Director - Utility Engagement

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The Director, Utility Engagement will be responsible for the team leading early-stage power engagement and utility company coordination across the North American footprint. This leader will ultimately own ensuring utility capacity is evaluated and secured at each campus to support data centers by developing power market intelligence; leading site power due diligence; negotiating power contracts; and fostering strategic utility engagement. This role will interface and collaborate with many critical stakeholders, including but not limited to pre-development teams leading overall due diligence and entitlements; utility delivery teams directing transmission and substation projects; energy leaders driving power contracts and negotiations; operations leaders managing load growth projections; sales teams coordinating customer demands; and development team project leaders planning and building new data centers.

RESPONSIBILITIES, Other Duties May Be Assigned.

• Lead strategic engagement with power utilities across the North American portfolio
• Build and lead a team responsible for power market intelligence, power site due diligence, and power capacity management (for both load ramps at new sites, and transmission capacity planning for existing sites)
• Manage power due diligence for prospective sites
• Develop and manage utility engagement strategies for each utility, including call trees and contact plans; coordinate and execute the plans with relevant internal QTS stakeholders
• Execute power contracts for new and expansion capacity, alongside the Energy Team
• Support the Energy Team as required in their leadership and pursuit of energy procurement, PPAs, and sustainability goals
• Track and report on power contract status for all North American sites
• Collaborate with Pre-Development, Utility Delivery, Energy, Development, Legal, and Sales to secure power capacity in line with customer demands
  
  

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, energy management, or equivalent professional experience
• Ten or more years of utility and energy projects, along with utility contract negotiations
• Three or more years of people leader experience
• Knowledge of utility partners, including investor-owned / COOP / municipal utilities, and ISOs/RTOs
• Able to travel up to 50% of the time or as needed to support relationship building and diligence
• Demonstrated experience working directly with executives and collaborating effectively across all levels of the organization
• U.S. Citizenship required for this position due to federal contracts
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Fifteen or more years developing and fostering utility industry relationships
• Experience leading due diligence on prospective large-scale power opportunities
• Solid understanding of the power study and contracting process at various utilities
• Demonstrated ability negotiating utility agreements such as ESAs and LEAs
• Understanding of energy markets and large-load transmission planning
• Experience managing large portfolio of work
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Strong negotiating skills
• Ability to build relationships and influence cross-discipline teams
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to changing situations at a high growth company
• Ability to prioritize, multitask, and deliver high quality work in tight timeframes
  
  

TOTAL REWARDS

• This role is also eligible for a competitive benefits package that includes: medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; 401(k) retirement plan; flexible spending and HSA accounts; paid holidays; paid time off; paid volunteer days; employee assistance program; tuition assistance; parental leave; military leave assistance; QTS scholarship for dependents; wellness program, and other company benefits.
• This position is bonus eligible.
• This job may be eligible for equity.
  
  

We conform to all the laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, Genetic Information & Testing, Family & Medical Leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or discrimination claim.

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QTS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to talentacquisition@qtsdatacenters.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.