Data Center Programs & Strategy leader

Data Center Programs & Strategy Leader

Location: Dallas, TX
Type: Direct Hire

• Competitive base salary + performance bonus
• 100% company-paid benefits
• Relocation assistance available for non-local candidates

Overview

We are seeking a Data Center Programs & Strategy Leader to own the business execution, program leadership, and strategic delivery of large-scale data center development initiatives.

This role is responsible for translating company objectives into disciplined execution across development schedules, capital deployment, financial outcomes, operating models, and cross-functional alignment. The position sits at the intersection of strategy, infrastructure delivery, finance, engineering, operations, procurement, and executive leadership.

This is an executive-level business leadership role, not the primary technical engineering authority. The ideal candidate brings the ability to drive complex, schedule-sensitive, capital-intensive programs while partnering closely with technical teams to ensure delivery decisions support long-term performance, resiliency, scalability, and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Program Strategy & Business Execution

• Own end-to-end program leadership for large-scale data center development initiatives from concept through steady-state operations
• Define and execute the infrastructure development roadmap in alignment with business growth, platform expansion, and capacity objectives
• Translate strategic priorities into actionable program plans, delivery milestones, operating rhythms, and measurable outcomes
• Drive aggressive development schedules while balancing cost, risk, quality, performance, resiliency, and long-term operational readiness
• Serve as the executive program leader responsible for accountability across engineering, construction, commissioning, operations, finance, and procurement

Capital Planning & Financial Performance

• Lead business case development for major infrastructure programs, including cost modeling, scenario planning, and capital efficiency analysis
• Identify opportunities to improve financial performance, delivery efficiency, asset utilization, and long-term return on infrastructure investment
• Partner with finance and executive leadership to track capital deployment, budget performance, risk exposure, and commercial tradeoffs
• Support investment decisions by clearly communicating schedule, cost, risk, and operational impact
• Build repeatable frameworks for evaluating program performance and infrastructure delivery economics

Governance, Operating Model & Delivery Leadership

• Implement and maintain program governance structures, KPI frameworks, reporting cadences, and executive decision processes
• Establish scalable operating models, policies, workflows, and process discipline to support repeatable data center delivery
• Lead cross-functional alignment across internal teams and external delivery partners
• Ensure program risks, dependencies, decisions, and escalations are clearly documented, communicated, and resolved
• Drive accountability across multiple workstreams while maintaining visibility into schedule, quality, budget, compliance, and operational readiness

Cross-Functional & Partner Leadership

• Partner closely with engineering, operations, construction, procurement, finance, legal, compliance, and senior leadership teams
• Work alongside technical leaders to ensure infrastructure solutions align with program goals, business priorities, and delivery timelines
• Interface with EPCM firms, vendors, delivery partners, consultants, and third-party service providers
• Serve as the connective tissue between technical execution and business leadership
• Communicate complex program status, risks, decisions, and tradeoffs clearly to executive stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree such as an MBA or equivalent preferred
• 10+ years of experience leading large, complex infrastructure, technology, industrial, energy, or data center programs
• Proven success operating in schedule-driven, capital-intensive environments
• Strong program leadership experience across development, construction, delivery, operations, or infrastructure scaling initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams through influence rather than direct authority
• Experience building governance models, KPI frameworks, executive reporting cadences, and decision-making processes
• Strong financial and business acumen, including exposure to capital planning, business cases, budgeting, cost management, and performance tracking
• Executive-level communication skills with the ability to present to and influence senior leadership
• Ability to operate as a business owner and decision-maker while partnering effectively with highly technical teams
• Strong judgment in balancing speed, cost, risk, quality, resiliency, and operational outcomes

Preferred Background

• Experience in data centers, hyperscale infrastructure, cloud infrastructure, energy, utilities, industrial facilities, or large-scale mission-critical environments
• Prior leadership role in infrastructure development, strategic programs, capital projects, technical operations, or business execution
• Experience working alongside engineering, construction, commissioning, and operations teams
• Familiarity with high-density compute, AI infrastructure, HPC environments, or advanced technical facilities
• Experience managing external delivery partners such as EPCMs, vendors, consultants, and service providers
• Track record of building scalable processes for fast-growing infrastructure organizations