Overview
At Nscale, we are building the next generation of infrastructure for Europe’s AI revolution – large‑scale, mission‑critical data centre campuses that underpin hyperscalers, AI pioneers, and enterprise innovators across EMEA.
We move fast, think boldly, and hold ourselves to the highest standards of development and delivery. The rapid growth of artificial intelligence is driving unprecedented global demand for compute and GPU infrastructure. Positioned at the heart of this transformation, we are delivering the platforms that will enable the next decade of innovation. We’re developing cutting‑edge sovereign generative AI solutions powered by a new generation of high‑performance, sustainable data centres and GPUs built specifically for AI workloads. Working closely with the world’s most advanced AI technology providers, Nscale integrates next‑generation compute hardware and GPU clusters across both partner and self‑delivered facilities.
This is a rare opportunity to join a high‑growth business at a genuinely formative stage of our growth.
Role Overview
As Development or Senior Development Manager, you will take real ownership of complex, high‑impact projects – from first site identification through to commercially viable delivery readiness – and grow alongside a business that rewards ambition, adaptability, and clarity of thought. You will lead and coordinate front‑end development activities across a portfolio of European AI data centre projects, including greenfield and brownfield development as well as colocation opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
- Drive site due diligence, acquisition, permitting, utility agreements, and pre‑development design coordination – managing a broad network of consultants, authorities, utilities, and internal teams.
- Work closely with senior leadership, driving market screening, site identification & acquisition, matching End User GPU needs with available capacity across the EMEA region, and developing site feasibility assessments and business cases.
- Coordinate multidisciplinary due diligence – legal, geotechnical, environmental, transport, utilities – managing consultants and internal teams.
- Support commercial negotiations with landowners, developers, and partners; maintain acquisition trackers, risk registers, and gating documentation.
- Drive front‑end development from feasibility through to developed design activities, including permitting road‑maps, risk mitigations, enabling works and power strategies.
- Lead utility engagement across power, fibre, gas and water – including grid connection applications, off‑grid solutions and capacity assessments.
- Produce and develop early‑stage Project Execution Plans to enable smooth integration of detailed design, delivery and operational teams.
- Develop risk‑adjusted project cost plans and schedules to underpin Business Cases and manage development budgets, schedules, risk registers, and reporting.
- Coordinate planning and operational permitting applications and technical submissions across multiple EMEA jurisdictions, engaging proactively with local authorities, utility providers, landowners and communities, and managing permitting and licensing road‑maps, approval conditions, and regulatory compliance throughout the development pipeline.
- Enable sales teams to market opportunities with increasing clarity as new sites progress towards an investable, sellable and deliverable business opportunity.
- Act as a connector across development, design, delivery, legal, finance, procurement, compute deployment, operations and delivery teams; contribute to the evolution of Nscale’s development standards, governance frameworks, and delivery processes.
- Stay ahead of market shifts – utility constraints, planning policy changes, and sector trends – sharing insight that sharpens our strategy.
Qualifications & Experience
- Ideally, 3+ years in client‑side front‑end development of data centres, mission‑critical infrastructure, or complex real estate.
- Proven experience across site acquisition, due diligence, permitting, entitlements, and pre‑construction coordination.
- Strong grasp of utility infrastructure, planning systems and large‑scale development processes.
- Degree in Engineering, Planning, Real Estate, Construction Management, or a related discipline.
- We are seeking proactive and commercially aware development professionals at both Development and Senior Development Manager levels who take ownership, communicate with confidence, and bring structure to complexity.
Skills & Experience
- Clear communicator who can translate complex technical and commercial information for diverse audiences.
- Highly organised – able to manage multiple projects simultaneously without dropping the detail, nor becoming fixed by it.
- Commercially astute, with the confidence to challenge assumptions and present well‑reasoned business cases.
- Collaborative by nature, but decisive – comfortable holding accountability and driving outcomes across teams.
- Adaptable and curious – energised by the pace of a high‑growth business and willing to evolve as the role does.
Additional Requirements
Flexible within UK / Europe, with travel required to development sites, stakeholder meetings, and project engagements.
