Director, Development - Data Centers

Brightsmith; United States; On-site; USD 230,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health/dental/vision insurance

HSA/FSA options

Retirement plan with match

Life insurance

Generous PTO

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Brightsmith is seeking a Senior Data Center Strategy leader to shape our client’s data center strategy and go-forward planning for a growing pipeline of power-for-data-center projects across the U.S.

You will evaluate development projects, determine value paths (lease, sale, or PPA), and structure and close commercial agreements with hyperscale and large-load customers. This role leads diverse deal teams and informs executive strategy.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in project/business development for data center power solutions.
• Experience taking powered infrastructure from mid-stage development to close (lease, sale, or PPA).
• Strong financial acumen to evaluate and explain returns on lease, sale or PPA structures.
• Established relationships within the hyperscale/large-load customer ecosystem.
• Ability to operate with ambiguity in a newly created role.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead our client’s overall data center strategy, including go-forward planning for a growing pipeline of power-for-data-center projects.
• Evaluate mid-to-late-stage development projects and determine the optimal path to value — lease, sale, or PPA.
• Structure, negotiate, and help close commercial agreements with hyperscale, colocation, and other large-load digital infrastructure customers.
• Lead cross-functional deal teams through feasibility, structuring, negotiation, and execution.
• Bring outside relationships and market intelligence to guide internal strategy.
• Support the buildout of a broader data-center-focused team and define roles and priorities.
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings.
• Provide regular pipeline and strategy updates to executive leadership.

Skills

Data center power

Business development

Stakeholder management

Hyperscale relationships

Deal structuring

Financial analysis

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Our client is a top-10 ranked, tier-one solar and energy storage independent power producer (IPP) in the United States, with a multi-gigawatt portfolio of utility-scale renewable projects in operation, construction, or development across dozens of states. As demand for powered infrastructure accelerates, they are building out a dedicated data center business — and this is the very first hire for that new team.

About the Role

This is a high-priority, high-visibility mandate. Our client wants someone in seat quickly, and the successful candidate will help shape the strategy, structure, and future hiring plan for the group they’ll be joining.

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead our client’s overall data center strategy, including go-forward planning for a growing pipeline of power-for-data-center projects (powered land, co-location, and powered shell structures).
• Evaluate mid-to-late-stage development projects and determine the optimal path to value — lease, sale, or power purchase agreement — based on financial return, market conditions, and deal structure.
• Structure, negotiate, and help close commercial agreements with hyperscale, colocation, and other large-load digital infrastructure customers.
• Lead cross-functional deal teams (development, engineering, transmission & interconnection, finance) through feasibility, structuring, negotiation, and execution.
• Bring outside relationships and market intelligence — hyperscaler power procurement trends, large-load demand signals, and industry best practices — to guide internal strategy.
• Support the buildout of a broader data-center-focused team, helping define roles, gaps, and priorities as the practice matures.
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings.
• Provide regular pipeline and strategy updates to executive leadership.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in project/business development, with meaningful (2+ years) experience specifically in data center power solutions — this could come from a data center developer/owner, a hyperscaler’s power procurement team, a colocation provider, or a related infrastructure business.
• Direct experience taking a powered infrastructure project from mid-stage development through commercial structuring and close — this is more important than any specific industry background. Candidates from natural gas, hyperscaler buy-side teams, or non-renewable power backgrounds are welcome, provided they’ve done this specific type of deal work.
• Strong financial acumen — genuine comfort evaluating and explaining the financial return drivers behind a lease, sale, or PPA structure is essential.
• Established relationships within the hyperscale/large-load customer ecosystem are a strong plus.
• Comfortable operating with a good deal of ambiguity — this is a newly created role on a newly formed team, and much of the "how" is still being defined.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership skills; able to run point on complex, multi-workstream commercial transactions.
• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, economics, or a related field.

Required Skills

• 7+ years in project/business development.
• Experience in data center power solutions.
• Established relationships within the hyperscale/large-load customer ecosystem.
• Excellent stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience from a data center developer/owner, hyperscaler’s power procurement team, or colocation provider.
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity.

Pay range and compensation package

Compensation: Base salary in the mid-$200Ks, with flexibility toward the higher end (and potentially beyond) for the right level of experience. Incentive pay/equity included.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Our client is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role (including TN status) at this time. They are committed to diversity and inclusivity, ensuring equal opportunity for all applicants.

Logistics

Location: Remote, based anywhere in the U.S. Frequent travel to company headquarters should be expected given the strategic nature of this role (likely more than quarterly) — the company covers all associated travel.

• Fully employer-paid medical/dental/vision premiums for employees and dependents
• HSA/FSA options
• retirement plan with match
• life insurance
• generous PTO
• an employee assistance program