Senior Manager, Data Center Development (United States)

Trina Solar International System Business Unit (ISBU) is a project development platform of Trina Solar, one of the global leading renewable energy solution providers. We are expanding to the data center and power solution development.

The Senior Manager of Data Center Development will be responsible for leading the identification, evaluation, and advancement of high-quality sites for data center development. This role is critical in building a pipeline of powered land opportunities by assessing site feasibility across power, land use, permitting, and infrastructure considerations.

Main Responsibilities:

• Site origination: Identify and source data center development sites aligned with company strategy and target markets. Proactively build a sourcing network of brokers, landowners, and developers, and develop a prioritized target list by market based on power availability, customer demand, and speed to energization.
• Initial screening: Assess land availability, zoning, and environmental constraints, with particular focus on access to power, gas, and fiber. Conduct desktop and field-level screening of parcel size and configuration, topography, floodplain exposure, proximity to transmission lines and substations, gas pipeline access, and fiber routes to quickly qualify or disqualify sites.
• Feasibility evaluation: Evaluate site viability across grid interconnection, available power capacity, permitting requirements, and infrastructure readiness. Engage utilities on load-serving capability and interconnection options (behind-the-meter and front-of-the-meter), interpret load inquiry and feasibility study results, and develop preliminary timelines and cost estimates for power delivery.
• Due diligence: Lead early-stage due diligence, including title, survey, environmental (Phase I/II), geotechnical, wetlands, and regulatory assessments. Coordinate third-party consultants and synthesize findings into clear go / no-go recommendations and risk registers for internal review.
• Negotiation & site control: Lead negotiations with landowners and external stakeholders, and structure and secure site control through LOIs, options, leases, and purchase agreements. Manage option payments, exclusivity periods, and key terms in coordination with legal, and drive sites from initial contact to executed agreements.
• Entitlements & permitting: Advance sites through zoning, entitlements, conditional use permits, and rezoning as required; coordinate the permitting pathway with local authorities and manage the supporting consultant team to keep projects on schedule.
• Stakeholder relationships: Build and maintain relationships with utilities, municipalities, county and economic development officials, land brokers, and key partners. Represent the company in community and agency engagements, and position the company as a credible counterparty for large-load development.
• Cross-functional execution: Partner with internal engineering, legal, commercial, and finance teams to advance projects through development milestones. Provide site data and inputs into financial models, technical design, and customer-facing materials, and maintain accurate pipeline tracking and milestone reporting.
• Market intelligence: Track market trends, competitor activity, utility load growth, and emerging data center markets. Monitor large-load tariff and interconnection policy developments, and translate insights into recommendations that refine the site selection and origination strategy.

Skills and Qualification:

• 5+ years in land development or site acquisition across the full lifecycle — sourcing, due diligence (title, environmental, geotechnical), and site control via LOIs, options, leases, and purchase agreements
• 3–5 years developing industrial, data center, or large-load sites, with working knowledge of grid interconnection (large-load tariffs, BTM vs. FTM), power capacity, and gas and fiber infrastructure
• 5+ years leading negotiations and deal-closing with landowners, brokers, utilities, and municipalities, including managing option payments and key commercial terms
• 3+ years managing zoning, entitlements, and permitting (conditional use permits, rezoning, environmental compliance) and coordinating utility development processes
• 3+ years in cross-functional project leadership, partnering with engineering, legal, commercial, and finance teams while driving multiple sites forward in parallel and presenting go/no-go recommendations to leadership

Benefits

Trina Solar Development US - ISBU offers excellent benefits and career opportunities as part of our culture of excellence. Our people are the driving force behind our work. Together, we advance industry and drive innovation.

Trina Solar Development’s benefits include: 16 PTO days and 12 holidays. Fully paid PPO health insurance for our employees, dental, vision, FSA, life insurance, short term and long-term company paid disability, competitive 401(k) with company match.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Trina Solar Development US - ISBU (The Company) policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition or information including genetic information, family care status, military caregiver status, veteran status, marital status, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws.