Senior Manager, Energy Development

Job Description

EdgeConneX is seeking a Sr. Manager, Energy Development to serve as the energy authority for a regional assigned U.S. project portfolio. ECX has active development across the country, with particularly deep and growing activity in Texas — making in-market knowledge of the ERCOT landscape and Texas utility environment especially relevant for this hire. These are strategic and tactical roles in equal measure — the Sr. Manager owns the energy strategy for their assigned portfolio and is personally accountable for outcomes, while directing a bench of specialized consultants and contractors who provide day-to-day execution support.

This model is intentional: the Sr. Manager operates as an intelligent client and decision-maker — setting strategy, owning utility and regulatory relationships, driving contract development and negotiation, and directing contracted resources toward the right priorities. They are the ECX voice on energy for their portfolio, not a coordinator of others’ work.

This role currently operates as an individual contributor. As ECX’s pipeline matures, there is a clear path for the position to evolve into a team lead function with direct reports. This position should be based in Texas, with the ideal being based based in the greater Austin, TX area. Generally, 40-50% travel is expected for this role given EdgeConneX's current trajectory.

Primary Responsibilities

Regional Energy Strategy Ownership

• Serve as ECX’s authoritative voice on energy in the assigned sub-market — setting strategy, representing ECX with utilities and regulators, and making or informing all key energy decisions for the region.
• Develop and maintain a forward-looking regional energy strategy that accounts for grid conditions, utility capacity timelines, regulatory risk, and ECX’s site pipeline and customer commitments.
• Monitor regional grid conditions, utility IRP filings, capacity market signals, and competitive dynamics to identify emerging constraints and opportunities before they become problems.
• Provide authoritative energy input when evaluating new potential data center sites — assessing interconnection queue position, utility load capacity, time-to-power, and infrastructure investment requirements.

Contract Development & Negotiation

• Lead development and negotiation of energy-related contracts in region, including utility service agreements, large-load interconnection agreements, energy supply contracts, power purchase agreements, and rate schedule elections.
• Direct legal, consulting, and technical support resources through contract drafting and negotiation processes, maintaining clear ownership of ECX’s position and outcomes.
• Evaluate energy tariffs, utility rate structures, and special contract options to identify the optimal procurement and service structure for each ECX project.
• Ensure contract terms, milestones, and obligations are tracked and managed through execution, escalating risks or deviations proactively.

Utility Relationship & Regulatory Management

• Own and cultivate primary utility relationships in region — including T&D providers, generation interconnection staff, regulatory affairs contacts, and key grid operator personnel.
• Advance ECX’s standing as a preferred, sophisticated large-load customer with utilities and grid operators across the assigned portfolio.
• Engage with utility regulators and participate in rate cases, policy proceedings, or stakeholder processes where ECX interests are implicated — directing outside consultants and legal resources as needed.
• Develop relationships that produce early access to capacity information, favorable queue positioning, and constructive utility engagement on non-standard service needs.

Power Capacity Delivery

• Drive power capacity delivery from earliest site evaluation through initial energization, maintaining schedule accountability across interconnection, substation, and utility service milestones.
• Direct consultants and contractors responsible for interconnection application management, utility coordination, permitting, and construction oversight — ensuring the right work is happening at the right pace.
• Develop and execute infrastructure strategies — including utility grid connections, high-voltage substations, and energy storage — to accelerate capacity delivery and optimize total cost of ownership.
• Independently navigate ambiguous regulatory and utility processes, maintaining forward momentum and keeping internal stakeholders informed of realistic timelines and risk.

Capital Budget & Infrastructure Investment

• Manage and support capital budgeting for electrical infrastructure and energy projects in region, including cost-benefit analysis, investment phasing, and spend tracking.
• Identify innovative cost savings initiatives related to energy infrastructure, supply structure, and long-term rate exposure — bringing opportunities to leadership with clear financial framing.
• Provide energy infrastructure cost and timeline inputs to Site Acquisition and Development teams to support go/no-go decisions and project underwriting.

Consultant & Contractor Direction

• Direct a bench of specialized energy consultants, engineering firms, and regulatory advisors who support day-to-day execution across the regional portfolio.
• Scope, procure, and manage third-party support resources as needed — ensuring work products meet ECX standards and are delivered on schedule.
• Serve as the intelligent client: translating ECX strategy into clear direction for external resources and maintaining accountability for outcomes, not just process.

Cross-Functional Integration

• Collaborate closely with Site Acquisition, Development, Construction, Legal, and Finance to ensure energy workstreams are integrated, sequenced correctly, and on schedule.
• Escalate energy risks and blockers proactively, providing clear framing on timeline, cost, and decision implications for affected projects.
• Contribute to ECX’s broader energy development practice by sharing regional intelligence, contract learnings, and utility relationship insights across the group.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Deep working knowledge of the utility and grid operator landscape relevant to the assigned portfolio, including interconnection processes, tariff structures, and large-load service options; familiarity with ERCOT and the Texas utility environment is particularly valued
• Demonstrated ability to develop, negotiate, and execute complex energy contracts — including interconnection agreements, utility service agreements, and power supply arrangements
• Proven ability to direct and manage external consultants, engineering firms, and legal resources toward defined outcomes
• Strong strategic thinking balanced with willingness to engage tactically when needed — comfortable moving between setting direction and getting into the details
• Strong communications — written and verbal — with utilities, regulators, internal teams, and executive leadership
• Commitment to organizational excellence; constant awareness of opportunities to improve processes and the quality of deliverables
• Superb ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects and workstreams simultaneously in a fast-moving development environment
• Ability to advance ambiguous, complex utility and regulatory processes independently while keeping stakeholders informed and aligned
• Strong attention to detail in contract review, milestone tracking, budget management, and regulatory submissions

Experience / Education

• 7–12 years of professional experience in the energy sector, with direct experience negotiating and executing energy contracts and managing utility relationships in the assigned region
• Demonstrated track record of leading utility interconnection processes, large-load service applications, and/or energy contract development for critical infrastructure or large commercial loads
• Experience managing or directing third-party consultants, advisors, or contractors in a project delivery context
• 2+ years of experience working within a hyperscale, colocation, or large-scale data center development environment
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Energy Management, Business, or a field directly applicable to energy infrastructure or data center development
• Strong existing relationships with grid managers, utility staff, and/or regulatory personnel in the target region is highly preferred
• Candidates with experience spanning both utility-side and large-load customer-side energy work are strongly encouraged to apply

Location & Travel

Once again, this role can be based remotely within Texas. Candidates with in-market presence in Texas — particularly the DFW, Houston, or Austin areas — are strongly preferred given the depth of ECX’s current Texas pipeline, though candidates located elsewhere in the U.S. with strong regional utility relationships can also be considered.

Travel of up to 40–50% at peak should be expected. Adaptability to the demand driven by ECX’s growth is required.