Project Development Manager- Data Centers

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Project Development Manager – Data Centers based in Netherlands.

As a Project Development Manager, you’ll lead complex AI infrastructure projects from executed agreements through construction readiness, helping transform strategic acquisitions into fully defined, development-ready data center projects.
You’ll oversee integrated development roadmaps, budgets, schedules, milestones, and pre-construction risk management across multiple workstreams.
The role brings together infrastructure planning, permitting, utilities, engineering, finance, legal, and delivery teams to keep projects progressing predictably.
You’ll work closely with utility providers, municipalities, consultants, and development partners to validate executable plans and resolve risks before they affect construction.
You’ll also help establish development standards, governance frameworks, readiness gates, and project controls for a growing infrastructure development function.
This is a hands-on, build-phase role suited to someone comfortable operating independently in an evolving environment and creating structure where processes are still being developed.
You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to large-scale AI infrastructure projects while shaping repeatable practices that can support future expansion.

• Lead the development of AI infrastructure and data center projects from executed agreement through construction readiness, ensuring that scope, schedule, budget, and development requirements remain aligned.
• Develop and manage integrated development roadmaps, project schedules, budgets, milestones, assumptions, and pre-construction risk registers.
• Coordinate permitting, entitlement activities, utility planning, infrastructure requirements, and owner obligations throughout the pre-construction lifecycle.
• Coordinate infrastructure planning for electrical service, substations, fiber, water, sewer, stormwater, transportation access, and other critical site requirements.
• Partner with utility providers, municipalities, engineering teams, consultants, and development partners to validate executable development plans and resolve project constraints.
• Ensure infrastructure assumptions and development requirements are fully reflected in project budgets, schedules, and risk assessments.
• Lead regular development reviews and executive readiness meetings, providing clear status updates and recommending Go / No-Go decisions at key development milestones.
• Establish and maintain development readiness criteria, project controls, documentation standards, and handoff requirements for construction delivery.
• Verify that permits, utility agreements, infrastructure plans, owner deliverables, and development obligations are complete before projects are transferred to the Delivery organization.
• Identify, track, and resolve development risks early to minimize their impact on construction schedules, budgets, and execution.
• Serve as the primary development interface across site selection, technical due diligence, engineering, energy, finance, legal, and delivery functions.
• Coordinate architects, civil engineers, environmental consultants, surveyors, permitting specialists, and other external partners throughout the development process.
• Align internal stakeholders and external consultants to prevent scope, schedule, and cost drift.
• Contribute to the creation of repeatable development standards, governance processes, readiness frameworks, and operating practices as the infrastructure portfolio scales.

Requirements:

• 8+ years of experience in data center development, industrial development, infrastructure development, land development, or other mission-critical projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing permitting, entitlement, utility coordination, consultant management, and development planning activities.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure development, owner budgeting, development scheduling, risk management, and pre-construction planning.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams across engineering, utilities, design, legal, construction, and other project functions.
• Proven ability to independently lead complex infrastructure developments while operating effectively in ambiguous or evolving environments.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, dependencies, milestones, budgets, and risks simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills, with the ability to align diverse internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong relationship-building skills when working with utilities, municipalities, consultants, engineering teams, and development partners.
• Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Architecture, Real Estate Development, Urban Planning, or a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience supporting hyperscale data center or AI infrastructure development is preferred.
• Experience with utility coordination, entitlement strategy, infrastructure planning, and owner's representation is an advantage.
• Experience with self-development or joint venture delivery models is a plus.
• Professional Engineer (PE), PMP, or similar professional certification is preferred.
• Comfortable building processes, governance structures, and project controls where established frameworks do not yet exist.
• Strong ownership mindset, sound judgment, and ability to identify and address project risks proactively.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation.
• Career growth and continuous learning opportunities.
• Flexibility and meaningful ownership over projects and responsibilities.
• Collaborative and innovative international working environment.
• Opportunity to work on large-scale, impactful AI infrastructure projects.
• Exposure to complex data center and mission-critical development programs.
• Opportunity to help shape development standards, governance frameworks, and operating processes for a growing infrastructure portfolio.
• International team environment with opportunities to collaborate across multiple regions and disciplines.
• Opportunity to contribute to the physical infrastructure supporting the continued growth of the global AI economy.

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

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