Nscale · 1 day ago
Senior Manager / Director, Data Center Site Development
United States
Full-time
Remote
Senior Level, Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$150K/yr - $230K/yr
8+ years expNScale is a GPU cloud company engineered for AI, providing high-performance infrastructure for AI start-ups and large enterprises. The Senior Manager, Data Center Site Development will lead the planning and execution of new data center sites optimized for AI workloads, collaborating with various teams to ensure site requirements are met.
AI InfrastructureArtificial Intelligence (AI)GPUInformation TechnologyInternetTelecommunications
Responsibilities
Develop and manage a multi-year pipeline of GPU / AI data center sites and campuses across priority regions
Define evaluation frameworks and decision criteria tailored to AI campuses, including power capacity, water availability, fiber connectivity, land configuration, regulatory, environmental, and community factors
Produce clear business cases and recommendations that balance time-to-market, cost, risk, and long-term AI capacity
Track market trends in land, power, and connectivity relevant to hyperscale and AI-focused developments
Lead site search efforts with brokers, developers, utilities, carriers, and local partners, with a focus on locations suitable for large AI campuses
Evaluate candidate sites for:
Power availability, upgrade paths, and ability to support high-density GPU loads
Fiber connectivity, diverse metro and long-haul options, and future network expansion
Water and sewer availability
Zoning, land use, and entitlement feasibility for data center and campus-scale development
Physical characteristics such as topography, access, geotechnical conditions, and environmental constraints
Coordinate early engineering and due diligence studies (survey, geotech, environmental, traffic, noise, cultural, and similar)
Develop comparative analyses and scoring to shortlist and select preferred sites and campus locations
Lead negotiations for land acquisition, long-term leases, options, and campus assemblages in partnership with real estate and legal
Define key commercial and technical terms (parcel configuration, easements, setbacks, access rights, expansion and adjacency options)
Support negotiations with utilities and carriers for long-term power and connectivity commitments aligned with AI campus growth
Ensure deal structures support phased campus build-out, future capacity, and resiliency objectives
Partner with the power and utilities team to secure adequate, scalable, and cost-effective power to each AI campus, including substation strategy, redundancy, and long-term expansion
Coordinate closely with the network and fiber team to ensure robust, diverse, and scalable connectivity into and across campuses
Engage with transmission and distribution utilities, municipalities, and regulators to understand constraints, lead times, and required approvals
Track and mitigate schedule and capacity risks tied to power and connectivity infrastructure that are critical to AI build-outs
Oversee planning, zoning, and land use approvals required for data center and campus development
Coordinate with local authorities, agencies, and communities to navigate environmental, building, and infrastructure permits
Work with external consultants (planning, legal, environmental, engineering) to develop application packages and respond to regulatory feedback
Proactively identify and mitigate entitlement and permitting risks, including community or political sensitivities around power, water, and industrial development
Serve as the primary point of contact for each AI campus from initial identification through handover to design and construction teams
Align technical requirements for AI workloads with data center design, construction, operations, security, and sustainability
Facilitate smooth handoff of fully documented, “shovel-ready” sites and campuses, including clear status of power, connectivity, entitlements, and risks
Establish repeatable processes, templates, and standards to scale AI-focused site development across multiple regions
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Engineering, Planning, Business, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
8+ years of experience in data center, industrial, or large-scale infrastructure site development or real estate development
Demonstrated experience leading end-to-end site development activities: site search, due diligence, acquisition, entitlements, and pre-construction
Strong understanding of key drivers for data center and AI campuses, including high-capacity power infrastructure, fiber connectivity, zoning, and environmental constraints
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage multiple complex projects in parallel across regions
Strong financial and commercial acumen, with experience building business cases and supporting negotiations
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including with external partners and public entities
Preferred
Direct experience with hyperscale or GPU / AI data center development and campus-scale planning
Familiarity with how GPU / AI and high-density compute requirements influence power, cooling, and connectivity strategy
Experience working with utilities, carriers, and government agencies on large-scale infrastructure projects
Background in regional or international site development, with an understanding of regulatory and cultural differences
Benefits
Medical
Dental
Vision
Flexible paid time off
Parental leave
Retirement plan participation
Company
Nscale
Nscale provides a full-stack AI cloud platform designed for enterprise-scale workloads.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$1.72BKey Investors
AkerSandton Capital Partners
2025-10-01Series C· $433M
2025-09-25Series B· $1.1B
2024-12-09Series A· $155.54M
Leadership Team
Josh Payne
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Karl Havard
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
Recent News
2026-01-22
2026-01-22
2026-01-21
Company data provided by crunchbase