Vice President of Engineering - Data Centers & Critical Infrastructure

Vice President, Data Centers & Critical Infrastructure

Location: Headquarters in Dallas/Fort Worth; or remote with travel

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer / Chief Growth Officer

Position type: Full-time executive

AEC Consulting Group is conducting a search on behalf of a financially backed power systems engineering and grid compliance firm seeking a Vice President to build and lead its Data Centers & Critical Infrastructure practice.

About the Firm

Our client is a power systems engineering and grid compliance firm serving utilities, independent power producers, renewable and storage developers, EPCs, and data center operators across North America and internationally.

The firm provides interconnection and transmission studies, EMT and dynamic modeling, NERC/FERC regulatory compliance, and inverter-based resource (IBR) and battery energy storage system (BESS) integration engineering. Its a global engineering organization includes U.S. and international teams.

With financial backing and an active growth strategy, the firm is expanding its data center engineering and compliance services.

The Role

The VP will build and lead the firm’s Data Centers & Critical Infrastructure practice.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role for a power systems engineer who has worked directly with hyperscale, colocation, and enterprise data center clients. The successful candidate can personally execute large-load interconnection studies, power systems modeling, and grid integration engineering while leading teams performing this work.

The VP will own practice strategy, technical delivery, client relationships, and team development, combining technical execution with commercial development alongside the Chief Growth Officer.

Key Responsibilities

• Practice leadership: Build, staff, and lead the practice. Establish delivery methods, quality standards, tooling, and utilization across U.S. and international engineering teams.
• Technical execution: Personally lead and execute large-load interconnection studies, load flow/steady-state and dynamic analyses, EMT studies, and power systems modeling using PSS/E, PSCAD, PSLF, TARA, or equivalent tools. Projects range from tens of megawatts to multi-gigawatt data center campuses.

• Grid integration: Direct studies and engineering for co-located and behind-the-meter generation, BESS integration, bridging power, power quality and harmonics, ride-through performance, and large-load stability issues associated with AI/HPC load profiles.

• Compliance integration: Apply the firm’s NERC compliance capabilities to emerging data center registration and reliability obligations, including large-load registration frameworks and IBR-related requirements. Help develop recurring compliance services.

• Client relationships: Own and expand relationships with hyperscalers, colocation providers, developers, and utility counterparties. Serve as a technical advisor from site selection and utility engagement through energization.

• Commercial development: Partner with the Chief Growth Officer on pursuit strategy, proposals, pricing, and conference participation. Scope engagements and convert technical relationships into booked work.

• Utility interface: Represent clients in interconnection processes and study negotiations with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, and transmission owners, including ERCOT large-load interconnection and comparable regional processes.

• Team development: Recruit and mentor engineers, establish career paths and technical training, develop knowledge-sharing practices, and coordinate delivery across U.S. and international engineering teams..

• Thought leadership: Publish and present on data center grid integration and strengthen the firm’s reputation in large-load interconnection and data center power systems.

Required Qualifications

• 10 to 15+ years of power systems engineering experience, with direct, demonstrable work for or with data center owners, operators, or developers on power delivery and grid integration.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a power systems emphasis.
• Hands-on proficiency executing interconnection studies and power systems modeling, including load flow, short circuit, dynamic stability, and EMT analysis using PSS/E, PSCAD, PSLF, TARA, ETAP, or comparable tools.
• Working knowledge of large-load interconnection processes across ISOs/RTOs.
• Established relationships within the data center ecosystem, including hyperscalers, colocation providers, developers, utility large-customer organizations, or the consultants and EPCs serving them.
• Experience at a leading power engineering consultancy, a data center-focused engineering organization, or in-house at a hyperscaler or major colocation platform.
• Understanding of NERC reliability standards and the evolving regulatory landscape for large loads and inverter-based resources.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multi-engineer study teams, manage project P&L, and deliver on schedule and budget.
• Willingness to travel approximately 25% to 40% for client meetings, utility engagements, and site visits.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and/or PE license strongly preferred.
• ERCOT large-load interconnection experience strongly preferred. Familiarity with MISO, PJM, SPP, CAISO, and WECC processes is valued.
• Experience with co-located generation, behind-the-meter power, BESS, and bridging power strategies supporting data center energization timelines.
• Familiarity with power quality, harmonics, and load ride-through characteristics of AI/HPC computing loads.
• Experience scaling a consulting practice or service line, including offshore delivery models.
• Industry visibility through IEEE, ESIG, 7x24 Exchange, Data Center Dynamics, Infocast, or comparable forums.
• Experience in a private equity-backed or high-growth professional services environment.

Compensation and Opportunity

The executive compensation package includes base salary, performance-based incentives tied to practice growth and delivery metrics, equity participation, and a full benefits package.

This role offers the opportunity to build a dedicated practice with existing utility relationships, an established global engineering organization, and financial support for growth.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.