Site Selection and Power Development Lead - Data Centers

LVI Associates; Charleston (WV); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive cash compensation

Meaningful equity

Job summary

LVI Associates is seeking a Site Selection and Power Development Lead to originate and advance data center sites across the United States for a venture-backed developer focused on AI-ready facilities.

You will own opportunities from origination through secured power, entitlements, and construction readiness, coordinating handoffs to MEP and construction leadership after permitting. Strong travel to sites will be required.

Qualifications

• At least five years of experience developing data centers, power infrastructure, or other large industrial sites.
• Track record taking raw or powered land through to construction readiness.
• Strong understanding of utility interconnection processes and behind the meter generation.
• Experience negotiating complex land, power, and infrastructure agreements.
• Established relationships across utilities, power markets, landowners, developers, or brokers.
• Knowledge of zoning, environmental diligence, permitting, and entitlement processes.
• Experience managing multiple sites or development programs simultaneously.
• Comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial environment with significant autonomy.
• Willingness to travel regularly to prospective and active development sites.

Responsibilities

• Originate data center development opportunities across the United States.
• Build relationships with utilities, landowners, brokers, developers, municipalities, and power providers.
• Evaluate grid capacity, queue position, deliverability, and firm versus interruptible power.
• Develop both grid connected and behind the meter power solutions.
• Lead land, environmental, zoning, utility, constructability, and commercial diligence.
• Negotiate land acquisitions, options, leases, interconnection agreements, and site level contracts.
• Drive zoning, entitlements, permitting, and engagement with local authorities.
• Coordinate substations, utility infrastructure, switchgear, generation assets, and long lead equipment.
• Manage civil consultants, development partners, contractors, and generation providers.
• Partner with technical leadership to assess site feasibility before acquisition.
• Prepare secured, permitted, construction ready sites for delivery.

Job description

Site Selection and Power Development Lead

Competitive cash plus meaningful equity

A venture backed data center developer is seeking a senior development leader to originate and advance sites across the United States.

The business develops sites from raw power or land through to construction ready, AI focused data center facilities. Backed by established investors and led by repeat entrepreneurs with significant experience across compute, software, power, real estate, and infrastructure, the company is now building its founding leadership team.

This is an opportunity to join at an early stage, work directly with the founders, and take ownership of the company's site selection and power development strategy.

The Role

You will lead the sourcing and development of data center sites across three primary pathways:

• Power first opportunities where land is secured around available capacity
• Power ready land with viable utility access
• Brownfield assets suitable for redevelopment

You will own each opportunity from initial origination and diligence through to secured power, site control, entitlements, and construction readiness.

Once the site is secured and permitted, you will coordinate the handoff to the company's MEP and construction delivery leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Originate data center development opportunities across the United States
• Build relationships with utilities, landowners, brokers, developers, municipalities, and power providers
• Evaluate grid capacity, queue position, deliverability, and firm versus interruptible power
• Develop both grid connected and behind the meter power solutions
• Lead land, environmental, zoning, utility, constructability, and commercial diligence
• Negotiate land acquisitions, options, leases, interconnection agreements, and site level contracts
• Drive zoning, entitlements, permitting, and engagement with local authorities
• Coordinate substations, utility infrastructure, switchgear, generation assets, and long lead equipment
• Manage civil consultants, development partners, contractors, and generation providers
• Partner with technical leadership to assess site feasibility before acquisition
• Prepare secured, permitted, construction ready sites for delivery

Your Background

• At least five years of experience developing data centers, power infrastructure, or other large industrial sites
• A track record taking raw or powered land through to construction readiness
• Strong understanding of utility interconnection processes and behind the meter generation
• Experience negotiating complex land, power, and infrastructure agreements
• Established relationships across utilities, power markets, landowners, developers, or brokers
• Knowledge of zoning, environmental diligence, permitting, and entitlement processes
• Experience managing multiple sites or development programs simultaneously
• Comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial environment with significant autonomy
• Willingness to travel regularly to prospective and active development sites

Experience working with generation and electrical infrastructure providers would be highly valuable, including engine, turbine, fuel cell, substation, switchgear, cooling, or power distribution manufacturers.

Why Consider It?

• Join a venture backed company at a formative stage
• Work directly with experienced founders and investors
• Build the company's site and power development function
• Influence market selection and national development strategy
• Lead transactions rather than supporting one part of the process
• Receive competitive cash compensation and meaningful equity
• Help build the next generation of AI focused data center infrastructure