Director, Pre-Construction
US$190,000 – US$230,000 / yr base salary
Posted 17 Sep 2026
Advertised as “Director, Pre- Construction (Data Centers)”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 8+ yrs
- Management level
- Individual contributor
| Base salary | US$190,000 – US$230,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyCivil Engineering, Construction Management, Electrical Engineering, Real Estate Development (or related)
Study levelBachelor's
Job Overview
We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and technical Director of Pre-Construction & Powered Land Opportunities to lead our data center site selection, utility interconnection, and pre-development strategies. In this role, you will bridge the gap between real estate acquisition, utility/power infrastructure, and technical pre-construction planning.
The ideal candidate possesses deep market intelligence in global/regional data center markets, a strong network within power utilities, and proven expertise in taking greenfield or brownfield sites from initial evaluation through land acquisition, zoning/entitlements, utility interconnect agreements, and baseline site infrastructure planning.
Key Responsibilities
Site Identification & Land Acquisition
- Lead the sourcing, identification, and underwriting of strategic land parcels suitable for hyperscale and enterprise data center developments.
- Partner with real estate brokers, landowners, and economic development agencies to secure sites via purchase agreements, options, or joint ventures.
- Conduct comprehensive land due diligence, including title review, environmental assessments (Phase I/II), geotechnical evaluations, flood zone risks, and baseline topography.
Power Procurement & Utility Strategy
- Target, evaluate, and secure sub-station, transmission, and power utility capacity (MW to GW scale) for prospective data center campuses.
- Engage directly with regional utility providers, independent system operators (ISOs/RTOs), power brokers, and energy developers to negotiate Interconnection Agreements (IA) and Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).
- Evaluate alternative power solutions, including on-site generation, microgrids, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and renewable energy integration.
Pre-Construction & Site Development Planning
- Oversee early-stage engineering, master planning, and site layout design in collaboration with internal architects, developers, construction professionals, engineers, and MEP consultants.
- Develop baseline budgets, capital expenditure estimates (CapEx), and high-level schedules for off-site utility extensions, civil grading, and site preparation.
- Evaluate critical path constraints such as fiber connectivity, water supply/wastewater capacity, and sound/environmental restrictions.
Entitlements, Zoning & Regulatory Approvals
- Lead local government, community, and regulatory engagement to secure necessary entitlements, re-zoning approvals, conditional use permits (CUP), and environmental clearances.