Sr. Director or Vice President, Digital Infrastructure

Avantus; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 199,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Medical and dental options

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Avantus seeks a Sr. Director/VP of Digital Infrastructure to lead its data center development unit, turning land and interconnection assets into a repeatable powered land pipeline.

The role shapes energy strategies, negotiates power agreements, and collaborates with utilities and hyperscalers to deliver reliable, cost-effective data center energy solutions. The role reports to the Chief Development Officer and requires deep expertise in energy markets, transmission, and data center ecosystems.

Qualifications

• Senior experience in energy management or utility-scale development.
• Understanding of transmission interconnection and market structures (FERC, NERC, ISO/RTO).
• Experience sourcing opportunities via partnerships, JVs, or M&A-adjacent structures.
• Demonstrated leadership in building a new function in a growth-stage company.

Responsibilities

• Lead data center development function converting land/interconnection assets into powered land pipeline.
• Manage end-to-end data center development: site selection, design, permitting, utilities coordination.
• Negotiate energy supply agreements and commercial terms for power delivery to data centers.
• Develop integrated energy strategies spanning greenfield monetization and partnerships.
• Build relationships with utilities, hyperscalers, and infrastructure partners.

Skills

Energy management

Renewable development

Data center power infra

Team leadership

Strategic partnerships

Power markets

Commercial development

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/Engineering/Construction Management

MBA preferred

Job description

About Avantus

Avantus develops, owns and operates utility-scale clean energy projects across California and the Desert Southwest. Our development pipeline of solar with integrated storage will generate enough dispatchable power to serve more than 10 million Americans, day and night. Backed by strategic investment from KKR and EIG, and building on more than a decade of industry leadership, Avantus is growing its position as an independent power producer, delivering affordable, reliable clean energy solutions to meet America’s growing energy demand.

About Avantus

Avantus develops, owns and operates utility-scale clean energy projects across California and the Desert Southwest. Our development pipeline of solar with integrated storage will generate enough dispatchable power to serve more than 10 million Americans, day and night. Backed by strategic investment from KKR and EIG, and building on more than a decade of industry leadership, Avantus is growing its position as an independent power producer, delivering affordable, reliable clean energy solutions to meet America’s growing energy demand.

About The Position

The Sr. Director or Vice President, Digital Infrastructure leads Avantus' development of powered land and data center-oriented energy infrastructure. Energy availability, not capital, is now the binding constraint on data center growth, and "powered land" - entitled sites with a secured path to power - commands a structural premium. Avantus already controls large contiguous desert-southwest sites, generation interconnection queue positions, and utility relationships in exactly the geographies where hyperscalers are power- and land-constrained. This role stands up and leads Avantus' data center development unit, building a repeatable pipeline of powered land, co-development, and energy infrastructure opportunities, and translating the company's existing land and interconnection assets as well as developing new projects into a new, durable line of business. This role reports directly to the Chief Development Officer.

Essential Functions And Responsibilities

• Build and lead Avantus' data center development function, converting the company's land and interconnection queue positions while developing new sites into a repeatable pipeline of powered land, co-development, and energy infrastructure opportunities.
• Lead a small and nimble team responsible for end-to-end management of data center development projects, including site selection, design, permitting, and utility coordination; assess site feasibility based on Avantus's generation resources, power availability, connectivity, environmental considerations, and regulatory requirements; and negotiate energy supply agreements including pricing, contract terms, and service levels to secure reliable, cost-effective power for data center operations.
• Develop and execute integrated energy strategies for powered land, spanning greenfield monetization, co-development partnerships with data center operators, and selective self-development of energized campuses.
• Source and structure opportunities across the full range of deal types - land monetization, JV-style co-development, project acquisitions, and M&A-adjacent structures - with developers, landowners, and infrastructure partners.
• Coordinate with internal interconnection and transmission teams on load service requests, electrical service agreements, and transmission capacity with utilities and ISO/RTO operators.
• Coordinate with internal real estate team to identify sites to lease or purchase to support facilities
• Coordinate with internal environmental permitting team to manage county and state permitting processes
• Partner directly with data center customers to deliver energy solutions through PPAs and on-site, off-site, or behind-the-meter technologies.
• Evaluate prospective opportunities in partnership with internal power, engineering, development, finance, and commercial leadership, and help determine which should be funded, acquired, partnered, developed internally, or deprioritized.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with utilities, hyperscalers, and infrastructure partners to structure innovative, repeatable energy solutions.
• Represent Avantus with credibility and commercial judgment in confidential, market-facing conversations with developers, landowners, and data center operators.
• Bring a data center and digital infrastructure lens to a team with deep power and renewable energy development experience, operating with the strategic judgment and hands-on execution a growth-stage platform requires.

Required Skills And Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in energy management, utility-scale renewable development, or data center power infrastructure, including senior business development or project origination experience in digital infrastructure or adjacent power markets.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Engineering, or Construction Management; Master's degree/MBA preferred.
• Strong technical understanding of transmission infrastructure, grid interconnection processes, , and solar PV/BESS technologies, together with meaningful understanding of the data center ecosystem - how power, land, development readiness, and infrastructure constraints shape project viability.
• Familiarity with FERC, NERC, and ISO/RTO market structures (e.g., ERCOT, WECC), and experience sourcing opportunities in markets where power availability and data center demand are creating new infrastructure needs.
• Demonstrated ability to source opportunities directly through relationship-building, market outreach, and creative deal identification, with experience evaluating early-stage partnerships, JVs, or M&A-adjacent structures.
• 5+ years of team leadership experience, with demonstrated success building a new function or line of business in a fast-paced, growth-stage environment.
• Entrepreneurial mindset, high ownership, and comfort operating with ambiguity; strong communication skills and the maturity to represent a confidential growth platform externally.

Avantus offers competitive compensation with an excellent benefits package, including 401(k) matching; comprehensive medical and dental plan options; and flexible PTO.

We are an equal-opportunity employer.

The base salary range for this full-time position is listed below (plus bonus and benefits). Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position in California. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the applicable location during the hiring process. Please note that the compensation details listed reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus and benefits.

Pay Range

$199,454-$250,000 USD