The Director, Site Acquisition & Location Strategy is responsible for leading and managing multiple concurrent site acquisition and structured land development opportunities that support CyrusOne's growth strategy. Reporting to the SVP, Chief Development Officer this role actively participates in site selection activities, evaluates development opportunities, coordinates due diligence efforts, and drives projects from initial market evaluation through acquisition approval and transition to the development and construction teams.
The Director serves as the primary project lead for assigned opportunities, coordinating internal stakeholders and external consultants while evaluating site suitability, entitlement requirements, infrastructure availability, development risks, and commercial considerations. This role supports executive decision-making through analysis, recommendations, and presentations related to strategic land acquisition opportunities.
Responsibilities:- Manage multiple concurrent site acquisition and structured land development opportunities in various stages of the development lifecycle.
- Lead site selection activities, including evaluation of market opportunities, site suitability, development constraints, and strategic fit.
- Coordinate and drive due diligence activities to identify risks, development requirements, and project feasibility.
- Evaluate sites for civil, planning, zoning, permitting, environmental, infrastructure, and development considerations.
- Assess power and network availability in partnership with internal technical teams and external service providers.
- Serve as the primary project interface for assigned opportunities, providing project updates, status reporting, and executive-level communications.
- Facilitate collaboration among internal departments including Power & Energy, Development, Construction, Design, Legal, Finance, Tax, Procurement, and Operations.
- Maintain project schedules, action items, milestones, and critical path activities to support timely decision-making and execution.
- Manage development budgets, consultant engagements, vendor agreements, and change orders related to project development activities.
- Conduct site due diligence reviews and evaluate consultant deliverables, studies, reports, and recommendations.
- Identify project risks and develop mitigation strategies for entitlement, infrastructure, commercial, regulatory, and execution-related issues.
- Develop site shortlists and provide recommendations regarding acquisition opportunities and investment priorities.
- Support preliminary underwriting activities and financial analysis in partnership with Finance and FP&A teams.
- Assist with review of commercial terms and business provisions associated with purchase agreements, letters of intent, easements, consultant agreements, and related transaction documents.
- Support negotiation and evaluation of tax incentives, economic development incentives, and other development-related programs.
- Build and maintain relationships with brokers, developers, landowners, municipalities, economic development organizations, utilities, and other key stakeholders.
- Prepare and deliver presentations, business cases, and recommendations to executive leadership and investment decision-makers.
- Ensure project information, documentation, and institutional knowledge are maintained to support seamless transition into development and construction execution.
Minimum Qualifications:- Bachelor's degree in Real Estate, Engineering, Urban Planning, Construction Management, Business, Finance, Geography, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum of 8 years of experience in site selection, land acquisition, real estate development, infrastructure development, project development, or a related field.
- Experience managing complex site acquisition or development projects from evaluation through approval and execution.
- Working knowledge of zoning, permitting, entitlement, land use planning, environmental due diligence, and infrastructure development processes.
- Experience evaluating commercial, technical, and financial considerations associated with development opportunities.
- Strong project management, analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
- Experience presenting recommendations, risks, and project updates to senior leadership.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and project management tools.
Preferred Qualifications:- Experience supporting data center, industrial, utility, infrastructure, telecommunications, or large-scale commercial development projects.
- Knowledge of utility power infrastructure, telecommunications networks, and site readiness requirements.
- Experience supporting underwriting, financial modeling, or investment approval processes.
- Familiarity with economic development incentives, tax abatements, and development agreements.
- Professional certifications such as PMP, CCIM, SIOR, AICP, or similar credentials are preferred.
Travel:- Ability to travel up to 30-40% domestically to evaluate sites, conduct due diligence activities, attend stakeholder meetings, and support acquisition initiatives.
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