LightEdge Solutions is developing the IT solutions that will propel businesses forward over the next 10 years. Using a combination of shared and private/dedicated platforms, LightEdge has been successful in offering businesses alternatives that streamline operations, improve reliability and reduce costs.
If you are passionate about creating real solutions that help businesses with cutting-edge technology, want to be challenged to think out of the box and be in a position where you can impact change on a daily basis, then LightEdge can offer you a dynamic corporate environment built on teamwork and personal responsibility.
The Senior Vice President of Development will serve as a key member of the executive leadership team, reporting to the CEO, and lead the end-to-end development of data center facilities to support Lightedge’s growth objectives. This role oversees site acquisition, power procurement, design, engineering, and construction. The SVP of Development will be responsible for building a scalable, replicable, and cost-efficient development platform that meets customer demand, accelerates time-to-market, and delivers attractive returns on capital.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Planning & Execution
- Develop and lead Lightedge’s long-term development strategy across site acquisition, power procurement, design, engineering, and construction.
- Drive alignment between infrastructure investments, commercial strategy, and technological trends in the data center sector to enable rapid market entry and capacity scaling.
- Partner with Sales, Finance, and Operations to prioritize development initiatives based on ROI, customer demand, and power availability.
- Report regularly to the CEO and Board of Directors on development progress, key risks, and strategic initiatives.
Design, Engineering, and Construction
- Direct in-house and/or third-party design, engineering, and construction teams to deliver projects on time and within budget.
- Establish scalable design and construction standards to support consistent delivery across data centers of different sizes.
- Ensure all developments adhere to internal standards for quality, sustainability, compliance, and safety.
Power Procurement
- Develop and execute strategies for securing reliable and cost-effective grid-connected power to support growing data center portfolio, structuring creative energy solutions where necessary.
- Negotiate and manage contracts with utilities for services, infrastructure, and grid interconnection. Advocate for favorable regulations for large energy users.
Team Development & Leadership
- Build and lead a high-performing, cross-functional team of real estate, power, design, engineering, and construction professionals and external contractors.
- Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Capital Planning & Vendor Management
- Partner with Finance to build and manage capital budgets.
- Lead strategic vendor partnerships and negotiation of commercial terms.
Risk Management & Governance
- Ensure appropriate risk management frameworks are in place for development activities, including regulatory, environmental, and financial risks.
- Partner with Legal to ensure governance across all jurisdictions and project types.
Site Acquisition & Real Estate Development
- Partner with strategic finance for end-to-end site acquisition process, including market analysis, feasibility studies, land procurement, entitlements, and incentives.
- Build and maintain relationships with brokers, municipalities, and developers.
Required Qualifications:
- 10+ years of experience in data center development, construction, or infrastructure delivery.
- Proven track record of delivering data center development projects across the U.S.,with scale exceeding $100M per project.
- Deep understanding of electrical and mechanical systems, utility interconnects, permitting processes, and Tier III operational standards.
- Demonstrated experience in capital planning, vendor negotiations, and managing development budgets exceeding $100M annually.
- Strong knowledge of entitlements, incentive negotiations, environmental compliance, and land development lifecycle.
Technical Requirements:
Data Center Design
- Deep understanding of Tier III data center design principles, with fluency in Uptime Institute standards and redundancy configurations (N, N+1, 2N, etc.).
- Proficiency in mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems including:
o UPS systems, switch gear, PDUs, generators, BMS/EPMS
o HVAC systems including CRAC/CRAH units, chilled water systems, and direct-to-chip cooling for HPC/AI
- Experience implementing modular and prefabricated design solutions to enable speed-to-market and scalability.
Power and Cooling
- Advanced knowledge of utility infrastructure planning, including transmission and distribution design, substation integration, and dual-feed resiliency.
- Familiarity with energy service agreements (ESAs), power purchase agreements (PPAs), and utility interconnects.
- Understanding of thermal management strategies, such as free cooling, liquid cooling, and containment design for high-density deployments.
- Understanding of efficiency metrics like PUE, WUE, and their optimization through design and operations.
Real Estate and Site Acquisition
- Expertise with land due diligence, zoning, entitlements, environmental site assessments (Phase I/II), and local regulatory processes.
- Experience securing and managing development incentives (e.g., tax abatements, infrastructure grants, energy rebates) and managing public/private utility negotiations.
- Proficiency with GIS and power availability mapping tools to identify viable land in target markets.
Construction & Project Delivery
- Familiarity with construction delivery models including design-bid-build, design-build, and CM at-risk.
- Proficiency in project management tools, managing construction schedules, Gantt charts, milestone tracking, and earned value reporting.
- Deep experience with construction budgeting, cost estimating (ROM to GMP), and value engineering.
Engineering & Technical Standards
- Understanding of:
o NFPA, NEC, ASHRAE, IEEE, ISO/IEC27001, and other relevant regulatory codes and industry best practices
o Fire suppression systems (pre-action, clean agent), leak detection, and other safety-related infrastructure
- Familiarity with commissioning standards (Level1–5) and integrated systems testing (IST).
Regulatory & Compliance
- In-depth knowledge of building codes, safety regulations, and permitting across U.S. jurisdictions.
- Experience working with environmental agencies, local utility commissions, and permitting authorities to meet development timelines.
Tools & Reporting Systems
- Comfort with dashboards and data visualization tools (PowerBI,Tableau) for executive and board reporting.
With over 20 years in business, LightEdge offers a full stack of best-in-class IT services delivering flexibility, security, and control. Our solutions include premier colocation across seven purpose-built data centers spanning Des Moines, IA, Kansas City, MO, Omaha, NE, Austin, TX, and Raleigh, NC, industry-leading private Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and cloud platforms, and the top global security and compliance measures. Our owned and operated facilities, integrated DR solutions, and premium compliant cloud choices make up a true Hybrid Cloud Solution Center. LightEdge annually undergoes third-party audits for ISO 20000-1, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI-DSS 3.2, and SSAE 18 SOC 1 Type II, SOC 2 Type II and SOC 3.
