Data Center Due Diligence Lead - Entitlements & Development

Digital Realty Trust, L.P.; Ashburn (VA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Digital Realty Trust, L.P. in Boston or Ashburn seeks a Manager, Development Entitlements/Due Diligence – Americas to lead pre-development technical due diligence across the AMER region for data center sites.

You will coordinate internal teams and external consultants, review materials, assess zoning, environmental and geotechnical factors, and present findings with timelines to guide acquisition decisions.

Qualifications

• 5–10 years in front-end site development or technical due diligence, preferably in data center or industrial development.
• Experience leading cross-functional due diligence for large-scale real estate projects.
• Strong knowledge of zoning, permitting, entitlements, utility coordination.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with multi-deal capacity.
• Experience procuring and managing consultant scopes, schedules, budgets.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate internal and consultant due diligence for potential AMER site acquisitions.
• Provide technical input to Acquisitions for market evaluations.
• Review seller materials for accuracy and development viability.
• Focus on Geotechnical, Environmental Site Assessments, and Entitlements review.
• Collaborate with DE&C preconstruction to define scope of due diligence.
• Direct land use attorneys, civil engineers, environmental firms, and other consultants.
• Coordinate environmental and geotechnical reporting with third-party services.
• Synthesize inputs with internal teams to establish a development schedule per site.
• Present findings and risks to senior leadership with trackers and Gantt charts.

Skills

Project coordination

Stakeholder management

Zoning & permitting

Environmental review

Geotechnical understanding

Due diligence leadership

Effective communication

Independent & collaborative work

Schedule development

Data center development

Education

Civil Engineering degree

Architecture / Construction Management / Real Estate Development

Tools

Gantt charts

Job description

Position Title: Manager, Development Entitlements/Due Diligence – Americas

Location: Boston or Ashburn

Your role

The Manager, Development Entitlements/Due Diligence – Americas will lead all pre-development technical due diligence efforts across the Americas region. This newly created role will sit within the Design, Engineering & Construction (DEC) organization and play a critical part in the early evaluation of potential data center developments. The successful candidate will work closelywith internal stakeholders, such as Acquisitions, Legal, and Development, as well as external consultants to ensure comprehensive assessment of potential sites and accurate development scheduling.

What you’ll do

• Lead andcoordinate internal and consultant partner due diligence activities for potential site acquisitions in the AMER region.
• Assist the Acquisitions team by providing technical input for both existing and new market evaluations.
• Review seller-provided materials and documentation for accuracy, completeness, and development viability.
• Focus on the review of 3 primary topics: Geotechnical Investigations, Environmental Site Assessments and Identification of Zoning and Entitlements processes needed for the construction of new data centers.
• Collaborate with the DE&C preconstruction team to develop the scope of work associated with due diligence findings.
• Coordinate and direct land use attorneys, civil engineers, environmental firms, and other consultants to assess project risks and permit timelines.
• Coordinate and direct services from third-party environmental and geotechnical consultants to ensure timely and accurate reporting.
• Collaborate with internal teams (Design, Construction, Development, Legal, etc.) to synthesize inputs and establish a complete development schedule for each potential site.
• Ensure due diligence deliverables align with internal development standards and project objectives.
• Present findings, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership to inform acquisition decisions. Use Due Diligence Trackers and Gantt charts.

What you’ll need

• 5 to 10 years of experience in front end site development, design, construction, or technical due diligence, preferably in data center, commercial real estate, or industrial development.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional due diligence efforts for large-scale real estate or infrastructure projects.
• Strong understanding of zoning, permitting, entitlements, utility coordination, geotechnical issues and environmental review processes.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple deals concurrently.
• Experience procuring and managing consultant scopes, schedules, and budgets.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex findings clearly to executive stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a highly collaborative team.
• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering is preferred. Architecture, Construction Management, Real Estate Development, or related fields will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with data center development or hyperscale infrastructure.
• Familiarity with land acquisition and real estate legal frameworks in multiple U.S. jurisdictions.
• PMP, PE, or similar certification.

A bit about us

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company’s global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx®) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected data communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 50+ metros across 25+ countries on six continents.

To learn more about Digital Realty, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

A bit about our team

Our Operations team keeps our customers’ infrastructure running safely and securely. We get plenty of opportunities to take on a variety of tasks and develop our technical skills. From overseeing electrical power to cooling and fire suppression systems, our team plays a vital role in making sure everything in our data centers operates as it should.

What we can offer you

Our rapidly evolving business sector offers the opportunity to be part of a courageous and passionate team who work together to understand and meet the changing needs of our global customers.

Join us and you’ll be part of a supportive and inclusive environment where you can bring your whole self to work. As part of our team, you’ll get to work with people from different business areas, challenge the way we do things and put your ideas into action. We’ll also give you plenty of development opportunities so you can build a rewarding and successful career with us.

Apply today, take charge of your career and grow your talents with us.

Health and Safety

Safety isn't just a priority here at Digital; it's critical to everything we do. Safeguarding lives, protecting assets, and securing data aren't just ideals - they're essential pillars of our commitment to excellence for our people, our partners and our customers. We have a culture of care where every member of Team Digital embraces a relentless pursuit of working safely across Digital Realty. Together we are Safely Powering Progress.

Our Compensation Philosophy

Digital Realty offers its employees a highly competitive compensation package, excellent benefits, and an environment that recognizes and rewards your contributions. Central to our compensation philosophy is rewarding our employees for achieving the values and objectives aligned to the company's overall goals and values.

Our published pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum target for new hire pay for the full-time position determined by role, level, and geographical location. Individual pay is based on additional factors including but not limited to job-related skills, experience, and relevant education and/or training. Moreover, an employee’s total compensation package varies by role and may include salary, cash bonus or commissions, and equity awards not quantified below.

Compensation range $160,000 – $185,000. This compensation range represents the Company’s good faith belief as to what it will pay as abase salaryfor this position at the time of this posting.

Benefits: For this role, Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D insurance, 401k match, disability benefits, wellness and education benefits, employee stock purchase plan, paid time off, holidays, and more.

The role is responsible for overseeing risk management, process optimization, and schedule governance across all construction operations. This includes implementing digital solutions to streamline workflows, enhance reporting accuracy, and support collaborative planning efforts. The manager works closely with stakeholders to ensure consistent practices and effective communication, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. They are expected to lead process improvement initiatives, monitor key performance indicators, and adapt strategies to meet evolving project demands. The role also involves championing new technologies, managing multiple initiatives simultaneously, and ensuring that all projects adhere to organizational standards and timelines.- Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or related field (Master’s preferred)- 7-10 years of progressive management experience in design and construction, ideally with data centers or similar environments- Experience managing multi-country projects and delivering large developments- Proven expertise in construction project management, including digital tools, risk management, automation, and operational optimization- Familiarity with schedule governance, collaborative planning, and workflow optimization- Experience in continuous process improvement and managing KPIs/metrics- Strong understanding of change/gating processes in owner-operator development organizations