Director of Power / Power Development Director recruiters
You need a power director who can secure megawatts for a campus when the grid cannot supply them on your timeline, and who knows what that costs in the long run.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
- No upfront fee
- Pay only if you hire
- Data centers only, construction to operations
- Local and 100% travel candidates
- Replacement guarantee on standard searches
- Director of Power / Power Development Director
- Head of Power
- VP Power & Energy
What does this hire really come down to?
A director of power owns the hardest question in the business: where will the electricity come from. The answer may be a utility agreement, a bridge solution on site, or both in sequence. The director weighs tariffs, reliability, emissions rules, and cost, and then goes to executives with a recommendation that commits the company for years.
Ask them to describe a power plan they gave up and why. Candid answers show maturity. The tradeoff is breadth against depth. Some directors come from utilities and know the grid and its politics. Others come from developers and know how to assemble a deal from parts. Others came from energy trading and know price. Rarely does one person hold all three, so decide which blind spot your team can fill before you start. Most are strong in one area and need partners in the others, so ask whom they would hire first.
We also pay attention to how they speak about uncertainty. Power plans change. Queue positions move, equipment lead times shift, and regulators reverse themselves. A director who is calm about that and clear about assumptions is worth more than one who sells certainty. Ask what they told a board or executive team when a plan collapsed. People who stayed credible after bad news usually named the problem first and brought options with it.
What do we check before you see anyone?
Ask for the sites, sizes, and how much of the capacity was actually delivered. Targets and outcomes are different things. Ask what terms they gave up and what they held. Their answers show their priorities. Ask what they considered, what they chose, and what the regulators said.
- Megawatts secured: ask for the sites, sizes, and how much of the capacity was actually delivered. Targets and outcomes are different things.
- Utility negotiation: ask what terms they gave up and what they held. Their answers show their priorities.
- Bridge and on-site power: ask what they considered, what they chose, and what the regulators said.
- Tariffs and rate structures: ask how they modeled cost and what they told finance.
- Team leadership: ask who reported to them and which functions they hired.
- Executive communication: ask how they presented a plan that changed and what the response was.
- Regulatory and political awareness: ask how they dealt with commissions, local officials, and public concern about load growth.
- Supplier and equipment relationships: ask how they worked with turbine, engine, and storage suppliers when delivery slots were tight.
How we help you hire
- 01
Tell us who you need
Tell us about the role, experience, location and pay. We talk through what matters to you.
- 02
We find and speak with candidates
We approach suitable people directly, including people who are not applying to job ads.
- 03
You meet the strongest matches
We explain their background, interest in the job and our view. You decide who to interview.
- 04
We help you complete the hire
We help with feedback, the offer and start arrangements, and stay in touch as you make your decision.
Where do we find these candidates?
Power directors come from utility business development and large account groups, from energy developers, from independent power producers, and from the energy teams of large corporate users. A few moved from consulting where they advised on grid strategy. Some came from large industrial energy buyers.
- Power directors come from utility business development and large account groups, from energy developers, from independent power producers, and from the energy teams of large corporate users. A few moved from consulting where they advised on grid strategy. Some came from large industrial energy buyers.
- They move when their company slows its growth, when a reorganization narrows their remit, or when they want an owner seat after years of advising. Some leave because their projects are stuck in queues they cannot influence. Others want the chance to build a team. We ask what they hope to control and whether your structure gives it. Compensation structure also matters, including how bonuses relate to power secured, so we describe your arrangement plainly.
Which hiring mistakes should you avoid?
Do not hire a utility insider with no experience assembling deals outside the utility. Define who the director reports to. Power decisions touch finance, development, and operations. Do not overvalue a big megawatt number without asking which parts were theirs.
- Hiring a utility insider with no experience assembling deals outside the utility.
- Failing to define who the director reports to. Power decisions touch finance, development, and operations.
- Overvaluing a big megawatt number without asking which parts were theirs. Ask for the names of their direct reports.
Questions we settle before outreach
- Map the power problem
We ask which regions, how much load, and how urgent the need is. That helps us find people with comparable experience. We also ask how the director will work with design and construction teams, since power choices shape both.
- Screen on deals and judgment
We ask candidates how they secured capacity and what they would do differently. You see notes on their honesty.
- Coordinate with executives
We arrange time with your leadership, then manage references and the offer, including restrictions.
Where do we fill this role?
What does BLS publish for this role?
The figure below comes from the national OEWS row for Managers, All Other. Read the mapping badge before using it in a budget. A broader occupation can include jobs outside data centers. Compare your seat’s responsibilities and pay basis with the published occupation rather than treating the median as an offer quote.
Broader occupation. Managers, All Other is a broader occupation based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
| Area | Median annual wage | BLS occupation |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $141,900 | Managers, All Other (SOC 11-9199) |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 11-9199 Managers, All Other, United States. View this release at BLS.
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Questions
What do you confirm before a power director shortlist goes out?
Each person has named megawatts they secured and the counterparties involved. People who supported deals are labeled as supporters.
A power director candidate may get a retention grant; how do we compare it to our offer?
Ask what decisions the grant buys. Equity without authority tends to disappoint directors.
Will a power director move to the headquarters city?
Many do if the portfolio is large. State how many sites pull the director to the road, since that shapes the answer.
How should we frame travel for a power director covering several regions?
State total days per quarter and who approves trips. Directors weigh it against deal volume.
Do we need a power director if our interconnection manager already runs the queue?
If strategy and land also need an owner, yes. If the queue is the only gap, you do not.
Is the power director fee based on cash only when long term incentive pay is included?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire. We read the fee base from your written offer and name the incentive terms separately before search.
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Which related roles might you also need?
Related hiring situations
What should you know before you send a role?
How do you handle counteroffers?
We talk about why the person wants to move and whether they might stay. If that changes, we let you know.
Is there a guarantee?
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.
What don't you do?
We do not post your job on boards, send stacks of unscreened resumes or charge an upfront fee. We do not approach candidates for your search before the brief is agreed with you.
Need this person?
No upfront fee. You pay only if you hire.
We offer a candidate replacement guarantee on standard search agreements. The applicable period and exact terms are set out in the signed client recruiting agreement.