Principal Analyst – Large Loads

Wood Mackenzie; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Wood Mackenzie, a global energy analytics leader, seeks a Principal Analyst for its Power & Renewables group focused on Large Loads like data centers and electrification. You will author research and advise product and data teams on regulatory, market, and technology trends while supporting client conversations.

Qualified candidates bring deep data-center experience, AI infrastructure expertise, and strong communication skills to drive strategy and forecasting in a fast-evolving energy

Qualifications

• Proven expertise in AI infrastructure, compute types and data-center power considerations.
• Strong experience with data centers or large electrical loads.
• Track record of authoring research or client-facing analysis.
• Ability to translate market needs into product or data requirements.

Responsibilities

• Author research reports and insights on regulatory changes, market dynamics, and technology trends for large loads.
• Provide technical and market context to product and data teams; validate roadmaps.
• Be the go-to expert on AI infrastructure, DC/AC power, and data-center demand factors.
• Engage with clients to gather use cases and data requirements; represent research publicly.
• Guide data analysts and data scientists in classifying and vetting large-load data.
• Support Sales, Marketing, and consulting teams in client conversations and webinars.

Skills

AI infrastructure

Data center expertise

Policy & regulation understanding

Communication skills

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree

Tools

AI tooling

Data analysis software

Job description

Wood Mackenzie is the global leader in analytics, insights and proprietary data across the entire energy and natural resources landscape.

For over 50 years our work has guided the decisions of the world’s most influential energy producers, utilities companies, financial institutions and governments.

Now, with the world’s energy system more complex and interconnected than ever before, sector-specific views are no longer enough. That’s why we’ve redefined what’s possible with Intelligence Connected.

By fusing our unparalleled proprietary data with the sharpest analytical minds, all supercharged by Synoptic AI, we deliver a clear, interconnected view of the entire value chain. Our trusted team of 2,700 experts across 30 countries breaks siloes and connects industries, markets and regions across the globe.

This empowers our customers to identify risk sooner, spot opportunities faster and recalibrate strategy with confidence – whether planning days, weeks, months or decades ahead.

Wood Mackenzie

Intelligence Connected

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Wood Mackenzie Values

• Inclusive – we succeed together
• Trusting – we choose to trust each other
• Customer committed – we put customers at the heart of our decisions
• Future Focused – we accelerate change
• Curious – we turn knowledge into action

Job Description

We are looking for a Principal Analyst to join Wood Mackenzie’s Power & Renewables group, covering Large Loads (data centers, advanced manufacturing, and facility electrification).

The P&R team consists of leading analysts covering some of the most cutting-edge topics in the energy transition, including data centers, electrification, microgrids, and utility modernization. Our research and thought leadership inform the strategies of key players throughout the energy industry, driving innovative business models while hastening the energy transition.

The Principal Analyst will author research and client-facing insights on large loads — covering regulatory developments, market dynamics, and technology trends — and contribute to the team's long-term demand forecast. They will also be a primary expert-reference for Wood Mackenzie's product and data teams for tool-related conversations — understanding what customers need from our tools, translating that into concrete use cases and requirements, and partnering with the product and data science teams to validate our roadmap.

Qualified applicants will have deep, current expertise in the data center and large load space. We are prioritizing candidates with strong AI infrastructure expertise: a working understanding of compute (chip types, training vs. inference workloads, and how compute demand translates into power and siting requirements), the distinction between DC and AC power infrastructure within data center design, and the technical, commercial, and policy factors driving data center demand growth.

Responsibilities

• Author research reports and one-off insights (regulatory changes, market insights, technology advancements) and contribute to the long-term demand forecast assumptions.
• Serve as subject matter expert on data center technology, policy, siting, and energy supply for large loads; provide authoritative technical and market context to product and data teams.
• Serve as the team’s go-to expert on AI infrastructure – compute trends, DC vs. AC power architecture, and the factors driving data center demand – informing both research and product.
• Participate in customer and client conversations to gather feedback, use cases, and data requirements; represent Wood Mackenzie research in these product-facing conversations.
• Guide and QA the work of data analysts and data scientists in classifying, extracting, and vetting large-load data from documents and other sources.
• Support Sales and Marketing in existing or new client conversations/presentations and internal webinars.
• Represent Wood Mackenzie at client meetings, conferences, and other Wood Mackenzie offices as needed.
• Support Wood Mackenzie's consulting team on large load-related engagements as needed.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated expertise in AI infrastructure: compute (chip types, training vs. inference workloads, and how compute demand translates into power and siting requirements), the distinction between DC and AC power infrastructure within data center design, and the technical, commercial, and policy factors driving data center demand growth.
• 7+ years of industry or research experience in the power sector, with substantial, recent, hands‑on exposure to data centers or other large electricity loads.
• A track record of authoring research or client‑facing analysis (reports, forecasts, or similar).
• Demonstrated experience translating market or customer needs into product or data requirements, ideally through direct client‑ or stakeholder‑facing work.
• Comfort partnering with product, data science, or other non‑research teams in ongoing, iterative workflows (standups, refinement sessions, and similar).
• A Bachelor's or Master's degree, preferably in engineering, energy, economics, finance, or policy.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to represent Wood Mackenzie externally with clients and at conferences.
• Strong organizational and project management skills — able to drive forward a workstream with multiple collaborators and moving parts.
• Ability to leverage AI tools for efficiency without compromising the correctness of the final data or product deliverables.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer. This means we are committed to recruiting the best people regardless of their race, colour, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, disability or protected veteran status. You can find out more about your rights under the law at www.eeoc.gov