Director, Land Acquisition & Energy – Design, Build & Operate; NAM

Director, Land Acquisition & Energy – Design, Build & Operate (NAM)

US

Location: United States (Flexible / Hybrid)

Start: ASAP

Contract: Full-Time / Permanent

Travel: Domestic & Select International

About Submer: Submer designs and delivers end-to-end AI data center infrastructure built around industry-leading liquid cooling. Through our Design, Build & Operate (DBO) model, we provide fully integrated infrastructure solutions—from site origination and development through to delivery and ongoing operations—enabling customers to scale AI with speed, efficiency, and sustainability.

What Impact

You Will Have:

The Director, Land Acquisition & Energy – DBO (NAM) plays a foundational role in enabling Submer’s DBO strategy, owning the origination of land and power infrastructure required to deploy high-density AI data centers across North America. This role is not just transactional—it is strategic and programmatic, ensuring that land and energy decisions are aligned with long-term platform scalability, operational efficiency, and speed to deployment.

You will directly influence where and how Submer builds its infrastructure footprint, acting as the critical link between site origination, energy strategy, and project execution.

• Define and execute a region-wide land and energy origination strategy aligned with the DBO expansion roadmap
• Identify priority markets based on power availability, latency requirements, customer demand, and scalability
• Ensure all site origination decisions support long-term operational performance and lifecycle efficiency

• Lead engagement with utilities, Independent System Operators (ISOs), and energy providers across North America
• Secure scalable, reliable, and cost-effective power capacity for high-density AI workloads
• Negotiate interconnection agreements, capacity reservations, tariffs, and infrastructure contributions
• Develop forward‑looking energy strategies, including renewable integration, PPAs, and redundancy planning
• Align power delivery timelines with DBO project execution schedules

• Build and manage a strategic pipeline of land opportunities across key U.S. and North American markets
• Identify sites aligned with DBO technical requirements (zoning, acreage, fiber connectivity, environmental constraints, proximity to power)
• Lead commercial structuring of land deals (purchase, lease, options, joint ventures where relevant)
• Establish and maintain relationships with landowners, developers, brokers, and public sector stakeholders
• Oversee full due diligence process (legal, environmental, technical, and infrastructure readiness)

• Navigate complex, state and local permitting and entitlement processes across U.S. jurisdictions
• Partner with municipalities, economic development agencies, and utilities to accelerate timelines
• Ensure alignment between land strategy and regulatory frameworks (zoning, environmental, interconnection approvals)
• Structure projects to optimize speed-to-build while maintaining compliance

• Lead early-stage feasibility assessments including:
• Land pricing and acquisition structures
• Grid interconnection costs and timelines
• Substation and transmission infrastructure requirements
• Partner closely with engineering, design, and construction teams to validate site viability within the DBO model
• Provide key inputs into investment cases, capital allocation, and project prioritization
• Act as a senior external representative of Submer across real estate, energy, and infrastructure ecosystems
• Build long-term partnerships across priority markets to create proprietary deal flow and early access opportunities
• Represent Submer in negotiations, industry forums, and strategic discussions
• Work cross-functionally with DBO leadership, Finance, Legal, and Executive teams

• 10+ years of experience in infrastructure development, real estate, energy, or large-scale industrial projects
• Proven experience securing both land and power for data centers, logistics, renewables, or major infrastructure developments
• St…