Principal, Data Center Development

Principal, Data Center Development

Oakland, CA or Remote Full-time

First, the good news:
The world now has over 2 terawatts of cumulative solar capacity and solar PV is the lowest-cost source of energy generation worldwide.

The challenge:
The world must build 3 terawatts of new solar capacity every year for the next 25 years to meet surging power demand and decarbonize.

Planted is creating new technology to overhaul how the industry develops and builds solar power resources. We’re expanding our team of ambitious, curious, and hands-on engineers and operators who want to accelerate that transition. Come take ownership of large parts of our product, company, and business development as we help power the world with abundant and clean energy.

We are hiring a data center development lead for Planted’s commercial expansion into hyperscalers, neocloud providers, and data center developers. This role is accountable for opening, shaping, and closing opportunities in one of the most strategically important and technically demanding power markets globally.

The core mandate is to make Planted a critical infrastructure partner for low-cost, high-density, rapidly deployable power
—including off-grid and microgrid solutions—where execution speed, reliability, and capital efficiency matter more than theoretical elegance or the status quo.

This is a senior, externally facing role requiring strong industry networks, high commercial judgment, and sufficient technical depth to engage credibly on microgrids, power architecture, and integration tradeoffs among grid power, energy storage, thermal generation, and solar to energize large loads. Planted is entering this market with strong technology and real customer traction, but no preset playbook. You’ll define our go-to-market approach, shape the product scope, and close the early deals that prove the model.

The salary range for this full-time position is $160,000 – $230,000 plus stock options and benefits. Pay within the range is based on candidate experience, job-specific skills, education, and work location. The target experience for the position is 7+ years.

• Market Origination: Own the strategy and revenue targets for hyperscalers and data center developers.
• Ecosystem Integration: Identify and validate where Planted’s high-density technology solves a specific bottleneck in data center power stacks (Grid-tied vs. BTM).
• Full-Cycle Deal Execution: Lead complex, multi-stakeholder sales from technical discovery through financial close.
• Product Feedback Loop: Translate real-world data center constraints (PUE, land-use intensity, and deployment speed) into the product roadmap.
• Strategic Expansion: Evaluate and define which ‘beyond-the-panel’ system components Planted should develop vs. partner on.

• 7+ years in data center power development, infrastructure sales, or energy project origination.
• Deep Infrastructure IQ: Proven knowledge of power system architectures, including microgrids, substations, DC-coupled architectures, high-voltage busway integration, and BESS. Experience navigating utility interconnection queues or ‘behind-the-meter’ (BTM) regulatory frameworks.
• Proven Track Record: Experience closing $10M+ infrastructure deals with complex technical development cycles.
• Technical Fluency: Ability to debate power density and reliability tradeoffs with facility engineers without being the system designer.
• Business and Engineering Hybrid: Preferred background combining a technical degree with strategic business training leveraging commercial instincts and technical curiosity.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous, fast-evolving markets.

• MBA or equivalent strategic finance experience is a plus.

* A note on qualifications:
Many people only apply for jobs if they believe they can perform every task in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job and will consider equivalent combinations of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role.