Environmental Engineer, Data Center Design

Fluidstack; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Fluidstack, located in Austin, Texas, is looking for a professional to lead environmental due diligence for large-scale data center projects. The role involves managing complex permitting processes and engaging with regulatory agencies to secure necessary approvals.

Ideal candidates will have extensive experience in environmental assessments, with a strong track record in CWA 404 work and effective communication skills. The compensation package ranges from $200,000 to $250,000 per year, along with equity options.

Qualifications

• Experience in environmental permitting across large-scale projects.
• Hands-on knowledge of CWA 404 and NPDES procedures.
• Ability to navigate regulatory tracks and deadlines efficiently.

Responsibilities

• Lead due diligence on environmental assessments for data centers.
• Obtain and manage permitting across multiple states.
• Negotiate directly with regulatory bodies for timely approvals.

Skills

Environmental due diligence

Regulatory negotiations

Biological surveys

CWA 404 and NPDES work

Public interaction management

Job description

About Fluidstack

We exist to make humanity more free. For most of human history, you farmed or you starved. Technology gave people more time for the things they wanted to do, instead of things they had to do. Powerful AI will be the biggest lever for human choice we've ever built - but only if models are aligned with what humanity actually wants. There are groups building AI who don't share these goals. Whoever deploys frontier compute infrastructure fastest will decide whether AI expands human freedom or shrinks it.

We're singularly focused on delivering 10 to 100s of GWs of compute faster than anyone else, rethinking every layer of the stack. We acquire power, design and build data centers, and operate them - with teams spanning hardware and software. Speed and scale are our key differentiators. Come be a part of building civilization-scale infrastructure for AI.

We hire people who care deeply about this problem space. If that is you, please apply!

How We Operate

• Extreme ownership. Full autonomy. Own things end to end often taking on scope outside your core role without being asked to get things done.
• Velocity. We drive everything forward as fast as possible.
• First principles. Challenge every assumption. Zero analogy thinking, no egos, the best idea wins.
• Love of the game. The frontier of AI is the most interesting problem of our time. We put in long hours at high intensity to push the frontier forward.

The Data Center Design Team

Examples of key problems the team is working on

• Lead the design, development, and execution of 50GW+ of data centers this decade.
• Drive the next generation of liquid cooling and electrical distribution systems.
• Develop and scale first-of-a-kind modular data centers.
• Influence behind-the-meter designs and planning for multi-GW campuses.

Role Scope

• Lead environmental due diligence on greenfield and brownfield sites, owning Phase I and Phase II ESAs, regulatory and permitting evaluations, and natural, biological, cultural resource, and noise assessments that clear or kill a site before we commit capital.
• Own the threatened and endangered species (T&E) scope: commission biological surveys and habitat assessments, run ESA Section 7 and Section 10 consultations with USFWS and NMFS, and deliver any required Biological Assessments, Habitat Conservation Plans, or incidental take coverage so listed-species risk never stalls a build.
• Build and execute site‑specific permitting strategies across multiple states, delivering CWA 404, NPDES, groundwater, and wastewater approvals on the build's timeline, not the agency's.
• Quarterback environmental requirements across Development, Design, Legal, Risk, Power, Water, and Construction so site layouts absorb natural-resource and operational constraints before they turn into schedule risk.
• Lead regulatory agency negotiations and community interactions that secure permits and protect the regional development strategy.
• Track permitting and compliance metrics across the portfolio so leadership sees environmental risk weeks before it lands on a critical‑path date.

What We're Looking For

The below is a starting point. We always make space for exceptional people, so if you don’t fit this role exactly, tell us where you would

• You’ve personally delivered multi‑media environmental due diligence and permitting on large‑scale infrastructure, with hands‑on CWA 404 and NPDES work alongside groundwater protection, wastewater discharge, and natural and cultural resource evaluations.
• You’ve run Phase I and Phase II ESAs on both greenfield and brownfield sites and made the call on what is a manageable risk versus a dealbreaker.
• You’ve carried threatened and endangered species work on real projects: scoping biological surveys, running ESA Section 7 or Section 10 consultations with USFWS or NMFS, and resolving listed‑species and critical-habitat constraints without freezing the schedule.
• You’ve owned environmental permitting or due diligence projects end to end, tracking the work tightly enough that an agency deadline never catches you off guard.
• You’ve negotiated directly with regulatory agencies, and the consultants and contractors who feed them, to land permits on timelines most of the industry would call unrealistic.
• You write and speak clearly enough to turn a multi‑media permitting risk into a decision and a next step for a site lead, a lawyer, or a regulator.
• You’ve managed and supported community and public interactions when a site's path forward depended on them.
• You’re willing to travel to project sites up to about 25% of the time.
• Bonus: PE license or active pursuit. Data center or critical infrastructure environmental work. Permitting across multiple US states, especially NC, GA, LA, MS, TX, TN, OK, and FL. Smartsheet or similar project management tooling.

Compensation: $200,000 - $250,000 per year, depending on experience, skills, qualifications, and location. Offers equity in the form of stock options.

We are committed to pay equity and transparency.

Fluidstack is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans’ status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Fluidstack will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law.

You will receive a confirmation email once your application has successfully been accepted. If there is an error with your submission and did not receive a confirmation email, please email [e-mail] with your resume/CV, the role you've applied for, and the date you submitted your application-- someone from our recruiting team will be in touch.