VP of Land Development

Big Watt Digital, LLC; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Cash Bonus

Equity incentive

Job summary

Big Watt Digital LLC in Austin, TX is seeking a VP of Land Development with extensive experience in site selection, zoning, permitting, and utility alignment for shovel-ready data center projects. You will lead due diligence, entitlements, environmental and geotechnical studies, coordinate with land, power, and datacenter partners to define boundaries, schedules, and interfaces.

The role requires 20+ years in engineering/construction and 5+ years in datacenter design, with an architectural,

Qualifications

• Extensive background in site development, zoning, and permitting.
• Experience coordinating land, power, and fiber interconnects for data centers.
• Proven track record in large-scale project delivery and interface management.

Responsibilities

• Lead site selection, due diligence, and land acquisition for shovel-ready projects.
• Oversee entitlements, permitting, and environmental/geotechnical studies.
• Develop logistics, schedules, and cost estimates for multiple sites.
• Coordinate with land, power, and data center partners on interfaces and SLAs.

Skills

20+ years engineering experience

Datacenter experience

Leadership & program management

Education

Engineering degree (Architectural/ME/EE)

Job description

Big Watt Digital LLC VP, Land Development Austin, TX·Full time Company website

Big Watt Digital is looking for an VP of Land Development with experience in data center engineering and design. The VP of Land Development will drive the project from site selection and land acquisition through zoning, permitting, and utility alignment (power/fiber) until it is fully ready for construction. This role reports to the President of Data Center Development & Construction and will play a key role in Big Watt Digital's success.

Big Watt Digital is a mission-critical infrastructure platform developing and operating next-generation, high-density data center campuses built for the demands of AI and advanced digital workloads. Our model brings together large-scale power, digital infrastructure, development execution, and operational discipline to deliver speed, certainty, and scalability.
WHY BIG WATT DIGITAL: We are building at the intersection of energy, data centers, AI infrastructure, and large-scale development-where execution matters.

Description

WHAT YOU WILL OWN

• Site Control & Due Diligence: Evaluate and acquire land packages, assess environmental risks, flood plains, and geopolitical factors.lead comprehensive site due diligence (power availability and interconnection path; Fiber access and offsite network path; Land area, easements.
• Entitlements & Permitting: Lead the zoning, variance, and municipal approval processes to ensure the site is "shovel ready."
• Studies: Lead Environmental, geotechnical, stormwater, water/sewer, and acoustic studies
• Develop logistic plan for modules, equipment yards, and construction laydown
• Develop test fit aligned with the basis of design (GPU SKU, rack count, rack density, and rack weight; Network-to-GPU ratio.Ability to support high-density electrical infrastructure, liquid cooling, and customer capacity requirements.
• Oversee the project preplanning including development of schedule, cost estimate, and execution strategy (long lead equipment, module strategy, early work, and construction readiness) for each site.
• Work closely with the land acquisition team, power team, and datacenter partners establishing spatial boundary lines and interface points for:
  • Define clear battery limits, property lines, and right-of-way easements between the power generation site and the data center footprint.
  • Coordinate with local authorities to ensure data center building permits and environmental/noise variances are aligned and do not conflict with the power team's utility permits.
  • Partner with legal to draft the technical SLAs regarding when power must be delivered to the data center gate, ensuring clear liability if power milestones slip.

THE PERSON WHO WILL THRIVE HERE

• 20+ years' experience in engineering and construction
• 5+ years' experience in datacenter engineering and design
• Architect, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering background

HOW WE WOR

BUILD Create durable systems, not temporary fixes. | EXECUTE Move with urgency and accountability. | PARTNER Work across disciplines and stakeholders. | SCALE Design for the next campus, not just today.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

In addition to a competitive salary, Big Watt Digital offers:

• Annual Cash Bonus
• Incentive Award Units (Equity)