Data Center Programs & Strategy Leader
16 hours ago
Dallas
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