Land Acquisition Lead

Mission TAR’s mission is to power intelligence for the world. We are building the world’s first off-grid power plant for data centers powered by renewable technologies. We firmly believe AI should be built in the US for the benefit of all people. For that, power must be fast, clean and scalable. We are singularly focused on delivering GW-scale power faster than anyone has ever done, by rethinking every layer of the stack. We vertically integrate to solve every bottleneck, from racking systems to power electronics to dispatch algorithms to on-site construction. Leave your mark on the future of civilization-scale energy infrastructure. Company TAR is both a hardware and software company, we are building out massive, critical, physical infrastructure. (TAR is working directly with one of the largest compute providers to scale and deploy 5GWs by 2028) We operate on… High ownership. High Agency. Own project end-to-end. Great people don’t need to be managed. Speed. We achieve great things on incredible timelines. We push ourselves to go faster. First principles. No ego. No hierarchy. Challenge every assumption. Passion. Solving the energy problem is one of the largest challenges that faces the world now and in the future. About the role As Land Acquisition Lead, you own the full land lifecycle for a GW-scale pipeline: defining site criteria, sourcing and screening parcels across Texas and the broader Southwest, and negotiating deals from first landowner conversation to closed transaction with no handoffs. You are the company’s authority on where we build, working directly with the founders and partnering with engineering, legal, and commercial. This is a senior individual contributor role based in Austin with significant travel to West Texas and target markets. Responsibilities Define and refine TAR’s site selection criteria for an islanded solar, storage, and data center campus, spanning solar resource, contiguous developable acreage, water availability, fiber proximity, and community receptivity. Build and maintain a proprietary pipeline of qualified sites across Texas and the broader Southwest using GIS and parcel tools, county records, broker networks, and direct landowner outreach. Run rapid desktop screens covering parcel data, solar resource, slope, floodplain, environmental constraints, and encumbrances to kill weak sites early and concentrate diligence on the best ones. Manage full site due diligence, including ALTA surveys, Phase I ESAs, title and mineral rights, water rights, and geotech, coordinating outside counsel and consultants on aggressive timelines. Structure and negotiate options, purchase agreements, leases, easements, and surface use agreements directly with landowners and mineral owners, from term sheet through signature. Own the closing process end to end, including title curative work, escrow, recording, and post-closing obligations. Own the local entitlement path, including county development standards, tax abatement negotiations, and road use agreements, representing TAR before commissioners’ courts, appraisal districts, and community stakeholders. Maintain the land pipeline tracker, report site status, risks, and spend to leadership, and manage acquired land through construction handoff and ongoing landowner relations. Qualifications 5+ years in land acquisition, site selection, or real estate development for utility-scale solar, storage, data centers, or comparable energy infrastructure. A track record of personally closing land deals, taking sites from cold outreach to recorded deed or executed lease, with negotiation instincts matched by genuine relationship building. Fluency in title, survey, mineral rights, easements, and the mechanics of rural land transactions; Texas experience strongly preferred. Working knowledge of solar site selection fundamentals (resource, slope, buildable area, environmental constraints) and the ability to speak credibly with engineers about what makes a site buildable. Comfortable operating solo in the field: driving county roads, sitting at kitchen tables with landowners, and presenting at commissioners’ court on the same trip. Proficiency with GIS and parcel tools (LandGate, AcreValue, ArcGIS, or QGIS) and disciplined pipeline management. High ownership, high urgency, and the judgment to make good decisions with incomplete information. Nice to have Experience siting for data centers or other large point loads, including fiber, water, and latency considerations. Familiarity with Texas tax abatement and incentive negotiations. Experience with behind-the-meter, off-grid, or microgrid projects. Licensed real estate broker or landman background (RPL or CPL). Spanish proficiency. Salary and Benefits Up to $15K relocation bonus Unlimited PTO Health, Dental, Vision insurance $1K monthly stipend for meals