Senior Manager / Director, Utility Engineering

About this role

Job Title: Senior Manager / Director, Utility Engineering Department: Design and Construction Division: Data Center Reports To: Head of Technical Services and Utilities Location: US, Remote Position Type: Full-Time, Permanent About Nscale

NScale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI. We provide cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure for AI start-ups and large enterprise customers. NScale enables AI-focused companies to achieve superior results by reducing the complexity of AI development. Our GPU cloud bolsters technical capabilities and directly supports strategic business outcomes, including cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility. At NScale, our Design and Construction team plays a critical role in delivering data center facilities that are optimized for AI deployments. We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency. As an NScaler, you’ll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. If you join our team, you’ll be contributing to building the technology that powers the future About the Role ● We are looking for a Senior Manager / Director of Utility Engineering to lead utility strategy and execution for our North America data center portfolio, with a focus on high‑density AI and GPU workloads. ● This leader will own end‑to‑end responsibility for securing, designing, and optimizing critical to support hyperscale, energy‑intensive AI compute at low cost and high reliability. ● You will be the primary technical owner for utility interfaces to our data centers with a focus on power, while also leading external partners to deliver projects on aggressive schedules. ● You will lead technical scope development and decision-making for behind-the-meter and utility-scale generation strategies, including conceptual through detailed design oversight, constructability, operability, and commissioning readiness. ● You will partner closely with development, design, operations, energy, and finance teams to deliver utility solutions that meet aggressive capacity, sustainability, and cost objectives across multiple markets. ● The position title and level will be commensurate with experience and qualifications. What You’ll be Doing (Responsibilities) Utility Strategy and Planning

Develop and own the long‑term utility strategy to support high‑density AI / GPU data centers across existing and new regions.

Evaluate and select sites based on grid capacity, reliability, renewable/low‑carbon options, interconnection queues, and regulatory constraints.

Build and maintain load forecasts based on AI / GPU growth scenarios and translate them into concrete utility capacity plans.

Develop power supply strategies that include both grid supply and on-site/behind-the-meter generation, evaluating trade-offs across reliability, schedule, fuel availability, emissions, and total cost of ownership.

Grid and Utility Engagement

Lead technical and commercial engagements with utilities, ISOs/RTOs, transmission owners, and large energy providers from early‑stage site diligence through energization.

Negotiate and manage interconnection agreements, service agreements, and tariffs in partnership with legal, regulatory, and energy procurement teams.

Track and influence grid upgrade timelines and constraints that impact data center development schedules.

Power Generation Strategy, Design, and Delivery

Own the end-to-end technical strategy for on-site power generation used to support data center capacity, schedule acceleration, and resilience.

Lead generation plant concept development through design completion, including architecture decisions and design basis for:

Generation technology selection (e.g., reciprocating engines, turbines, dual-fuel strategies where applicable)

Electrical topology and one-lines (medium voltage distribution, paralleling, synchronization, islanding, black start concepts as applicable)

Protection and controls philosophy (relaying, coordination, fault duty, grounding, synchronization, load sharing)

Integration with UPS/BESS/microgrid controllers and operational modes (grid-parallel, island, peak shaving, backup)

Oversee generation interconnection and utility coordination for behind-the-meter and/or utility-parallel operation, including studies, compliance, and operational requirements.

Drive equipment specification and procurement alignment for generator sets, switchgear, transformers, e-houses, controls systems, and balance-of-plant, with focus on long-lead risk and schedule certainty.

Support commissioning planning and field execution for generation systems, including performance verification, reliability demonstration, and handoff to operations.

Engineering, Design, and Standards

Define technical requirements and design standards for utility interfaces to high‑density GPU data centers (substations, transformers, switchgear, protection, metering, etc.).

Collaborate with internal and external design teams on one‑line diagrams, protection schemes, redundancy strategies (N, N+1, 2N), and fault / reliability studies.

Provide engineering leadership on integration of alternative or on‑site energy sources (renewables, storage, generators, microgrids, etc.) to improve resilience and cost.

Project Execution and Delivery

Serve as the utility engineering owner for a set of data center development projects from due diligence through energization.

Work closely with development, construction, and operations to align utility milestones with project schedules and capacity needs.

Visit sites as needed to support commissioning, troubleshooting, and design clarifications in the field.

Identify risks early (grid constraints, upgrade requirements, permitting, schedule slippage) and implement pragmatic mitigations.

Reliability, Performance, and Optimization

Ensure that utility designs meet or…