Data Center Development Director

Job Title: Development Director Shape the Future of Sustainable Data Centre Development Verne is growing, and we are looking for an experienced and commercially minded Development Director to lead the early-stage development of strategic data centre projects across our portfolio. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for advancing projects from initial concept through planning consent and developed design (RIBA Stages 0–3), ensuring they are investment-ready, permit-ready, and positioned for successful execution. Working across technical, commercial, regulatory, and stakeholder environments, you will play a key role in enabling the next generation of sustainable digital infrastructure. What You'll Be Doing As Development Director, you will lead all pre-construction development activities and provide strategic oversight throughout the project development lifecycle. Key Responsibilities • Develop project business cases and investment approval packages. • Establish project governance frameworks and development roadmaps. • Manage development budgets, schedules, risks, and executive reporting. • Lead engagement with: • Utility providers • Municipal authorities • Planning agencies • Environmental consultants • Landowners and key stakeholders • Define project permitting and planning strategies. • Procure, manage, and coordinate multidisciplinary consultant teams. • Oversee concept design development and evaluation of development options. • Drive value engineering and project optimisation initiatives. • Validate project solutions against: • Constructability requirements • Cost targets and business objectives • Operational requirements • Sustainability goals • Customer requirements • Coordinate utility connection strategies and long-lead infrastructure planning. • Proactively identify and manage: • Planning risks • Utility risks • Environmental risks • Commercial risks • Programme and schedule risks What We're Looking For We are seeking a strategic leader with a strong track record in complex infrastructure, property development, data centre, energy, industrial, or large-scale construction projects. Essential Experience & Skills • Extensive experience leading development projects through planning and pre-construction phases. • Strong understanding of: • Planning and permitting processes • Utility infrastructure and connection strategies • Design management and project governance • Commercial negotiations and stakeholder management • Experience leading multidisciplinary consultant teams. • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders and balance competing priorities. • Strong commercial, analytical, and business case development capabilities. • Excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership skills. • Proven ability to identify risks and drive solutions in complex project environments. Desirable • Experience in data centres, mission-critical facilities, renewable energy, or major infrastructure developments. • Familiarity with RIBA project stages and development governance frameworks. • Experience working across multiple jurisdictions and regulatory environments. Why Join Verne? At Verne, we're building the digital infrastructure that powers the world's most demanding applications. Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do, and our data centres are designed to deliver industry-leading performance while supporting the global transition to a greener digital future. Join a collaborative, ambitious, and innovative team where your expertise will directly influence the development of strategic projects that shape the future of digital infrastructure. Ready to make an impact? Apply today and help us build the next generation of sustainable data centres