The
Director, Real Estate (Americas) is EdgeConneX's primary land acquisition leader for the region, responsible for sourcing and executing the large, complex transactions that underpin the company's data center development pipeline. Reporting to the VP of Real Estate & Site Development - Americas, this role owns the full front-end acquisition process - from market prospecting and seller relationship development through creative deal structuring, due diligence support, and final investment recommendation to the business. The Director leads a team of real estate professionals and works in close partnership with Sales, Site Development, Engineering, Finance, and Legal to ensure every acquisition decision is grounded in rigorous analysis, customer demand, and sound commercial judgment.
This role reports to the VP of Real Estate & Site Development - Americas and carries direct people management responsibility for a team of real estate professionals. The Director partners closely with the VP of Site Development Americas and works across Sales, Finance, Legal, Engineering, Environmental, and Business Development on a regular basis.
Primary Responsibilities:Pipeline Development & Site Selection- Build and maintain a robust pipeline of large-scale land acquisition opportunities across the Americas, targeting sites that meet EdgeConneX's technical, financial, and schedule requirements for data center development
- Partner with the Sales team to understand current and prospective customer requirements - including power capacity, geography, and delivery timing - ensuring site targeting is aligned with real demand
- Identify and prioritize markets and sites through proactive prospecting, broker engagement, and direct outreach
- Apply a disciplined evaluation framework to assess power availability and cost, fiber connectivity, permitting and entitlement risk, land cost, and schedule feasibility
- Partner with the VP of Real Estate & Site Development and internal stakeholders to determine which opportunities to pursue, providing clear recommendations with supporting rationale
Seller Relationships & Deal Sourcing- Develop and maintain trusted relationships with landowners, developers, land brokers, investment banks, and private equity firms across the Americas
- Cultivate off-market opportunities through a proactive, relationship-first approach to sourcing, with a focus on large and complex land positions
- Represent EdgeConneX professionally and credibly in the market, reinforcing the company's reputation as a preferred buyer and long-term development partner
Deal Structuring & Negotiation- Lead negotiations on large, complex lease and purchase transactions, bringing creativity and flexibility to deal structure to achieve site control while managing cost, risk, and timeline
- Structure sophisticated transactions - including ground leases, option agreements, purchase contracts, phased acquisitions, and joint venture arrangements - to align with project development schedules and business objectives
- Manage external advisors including brokers, legal counsel, and title and escrow firms through the transaction life cycle from LOI through closing
Due Diligence Support & Investment Recommendation- Coordinate with Site Development, Engineering, Environmental, and Legal teams to support thorough due diligence on prospective acquisitions
- Compile and synthesize due diligence findings - covering land use and entitlements, energy and water availability, environmental risk, title, and financial implications - into a clear, decision-ready project narrative
- Develop and present investment recommendations to the VP and executive leadership, providing a well-supported go/no-go assessment on each acquisition
- Initiate and manage valuations and appraisals in connection with acquisition and financing activities
Sales Partnership & Market Intelligence- Partner with the Sales team to provide site-specific and market-level real estate information that supports active customer engagements and business development efforts
- Serve as a knowledgeable resource on land availability, market conditions, and development feasibility to help Sales respond credibly to customer requirements
- Maintain current awareness of data center industry trends, land and energy pricing, and regulatory developments across the Americas to inform both acquisition strategy and customer-facing discussions
Reporting, Systems & Process- Oversee the accuracy and integrity of real estate pipeline data and information systems
- Ensure consistency in deal tracking, reporting, and forecasting across the Americas portfolio
- Respond to real estate information requests from executive, engineering, and sales teams with timely, well-organized deliverables
Team Leadership- Lead and develop a team of real estate professionals, providing day-to-day direction, coaching, and career development support
- Assign and prioritize work across the team in alignment with regional pipeline demands and corporate timelines
- Build a high-performing, accountable team culture within the real estate function
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:- Sophisticated deal instincts and creativity in structuring complex land transactions, including ground leases, options, phased closings, joint ventures, and seller carryback arrangements
- Sound financial acumen - able to build and evaluate land acquisition pro formas, business cases, and risk-adjusted return analyses
- Experience synthesizing complex, multi-disciplinary due diligence into clear investment recommendations for senior leadership
- Ability to translate customer and sales requirements into actionable acquisition strategy
- Proven people manager with experience leading and developing real estate professionals
- Exceptional ability to manage multiple large, active deals and markets simultaneously without losing detail or momentum
- Collaborative by nature - effective working across sales, site development, engineering, legal, finance, and executive teams
- Strong communicator and presenter, comfortable making recommendations and defending positions with senior leadership
- Meticulous attention to detail in deal documentation, data management, and diligence coordination
- Proficiency in real estate information systems, GIS tools, and standard business applications
Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Finance, Urban Planning, Business, or related field; advanced degree or professional designation (CCIM, SIOR, or equivalent) a plus
- 10+ years of experience in commercial or industrial land acquisition, with a track record of leading large-scale, complex transactions
- Prior experience in data center, industrial, energy, or large-scale infrastructure real estate strongly preferred
- Demonstrated ability to source, structure, and close sophisticated land transactions involving multiple stakeholders and extended timelines
- Experience managing direct reports and operating in a fast-paced, matrixed organization
- Willingness to travel across the Americas region as deal activity requires (estimated 30-40%)
US Salary Range
$195,000-$215,000 USD
EdgeConneX offers a competitive benefits package.
