’s existing renewable energy and power generation platform.

The Data Center Development Director will play a critical role in integrating digital infrastructure development capabilities into the broader organization and supporting engagement with hyperscalers, cloud providers, developers, utilities, and other strategic stakeholders. The role requires deep knowledge of data center site selection, power procurement, utility interconnection, fiber, water, permitting, and hyperscaler / co-location customer requirements

The role should be able to leverage the company’s existing renewable generation, BESS, interconnection, and power development capabilities to create differentiated data center opportunities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Evaluate the company’s development pipeline and existing renewable and power generation portfolio to identify the most attractive sites for data center deployment
• Define and take ownership location theses across European markets, integrating analysis of regulatory frameworks, energy infrastructure, connectivity, and hyperscaler demand
• Act as the internal centre of excellence for powered land and data center development, transferring know-how to Business Development, Engineering, and Commercial functions. Disseminate organizational know-how on powered land and DC development to all growth functions of the company (Business Development, Engineering, Commercial Office)

Project Development & Execution

• Lead the screening and advancement of powered land opportunities, including power topology, substation proximity, utility service availability, interconnection path, load-serving strategy, fiber routes, access, water, environmental constraints, zoning, and local incentives
• Lead early-stage feasibility efforts across land, access, power topology, fiber routes, water availability, permitting pathways, and tenant suitability. Advance data center opportunities from initial site strategy through feasibility, site control, utility engagement, customer diligence, commercial structuring, and construction readiness, prioritizing projects based on speed-to-power, customer demand, interconnection optionality, and monetization structure
• Define a disciplined project prioritization framework based on speed-to-power, customer demand, interconnection optionality, and monetization potential.
• Manage external technical workstreams including fiber delivery, gas pipeline access, environmental studies, civil readiness, and utility coordination.
• Advance data center projects from initial site strategy through diligence, commercial structuring, and construction readiness
• Act as ContourGlobal's lead for studies and external workstreams tied to load applications, fiber delivery, gas pipeline access, water usage, civil readiness, and utility interfaces, water supply, wastewater, gas pipeline access, environmental constraints, and support development activities regarding permitting and constructability

Internal Collaboration & Platform Integration

• Partner with project development, interconnection, and commercial teams to embed data center workflows into the company's existing and proposed generation asset base.
• Provide expert input into the structuring of power supply solutions, including behind-the-meter, grid-backed, renewable-plus-storage, and gas-based firm power configurations.
• Collaborate with land teams, transmission specialists, and commercial leadership to ensure data center priorities are reflected across the company's broader growth agenda.
• Work alongside the Commercial Office to originate and develop relationships with Hyperscalers, Data Center Developers and Operators, Cloud platform operators, and large-scale digital infrastructure tenants, co-location providers, build-to-suit, data center developers, and infrastructure investors.
• Lead the structuring of commercial arrangements including land leases, joint venture structures, develop-and-sell transactions, and own-and-operate models.
• Represent the company as a senior market-facing authority in negotiations with tenants, developers, utilities, and strategic counterparties across Europe.

Qualifications and Skills:

Your profile is a natural match if you have:

• Experience: 15+ years of experience in datacenter, real estate, renewable energy, or related infrastructure project development with at least 5 years focused on data centers, powered land, digital infrastructure real estate, hyperscaler campus expansion, or large-load industrial development
• Skills:
  • Proven track record developing data center assets or powered land projects from site control through utility engagement, customer diligence, commercial structuring, and construction readiness
  • Deep expertise across site due diligence, land strategy, utility coordination, fiber routing, and tenant/operator engagement
  • Experience and understanding of hyperscaler and colocation customer requirements and commercial structures across a wide range of aspects including power availability, utility service, substations, fiber, water, wastewater, civil infrastructure, zoning, permitting, tax incentives, and community acceptance
  • Demonstrated experience working directly with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, transmission providers, fiber providers, civil engineers, landowners, local governments, and data center customers
  • Highly polished and commercially credible when engaging sophisticated counterparties at senior level
  • Proven ability to operate across multiple TSO and utility regulatory environments in Europe
  • Experience integrating data center development with power-rich sites, renewable assets, or firm generation solutions is strongly preferred renewable assets, BESS, and other generation solutions is strongly preferred
• Travel requirements: Ability to travel 30%-40%

What drives your application forward:

• A strong interest in transforming renewable and power-rich locations into scalable data center development opportunities
• The ability to distinguish credible sites from speculative ones through analysis of power availability, utility delivery timelines, fiber connectivity, water access, permitting feasibility, and customer demand
• A commercial mindset focused on building compelling development theses for hyperscalers, colocation operators, and infrastructure investors
• Motivation to turn early-stage concepts into actionable opportunities with clear site control, diligence strategy, customer positioning, power roadmap, and investment rationale
• Enthusiasm for contributing to the creation of a repeatable and scalable data center development platform rather than evaluating isolated one-off projects

Our Values

• «We» is our greatest asset
• We respect and protect the environment
• We are doers, committed to doing things right
• We act with integrity and transparency
• We think and act like entrepreneurs

You can find here more about our Purpose, Mission and Values.

Working@CG:

As a globally integrated team, we push boundaries, work collaboratively, and remain agile in the pursuit of excellence. With an entrepreneurial mindset, we encourage initiative and innovation. At ContourGlobal you are an employee, and you are also an owner. Our Employee Ownership Program allows our employee-owners to make a difference and drive the right power forward and make clean energy the natural choice for all!

We foster a culture where individuals are empowered to succeed, contribute and shape the future of sustainable energy.

Cross-border collaboration shapes our way of working: our diverse workforce reflects the multicultural environment we embrace every day.

We offer a competitive compensation package: we believe in meritocracy and rewarding meaningful contributions.

We enjoy making the most of our shared spaces to foster teamwork and collaboration. At the same time, our flexible working policy allows us to prioritize results while supporting wellbeing and a healthy work-life balance.

ContourGlobal provides equal employment opportunities and maintains a diverse workforce that reflects the rich environment of our society and the markets in which we operate.

ContourGlobal provides equal employment opportunities and maintains a diverse workforce that reflects the rich environment of our society and the markets in which we operate.

ABOUT CONTOURGLOBAL

ContourGlobal, a KKR Company, led by CEO Antonio Cammisecra, is an established Independent Power Producer (IPP) developing, acquiring, and operating electricity generation and storage assets worldwide. The company currently manages 5.3 GW of installed capacity across different power generation technologies and asset categories, with an additional 1 GW of renewables under construction and a further 9.8 GW under development.
The operational footprint of the company extends to 18 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America. The company has committed to speed up the decarbonization of its portfolio with a sustainable transition of its thermal fleet, the repowering of existing renewable assets and the organic development of new renewable projects. ContourGlobal boasts 20 years of a strong collaboration with communities, institutions, and customers that benefit from its electricity supply through long-term contracts or innovative PPAs, coupled with energy management solutions

OUR VALUES

• «We» is our greatest asset
• We respect and protect the environment
• We are doers, committed to doing things right
• We act with integrity and transparency
• We think and act like entrepreneurs