Director, Utility Development US

Nscale; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental benefits

Flexible PTO

Parental leave

Retirement plan

Job summary

NScale is building a premier East-region data center portfolio and seeks a Director of Utility Development to lead power, water, fiber, and related utility infrastructure from site diligence through energization. You will drive strategy, coordinate external partners, and manage cross-functional teams to meet aggressive project timelines.

The role requires deep experience with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, and large-scale facilities, plus strong negotiation and leadership skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Civil Engineering required.
• 8-12+ years in utility development or grid-connected infra for large facilities.
• Proven experience with utilities and ISOs/RTOs in Eastern U.S. markets.
• Experience securing fiber connectivity and negotiating with external providers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the utility development strategy for East region data center projects.
• Lead engagements with Eastern utilities, ISOs/RTOs, and transmission owners from diligence to energization.
• Negotiate interconnection, service agreements, and tariffs with Legal and Energy Procurement.
• Coordinate water/sewer and fiber routes with authorities and providers.
• Serve as utility development owner from due diligence through energization.

Skills

Stakeholder leadership

Utilities engagement

Fiber negotiations

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Electrical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Job description

NScale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI. We provide cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure for AI start-ups and large enterprise customers. NScale enables AI-focused companies to achieve superior results by reducing the complexity of AI development. Our GPU cloud bolsters technical capabilities and directly supports strategic business outcomes, including cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility.

At NScale, our Design and Construction team plays a critical role in delivering data center facilities that are optimized for AI deployments.

We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency. As an NScaler, you'll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. If you join our team, you'll be contributing to building the technology that powers the future

About the Role

• We are looking for a Director of Utility Development (East) to lead utility development strategy and execution for NScale's data center portfolio in the Eastern United States.
• This leader will own end-to-end responsibility for securing power, water, fiber, and related utility infrastructure for East region projects.
• You will serve as the primary technical and commercial owner for utility interfaces in the East region, leading external partners, including outside fiber providers, to deliver projects on aggressive schedules.

What You'll be Doing (Responsibilities)

Utility Strategy and Planning

• Develop and own the utility development strategy for East region data center projects.
• Evaluate and select sites based on grid capacity, reliability, and regulatory constraints in Eastern markets.
• Build and maintain load forecasts and translate them into utility capacity plans.
• Support development of power supply strategies that include both grid supply and on-site/behind-the-meter generation, evaluating trade-offs across reliability, schedule, fuel availability, emissions, and total cost of ownership.

Grid and Utility Engagement

• Lead technical and commercial engagements with Eastern utilities, ISOs/RTOs, and transmission owners from site diligence through energization.
• Negotiate interconnection agreements, service agreements, and tariffs in partnership with Legal and Energy Procurement.
• Track and influence grid upgrade timelines affecting project schedules.
• Support generation interconnection and utility coordination for behind-the-meter and/or utility-parallel operation, including studies and compliance requirements.

Water and Sewer Utility Coordination

• Coordinate with municipal and regional water and sewer authorities to secure adequate capacity for data center cooling and domestic uses.
• Support development and review of water and sewer service agreements, connection requirements, and rate structures.
• Lead fiber development for East region sites, securing diverse, redundant fiber routes to support data center connectivity requirements.
• Engage and negotiate with outside fiber providers (carriers, dark fiber providers, and third-party network operators) on route planning, builds, and lit/dark fiber service agreements.
• Coordinate fiber easements, conduit agreements, and construction timelines with municipal authorities, utilities, and property owners along fiber routes.
• Align fiber delivery milestones with overall utility development and construction schedules, escalating route or provider risks as needed.

Project Execution and Delivery

• Serve as the utility development owner for East region projects from due diligence through energization.
• Partner with Development, Construction, and Operations to align utility milestones with project schedules.
• Visit sites as needed to support commissioning, troubleshooting, and design clarifications.

Team & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead and develop an Analyst supporting East region utility development.
• Act as the subject matter expert on East region utility and grid topics for internal stakeholders.

About You (Skills / Qualifications)

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a related field.
• 8-12+ years of experience in utility development or grid-connected infrastructure, with exposure to large-scale data centers or industrial loads.
• Proven experience working directly with utilities and ISOs/RTOs in Eastern U.S. markets.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, multi-stakeholder projects from concept through energization.
• Experience securing fiber connectivity and negotiating with outside fiber providers for large facilities or campuses.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Engineering or a related field.
• Professional Engineer (PE) license.
• Experience with high-density AI/GPU or HPC data centers.
• Familiarity with water systems and utilities.
• Familiarity with fiber route engineering, IRUs, and dark/lit fiber commercial structures in Eastern U.S. markets.

At NScale, we are committed to fostering an inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace. We believe that a variety of perspectives enriches our work environment, and we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and abilities. 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.

The responsibilities outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and are intended to provide a general overview of the position. The employee may be required to perform additional duties, tasks, and responsibilities as assigned by management, consistent with the skills and qualifications required for the role.

The range below reflects the base salary for the position. Actual compensation may vary based on job-related factors such as skill set, experience, education, and location. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for bonus, equity, and/or commission programs. Nscale may offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, flexible paid time off, parental leave, and retirement plan participation.

The range below reflects the base salary for the position. Actual compensation may vary based on job-related factors such as skill set, experience, education, and location. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for bonus, equity, and/or commission programs. Nscale may offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, flexible paid time off, parental leave, and retirement plan participation.

Salary Range

$160,000 - $300,000 USD

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