Development Manager

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced site development professional to lead site development and pre-development for new and expanding data center campuses, from property acquisition through construction handoff. This role owns entitlements and permitting, off-site and civil infrastructure delivery, incentives and commercial negotiations, and the development budgets and cost models required to bring each site to construction readiness on time and on budget.

This role works cross-functionally with Site Acquisition, Utility, Design & Engineering, Construction, Finance, and Operations to ensure clear ownership and effective handoffs throughout the development lifecycle.

Key Responsibilities

Site Development & Delivery

• Own each site from site control — handed off by Site Acquisition at close — through delivery of construction-ready parcels, aligned to power, design, construction, and customer requirements.
• Establish and manage development schedules, budgets, milestones, and critical-path activities.
• Coordinate the workstreams that move each site toward construction readiness.
• Identify entitlement, permitting, infrastructure, cost, and schedule risks and develop mitigation plans.
• Hand a defined, funded scope to Preconstruction for construction estimating and GMP, and lead the transition of approved projects into Construction at construction readiness.

Entitlements & Approvals

• Support Site Acquisition with entitlement, zoning, and CUP/SUP feasibility and risk during site screening and down-select; own entitlements and permitting after site control.
• Lead site-plan approvals, zoning, entitlements, and permitting — rezoning, CUP/SUP, platting, grading, SWPPP/stormwater, building, and environmental permits.
• Coordinate with planning departments, local jurisdictions, and regulatory agencies; manage public hearings, agency comments, approval conditions, and required submissions.
• Maintain accountability for securing approvals within the targeted development timeline.

Off-Site & Civil Infrastructure

• Plan, scope, and deliver off-site infrastructure — water/wastewater service extensions, roadway and access improvements, and fiber pathways.
• Direct civil site development — grading, stormwater systems, drainage/detention, utility corridors, and phased earthwork — supporting Design & Engineering with civil and site-design inputs.
• Secure easements and rights-of-way, and support the Utility team with land-use, easement, and site data for the electric interconnection application.
• Own the civil and off-site scope up to the point of connection, where Utility assumes electric interconnection and power delivery and Construction executes the build.

Commercial, Incentives & Development Finance

• Lead commercial and contract negotiations with off-site utilities, contractors, vendors, and agencies.
• Negotiate economic-development and tax incentives with state and local governments and manage incentive applications, with Site Acquisition supporting the government and economic-development relationships.
• Build and maintain development-stage cost models — sitework, off-site utilities, permitting, fees, and contingency — governing the development budget; feed them to Site Acquisition's investment underwriting and to Finance, with the Acquisitions Analyst keeping one financial view across gates.
• Own development budget tracking, invoices, and change management.

Consultant & Due-Diligence Management

• Manage civil engineers, environmental consultants, surveyors, land-use advisors, and other external partners; define scopes, budgets, schedules, and deliverables.
• Support Site Acquisition's due diligence with environmental (Phase I–II), geotechnical, survey/ALTA, and title coordination through close, and translate findings into cost and schedule impacts.
• Review technical work products and resolve issues promptly.
• Hold consultants accountable for quality, cost, and schedule commitments.

EHS & Sustainability

• Champion EHS and sustainability objectives within land-development decisions.
• Integrate stormwater quality and quantity, water stewardship, and habitat impacts into development plans.
• Support Operations with development choices that affect operability, serviceability, and long-term sustainability.

Required Experience

• 7+ years of experience in land/site development, entitlements, civil infrastructure delivery, or front-end construction for large capital projects. Experience may come from data center, industrial, energy, logistics, master-planned development, or similar environments.
• Demonstrated experience owning entitlement and permitting campaigns through public approval processes.
• Experience managing external consultants, including civil engineering, environmental, surveying, and related development partners.
• Experience developing and managing development-stage budgets, schedules, cost models, and project risks.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, construction, real estate development, planning, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

What Success Looks Like

• New and expanding sites progress from site control to construction readiness on schedule, within budget, and with clear ownership across each development milestone.
• Entitlements, permits, and required approvals are secured proactively, with risks identified early and mitigation plans in place to minimize schedule impacts.
• Civil and off-site infrastructure scopes are clearly defined, coordinated, funded, and ready for seamless handoff to Preconstruction, Utility, and Construction.
• Cross-functional teams have clear visibility into development status, risks, dependencies, and next steps, enabling smooth handoffs throughout the project lifecycle.
• Development decisions balance speed and cost with long-term operability, safety, sustainability, and the needs of Colovore’s customers.