Chief Development Officer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Direct Montera's development organization and manage the front end of the hyperscale data center development lifecycle.

• Take ownership of the development strategy, including market and site selection, land acquisition and control, utility and power strategy, technical due diligence, entitlement, permitting, and development readiness leading to handoff to delivery.

• Formulate development strategies and a powered-land pipeline, prioritizing target markets based on power availability, customer demand, infrastructure, economics, and execution risk.

• Create strategies to expand the development portfolio and align opportunities with customer needs and long-term business goals.

• Establish consistent processes and evaluation frameworks starting from market screening through to construction readiness.

• Oversee site origination, evaluation, acquisition, land-control activities, land transactions, and development agreements.

• Lead negotiations with landowners, brokers, developers, and commercial stakeholders.

• Manage utility engagement, load requests, interconnection strategy, and energization planning.

• Assess power availability, utility capacity, grid constraints, energization timelines, financial demands, and curtailment risks.

• Oversee site due diligence across environmental, geotechnical, civil, survey, title, water, wastewater, telecommunications, and power disciplines.

• Collaborate with Engineering, Product, Technology, and Delivery teams regarding technical needs, design coordination, constructability, budgets, schedules, and risk assessments.

• Ensure that fiber connectivity and telecommunications infrastructure are integrated into site planning.

• Set standards for the development-to-delivery handoff and maintain executive accountability for site readiness.

• Direct land-use strategy, zoning, rezoning, annexation, parcelization, easements, entitlement, permitting, community engagement, and government relations.

• Incorporate sustainability factors into development planning and decision-making processes.

• Build and expand the Development organization by recruiting and nurturing a multidisciplinary team.

• Establish accountability, performance expectations, reporting standards, operational rhythms, governance frameworks, and decision-making tools.

• Report on pipeline status, project risks, schedules, capital needs, and key decisions to executive leadership.

• Work collaboratively with Delivery, Engineering, Product, Technology, Finance, and Commercial teams.

• Assist in customer and leasing discussions as the senior authority on development strategy, feasibility, and site readiness.

• Travel frequently for site visits, utility and stakeholder meetings, development activities, and leadership sessions.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Real Estate Development, Business, Planning, Energy, or a related field.

• Over 15 years of experience in data center development, large-scale infrastructure, energy, real estate development, or similar environments.

• Substantial leadership experience managing a development function, multidisciplinary team, or major development portfolio.

• Proven experience in advancing large-scale development opportunities from site origination through land control, due diligence, entitlement, power/interconnection, permitting, and construction handoff.

• Profound understanding of utility engagement, power availability, interconnection processes, energization schedules, and related commercial factors.

• Experience in managing land transactions, purchase and sale agreements, options, easements, title issues, and development agreements.

• Proven track record in leading multidisciplinary technical diligence and translating findings into commercial, investment, and development decisions.

• Strong knowledge of zoning, entitlement, permitting, regulatory approvals, and community engagement practices.

• Ability to assess complex development risks across power, infrastructure, environmental, technical, commercial, and regulatory areas.

• Experience in building and scaling teams, processes, and organizational capabilities within a rapidly growing environment.

• Competent in working effectively with utilities, government officials, landowners, consultants, customers, investors, and executive leadership.

• Excellent commercial judgment, executive presence, and exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Willingness and ability to travel regularly throughout the United States.

• Preferred direct experience leading hyperscale data center development or other large-load infrastructure projects.

• Preferred experience in building and managing a national or multi-market powered-land development pipeline.

• Established relationships with utilities, landowners, municipalities, developers, and infrastructure stakeholders across key U.S. markets preferred.

• Preferred experience in evaluating large-scale power and infrastructure requirements.

• Familiarity with data center design requirements, fiber connectivity, site infrastructure planning, and construction readiness considerations preferred.

• Preferred experience in managing community engagement, government relations, and sustainability considerations.

• Capability to leverage data, market intelligence, and decision-support tools preferred.

• Experience in establishing development processes, reporting frameworks, and governance standards preferred.

• Hands-on leadership style that integrates executive-level strategy with detailed project execution preferred.

• Ability to operate independently, take ownership of ambiguous challenges, and work effectively in a founder-led, high-growth environment preferred.

🏝️ Benefits

• Comprehensive health coverage; the employer covers 90% of health premiums for employees and their dependents.

• Up to 8 weeks of paid time off each year, including holidays, PTO, and sick leave.

• Up to 8 weeks of paid parental leave after 6 months of employment.

• 401(k) plan with immediate eligibility.

• No vesting requirement.

• Employer 401(k) match contributions up to 6%.

• Up to $3,500 annual reimbursement for approved courses, certifications, conferences, and professional development.

• Remote work stipend.

• Flexibility for remote-first work.

• Reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable law.