Head of Development (Data Centers)

Blue Signal; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading executive search firm is seeking a Head of Development to oversee the strategic growth of next-generation data centers. This role involves managing large-scale development programs and ensuring operational excellence across multiple sites. The ideal candidate has over 10 years of experience in mission-critical facility expansions and exceptional skills in budget management and cross-functional team leadership. This position is remote within the United States with occasional travel.

Qualifications

• 10+ years leading ground-up or large-scale expansions of data centers.
• Proven success with budgets exceeding $100M per site.
• Deep understanding of mechanical and power systems.

Responsibilities

• Create critical-path schedules integrating various project elements.
• Establish company-wide standards for mechanical and electrical systems.
• Monitor budgets and unlock engineering opportunities.

Skills

Leadership in large-scale expansions

Budget management

Power distribution knowledge

Cross-functional team alignment

Project controls expertise

Tools

Primavera P6

MS Project

Job description

Overview

Head of Development (Data Centers)

Location: Remote — United States (occasional travel to project sites)

Industry: Mission-critical digital infrastructure

Our client is scaling next-generation data centers that power everything from AI innovation to cloud services. They seek a strategic construction and design leader who can orchestrate multi-site development programs, own the project business case, and translate customer demand into high-performance, sustainable capacity. If you thrive in fast-growth environments where you can influence design standards and leave a legacy of repeatable processes, this is your chance to chart the roadmap for an entire platform.

Core Responsibilities

• Create a single critical-path schedule that ties together permitting, utility interconnects, vendor milestones, construction phases, and lease triggers.
• Establish and iterate company-wide electrical, mechanical, structural, and liquid-cooling standards that align with SLA, power-density, and sustainability targets.
• Build bottoms-up budgets for every site, monitor variances, and unlock value-engineering opportunities that protect project IRR.
• Convert pre-lease demand signals into phased capacity blocks and fit-out strategies, sequencing work so anchor tenants achieve their launch dates without sacrificing long-term scalability.
• Maintain a living risk register spanning schedule, safety, cost, and regulatory requirements, ensuring every activity meets Tier/Class, ESG, and lender standards.
• Package clear, concise development dashboards on schedule, budget, risk, and vendor performance, recommending GMP, change-order, or phase-gate actions.
• Guide the hand-off from design through integrated systems testing to customer Day 1, confirming as-builts, O&M manuals, and training are complete.
• Capture lessons learned and turn them into playbooks that allow subsequent builds to move faster with fewer unknowns.

Required Qualifications

• 10 + years leading ground-up or large-scale expansions of mission-critical facilities (data centers, semiconductor fabs, or similar).
• Proven success owning end-to-end budgets exceeding $100 M per site.
• Deep knowledge of power distribution, mechanical cooling, structural systems, and commissioning best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to align cross-functional teams (design, construction, sales, finance) in a high-growth setting.
• Strong command of project controls and reporting tools (Primavera P6, MS Project, or similar).
• Authorized to work in the United States and willing to travel up to 35 %.

Preferred Qualifications

• PE, PMP, or similar professional credential.
• Experience standardizing multi-region data center roll-outs.
• Familiarity with green-energy integration, liquid cooling, or AI/HPC workloads.

About Blue Signal

Blue Signal is an award-winning, executive search firm specializing in various specialties. Our recruiters have a proven track record of placing top-tier talent across industry verticals, with deep expertise in numerous professional services. Learn more at bit.ly/46Gs4yS