Director, Power Development & Utility Interconnection

The Opportunity: GridTal is building a select network of senior power and energy leaders for current and upcoming opportunities across the rapidly growing AI infrastructure and data-center market. We are specifically interested in professionals who understand one of the industry's most difficult challenges:

• How to turn a proposed data-center site into hundreds of megawatts of reliable, deliverable power.
• The people we work with sit at the intersection of utilities, transmission, generation, grid interconnection and large-scale data-center development.
• Typical opportunities include Director and senior-level positions responsible for power development, utility development, grid interconnection, energy strategy and large-load infrastructure.
• What You Would OwnDepending on the specific opportunity, responsibilities may include:
• Lead utility and power-development strategy for hyperscale, AI/HPC and large-load infrastructure projects ranging from approximately 50 MW to multi-gigawatt campuses.
• Build and manage relationships with investor-owned utilities, cooperatives, municipal utilities, transmission owners, ISO/RTO organizations, regulators, IPPs and engineering partners.
• Evaluate utility service territories, available transmission capacity, interconnection feasibility, energization timelines and power-delivery alternatives during site selection and project development.
• Lead large-load interconnection processes from initial application through feasibility, system impact and facilities studies, commercial agreements, construction and energization.
• Navigate markets including ERCOT, PJM, MISO, SPP, CAISO and other utility or regional transmission territories.
• Lead or support negotiation of electric service agreements, interconnection agreements, transmission agreements, construction agreements, CIAC arrangements, tariffs and other power-related commercial agreements.
• Coordinate transmission lines, substations and high-voltage infrastructure from approximately 69kV through 500kV.Identify schedule, cost, regulatory and technical risks that could delay power delivery and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Evaluate traditional grid supply alongside behind-the-meter and onsite power alternatives including natural gas generation, combined-cycle generation, BESS, renewables, microgrids and other emerging generation technologies.
• Partner with development, site selection, engineering, construction, finance, legal, procurement and operations teams to align power strategy with overall project schedules and investment decisions.
• Manage external consultants, owner's engineers, utilities and technical advisors.
• Translate complex power-system, interconnection and utility issues into clear recommendations for executive leadership and investment teams.
• Support power-related due diligence for new sites, acquisitions and infrastructure investment decisions.
• Help develop repeatable processes, market intelligence and path-to-power strategies as portfolios scale.
• The Background We Want to MeetStrong candidates will typically bring approximately 7 to 15+ years of experience in one or more of the following environments:
• Utilities, ISO/RTOs, transmission planning, power-system consulting, IPPs, power development, energy infrastructure, hyperscale data centers, powered-land development or other large-load infrastructure.
• Experience directly inside the data-center industry is valuable, but not required.
• We are particularly interested in people who have built deep utility, transmission or interconnection expertise and want to apply it to AI and digital infrastructure.
• Relevant experience may include:
• Large-load interconnection
• Utility development
• Transmission planning
• Power development
• Energy origination
• Power procurement
• Utility negotiations
• Large-load tariffs
• Substation development
• High-voltage infrastructure
• Onsite or behind-the-meter generation
• Natural gas power generationBESS and hybrid energy systems
• Grid integration
• Site-selection power diligence
• Energy infrastructure development
• Regulatory and utility strategy
• Experience delivering power for projects greater than 50 MW is particularly relevant. Experience with projects exceeding 100 MW, hyperscale campuses or multi-gigawatt development programs is highly desirable.
• Technical Experience
• Depending on the role, particularly technical candidates may have experience with:
• PSS/E, PSLF, PowerWorld, PSCAD, TARA, EMTP, ETAP or similar power-system modeling tools.
• Knowledge of power flow, transient stability, short-circuit, protection, EMT, transmission reliability, NERC/FERC requirements or ISO/RTO planning processes is valuable.
• A Professional Engineer license may be preferred for certain opportunities but is not universally required.
• Who We Want to Hear FromYou may currently be working inside a:
• UtilityISO/RTOTransmission organization
• Power-system consultancy
• Independent power producer
• Generation developer
• Energy infrastructure developer
• Data-center developer
• HyperscalerAI infrastructure company
• You do not need to be actively looking for a job.
• Some of the most valuable people in this market are not.
• If your career has involved answering questions like:
• Where can we actually get the power?
• How long will interconnection take?
• What will the network upgrades cost?
• Can this utility deliver 300 MW?Should we pursue grid power, onsite generation or both?
• What does the path to energization actually look like?we want to know you.
• About GridTalGridTal is a specialized talent partner focused exclusively on the intersection of AI infrastructure and power.
• We build relationships with the people who originate, secure, develop, interconnect, generate and deliver the power required for next-generation digital infrastructure.
• The people who power AI.Confidentiality
• Submitting your profile expresses interest in being considered for relevant GridTal searches and confidential market opportunities.
• GridTal will speak with you before discussing your background with a prospective employer and will not submit your profile to a company without your prior knowledge and consent.
• If you are not actively looking but would like to be part of the network, we still want to hear from you.