About this VP, Project Development role at Giga Energy
About Giga
Giga is building gigawatts of AI data centers to hasten a future of intelligence and abundance. We build data centers fast and at scale by combining the capabilities of an equipment supplier, engineering firm, general contractor, and real estate developer under one roof. Our team moves quickly and thinks practically. If you're ready to make an impact in an industry that matters, we're looking for people like you.
Why join Giga
- The Pace: We're building at a speed most companies talk about but never actually operate at. If you've been bored somewhere else, you won't be here.
- The Impact: Every person at Giga touches the work that matters. No layers, no waiting for approval chains. You'll see your fingerprints on what we ship.
- The Team: A team of operators defining the future of AI infrastructure. We recruit A-players from the most innovative companies in the world, and they choose Giga because the work here means more.
- The Moment: AI doesn't run without power, and that's us. Giga is the picks and shovels behind the AI revolution. This industry is about to explode, and you'll be in the room where it's already happening.
What you’ll do
As a VP, Project Development, you will own everything that sits between site selection and construction. This is not a permitting coordination role — it is full-stack site delivery. You will be embedded with a development team and local jurisdictions to take end-to-end ownership of getting each site shovel-ready as fast as possible.
This role is ideal for someone who thrives under real schedule pressure, builds relationships with agencies and utilities before they are needed, and thinks in terms of parallel workstreams and creative problem solving rather than sequential checklists.
Where you’ll work
We are an in-office culture — velocity matters when you're building physical infrastructure, and the best decisions happen in the room. This role is ideally based in our San Francisco, Long Beach, or Houston offices, with full-time onsite expectations outside of bi-weekly WFH Fridays.
That said, we will make exceptions for truly exceptional talent if you live outside one of our hubs. If you're the right person for this role, we'll have a conversation about what works.
Responsibilities
Entitlements & Permitting
- Build agency relationships before they are needed — not when you are already on the clock
- Drive zoning, land use approvals, conditional use permits, and variances through local and state agencies
- Identify and pursue parallel regulatory pathways to compress overall approval timelines
- Own permit schedule risk and communicate it clearly to development leadership
- Collaborate with Engineering and Construction teams to ensure the most efficient path to shovel-readiness
Utility & Infrastructure Coordination
- Lead negotiations with power providers, water districts, and telecom utilities
- Coordinate with civil, structural, and electrical engineers to produce complete and accurate permit packages
Environmental & Due Diligence
- Manage Phase I/II environmental assessments, wetlands determinations, and other site constraints
- Engage environmental consultants and coordinate agency approvals through to clearance
Stakeholder & Community Engagement
- Represent Giga Energy at public hearings, neighborhood meetings, and agency presentations
- Build community relationships that support current and future projects
Process & Schedule Management
- Create and maintain detailed development schedules tracking every entitlement, utility, and permit milestone
- Track critical path items, escalate risks early, and proactively solve problems before they impact delivery
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Planning, Construction Management, or related field
- 10+ years delivering complex, multi-agency development or infrastructure projects, bonus points for experience in Energy or Data Center development
- Demonstrated experience managing entitlements, permitting, and utility coordination simultaneously
- Strong technical literacy — able to hold substantive conversations with civil, electrical, and structural engineers
- Exceptional relationship-building skills with government agencies, utilities, and community stakeholders
- Experience creating and managing detailed project schedules and critical path dependencies
- Comfortable operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with shifting priorities
Bonus Points
- Background in hyperscale data center or other large-scale industrial development
- Experience in oil & gas, LNG, or petrochemical — industries that drive large capital projects through permitting under real schedule pressure
- Track record compressing development timelines through creative regulatory strategies
- Previous experience on the owner's side of development
- Knowledge of utility interconnection processes and power provider negotiations
Benefits
- Subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance
- Equity (options) in a rapidly growing startup
- 401(k) with 4% employer match
- Unlimited PTO
- Parental leave
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Commuter benefits
- Monthly team onsites where all offices come in–person to collaborate
How We Work
We value people who take ownership, raise risks early, communicate directly, and follow through. Incomplete information is part of the job. Make the best decision you can, document it, and adjust as the facts change. Move quickly on reversible decisions and take more care when security, safety, financial, employee, or customer risk is involved.
Benefits
- Subsidized health, dental, and vision insurance
- Equity (options) in a rapidly growing startup
- 401(k) with 4% employer match
- Unlimited PTO
- Parental leave
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA)
- Commuter benefits, where applicable
- Opportunities to collaborate in person at periodic team and company on-sites
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Giga Energy is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. Giga Energy complies with all applicable labor laws, including the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and other relevant state and federal regulations. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and encourage applicants who require accommodations during the hiring process to contact us.
