Data Center Development Manager – Mission-Critical Infra

Innovar Group; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Innovar Group is seeking an experienced Data Center Development Manager to lead early development for large-scale data center projects across North America. You will manage entitlements, permitting, utility coordination, and regulatory approvals, coordinating with municipalities, utilities, consultants, engineers, and external partners.

The ideal candidate will have data center or large-scale power-intensive project development experience and strong ability to mitigate risks impacting cost,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in architecture, engineering, construction management, planning, real estate development, business, or related discipline.
• Experience with land development, due diligence, entitlements, permitting, and regulatory approvals.
• Experience coordinating with utilities, municipalities, government agencies, engineering firms, and external development consultants.
• Strong financial and commercial judgment with ability to evaluate development costs, risks, and feasibility.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Willingness to travel as required to support projects across North America.

Responsibilities

• Manage data center development activities from initial site control and LOI through entitlements, permitting, and project handoff.
• Lead comprehensive site due diligence, including zoning, land use, environmental, utility, infrastructure, access, and development feasibility reviews.
• Develop and execute entitlement and permitting strategies for complex data center campuses.
• Coordinate with municipalities, planning departments, permitting authorities, utilities, consultants, engineers, attorneys, and community stakeholders.
• Identify development risks and establish practical mitigation plans to protect schedules, budgets, and objectives.
• Manage third-party consultants and ensure required studies, applications, reports, and approvals are completed on schedule.
• Maintain detailed project schedules, budgets, milestone trackers, decision logs, and development risk registers.
• Coordinate power, water, wastewater, fiber, transportation, and other critical infrastructure requirements.
• Evaluate jurisdictional requirements and determine the most effective path for development approvals.
• Support site acquisition and investment decisions by presenting risks, costs, timelines, and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Partner with site selection, design, engineering, construction, finance, legal, commercial, and sustainability teams throughout development.
• Prepare executive-level project updates and clearly communicate changes affecting cost, schedule, scope, or viability.
• Support standardized processes, reporting tools, and best practices across the data center development portfolio.
• Ensure projects are fully documented and prepared for transition to design and construction delivery teams.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, construction management, planning, real estate development, business, or a related discipline

Job description

Innovar Group is seeking an experienced Data Center Development Manager to lead early development for large-scale data center projects across North America. You will manage entitlements, permitting, utility coordination, and regulatory approvals, coordinating with municipalities, utilities, consultants, engineers, and external partners.

The ideal candidate will have data center or large-scale power-intensive project development experience and strong ability to mitigate risks impacting cost,