Manager, Site Development

Role Summary

Rowan is seeking a Manager of Site Development to lead the origination and development of data center development activities across our project portfolio.

This role is integral to shaping and executing Rowan’s development strategy and rapid expansion-determining which sites to pursue, advancing them through due diligence and entitlements, and delivering them into the leasing and construction pipeline in alignment with business objectives.

The ideal candidate brings a strong track record of delivering complex data center projects, has experience in early evaluation of power/energy availability in various regions, exceptional negotiation and communication skills, and can succinctly and accurately provide senior leadership-level updates across their project portfolio.

Success in this role requires comfort with ambiguity, a highly organized and proactive approach, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.

Travel: Ability to travel up to (25%) for company gatherings or to project sites.

Location: Denver, CO (3-day hybrid in-office role)

Compensation

$125K - $150K (Offers Bonus)

Essential Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior-level deal leads, supporting site development activities for a portfolio of data center projects-from site origination up to construction commencement. Responsibilities include initial site screening, pipeline management, site due diligence, title curative actions, and risk management
• Independently manage site due diligence contractors for early-stage projects, overseeing contract management, onsite activities, schedules, and budgets
• Support senior level deal leads with key agreement negotiations, including land acquisitions, development agreements, and other commercial contracts that support risk mitigation and project advancement
• Coordinate cross-functional evaluation of potential sites by collaborating with a multidisciplinary team of subject matter experts across power/energy, engineering, legal, planning, and other domains
• Support the advancement of all development activities, including managing complex land transactions, land use and entitlements, permitting, physical and legal due diligence, and other pre-construction workstreams, and relay the impact of these on key investment metrics
• Collaborate with internal teams-including energy, fiber, finance, water & wastewater, legal, and economic development-to identify and address key project risks and ensure long-term viability
• Represent the project internally and externally, providing clear, concise updates to project teams and leadership
• Contribute to team growth and scalability by helping establish strong diligence and reporting practices and continuously improving development processes and systems

Education, Skills, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., business, real estate, environmental management)
• 5+ years of experience leading large-scale, complex site development projects or portfolios in the data center or commercial real estate industry
• Demonstrated experience negotiating commercial agreements, including land purchase agreements, energy, water/wastewater service, and economic development agreements
• Demonstrated ability to work with external stakeholders, including authorities having jurisdiction (AHJs), utilities, and economic development agencies to advance complex infrastructure projects
• Strong experience leading cross-functional initiatives, with responsibility for project strategy, budgets, schedules, and risk management
• Demonstrated trust-based leadership, with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence outcomes without formal authority
• Proficiency in real estate development due diligence, permitting, and entitlements for large-scale developments

Fueled by Excellence & Collaboration

• At Rowan, we are a distributed team united by a common mission to transform data center delivery.
• Across our two offices, we offer a hybrid work environment supported by teamwork, technology, and in-office gathering time to help you be successful.
• We are headquartered in downtown Denver, Colorado and have an office in Seattle, Washington.
• Our team of talented and passionate individuals is spread out across the U.S.

Here to support you

Pay and benefits

At Rowan, we want to make sure you can do great work. We offer competitive benefits focused on helping you be and achieve your best.

• Hybrid working environment
• Team building and educational opportunities
• Generous benefits package including robust health benefits and a 401(k)-company contribution
• Unlimited PTO
• RTD ECO pass or parking reimbursement
• Competitive compensation, bonus, and an incentive plan