Vice President, Preconstruction

Hydrogen Group; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 260,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Life and AD&D insurance

Short- and long-term disability

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation, sick days, and holidays

Floating holidays

Cell phone allowance

Wellbeing reimbursement

Job summary

Hydrogen Group is seeking a Vice President, Preconstruction to lead the North American preconstruction lifecycle for hyperscale data centers. The role directs strategy, site validation, power feasibility, and budgeting across multiple sites in the US and Canada while coordinating with utilities and partners.

The executive will drive design integration, risk management, and scalable delivery, building a high-performing team and ensuring readiness for rapid deployment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Real Estate, or a related field.
• 15+ years of experience in preconstruction, development, design, or construction leadership.
• Direct data center experience required.
• Ownership of the preconstruction lifecycle beyond estimating or construction execution.
• Proven delivery of hyperscale, campus-style, or multi-phase developments.
• Experience with power validation, due diligence, and cost controls.
• Experience with utilities and power availability.
• Executive engagement with senior leadership and partners.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead North American preconstruction strategy and delivery models.
• Build repeatable processes for hyperscale deployments and multi-phase development.
• Lead site validation, due diligence, and power availability assessments.
• Oversee environmental, zoning, entitlement, and permitting activities.
• Ensure designs support high rack densities and AI infrastructure requirements.
• Establish cost models, budgets, schedules, and risk-management processes.
• Ensure smooth transition to construction with aligned budgets and permits.
• Lead, develop, and scale a high-performing preconstruction team.
• Collaborate with real estate, development, design, construction, operations, and finance teams.

Skills

Executive presence

Team leadership

Financial acumen

Preconstruction lifecycle

Power/utility coordination

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Real Estate, or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Vice President, Preconstruction - North America

Locations: Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Santa Clara, CA; or Ashburn, VA

Travel: Up to 30% or more

The Vice President of Preconstruction will lead the full preconstruction lifecycle across a growing portfolio of hyperscale, multi-phase, and AI-driven data center developments.

This executive will oversee strategy, site validation, power feasibility, due diligence, design integration, cost planning, scheduling, and construction readiness. The position will ensure projects are de-risked, aligned with available power, and prepared for accelerated, scalable delivery.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and lead North American preconstruction strategy, standards, and delivery models.
• Build repeatable processes supporting hyperscale deployments, campus expansion, and multi-phase development.
• Lead site validation and due diligence, emphasizing power availability, utility coordination, and long-term scalability.
• Oversee environmental, zoning, entitlement, and permitting activities.
• Validate sites for power capacity, phased expansion, and high-density infrastructure readiness.
• Lead campus master planning, early design coordination, and basis-of-design development.
• Ensure designs support high rack densities, liquid-cooling readiness, flexibility, and evolving AI infrastructure requirements.
• Establish cost models, budgets, schedules, benchmarks, and risk-management processes.
• Balance cost, speed-to-market, scalability, and delivery certainty.
• Ensure projects transition into construction with clearly defined scope, aligned budgets, permits, and construction-ready documentation.
• Partner with real estate, development, design, construction, operations, commercial, and finance teams.
• Represent the organization with utilities, jurisdictions, customers, and strategic partners.
• Lead, develop, and scale a high-performing preconstruction team.
• Champion new technologies, delivery methods, and continuous process improvements.

Candidate Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Construction Management, Engineering, Real Estate, or a related field; an advanced degree is preferred.
• At least 15 years of experience in preconstruction, development, design, or construction leadership.
• Direct data center experience is required.
• Significant ownership of the preconstruction lifecycle rather than experience focused solely on estimating or construction execution.
• Proven delivery of hyperscale, campus-style, or multi-phase data center developments.
• Deep expertise in power-driven site validation, due diligence, design management, estimating, budgeting, and cost controls.
• Experience working with utilities and evaluating power availability, infrastructure requirements, and energization risks.
• Strong financial and commercial judgment, including the ability to influence investment and portfolio decisions.
• Experience leading teams and managing multiple large-scale projects across different markets.
• Executive presence and experience engaging senior leadership, utilities, jurisdictions, partners, and hyperscale customers.
• Exposure to high-density computing, liquid cooling, or evolving AI infrastructure requirements is preferred.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% or more based on business needs.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Life and AD&D insurance.
• Short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Employee assistance program and additional voluntary benefits.
• 401(k) plan with a company match equal to 5% of base salary.
• Vacation accrued biweekly: 15 days during the first two years, 20 days after two years with a 240-hour accrual cap, and 25 days after six years.
• Seven paid sick days per year.
• Twelve company-designated paid holidays per year.
• Two employee-selected floating holidays per year.
• $75 monthly cell phone allowance.
• $400 annual reimbursement for mental and physical wellbeing expenses.