Director, Development

Copia Power (“Copia”) is a Carlyle-backed energy and digital infrastructure platform that develops, constructs, and operates large-scale assets across the U.S. to accelerate the electrification and growth of the digital economy. Copia Power has over 2,600 MW of energy generation and storage assets in operation or under construction and is actively developing over 15 GW of grid-connected data centers supported by Copia’s portfolio of gigawatt-scale energy campuses comprising more than 25 GW of solar and storage and 7 GW of natural gas generation assets.
At Copia, we pride ourselves on a culture where sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to making a meaningful impact on the environment, and we believe that achieving this goal requires not just hard work but also enjoying the journey. Our team thrives on connectivity, fostering strong relationships across all levels of the organization. Together, we combine passion and playfulness to drive progress and make a difference.
Job Description:
Copia is seeking a Director, Development to lead the development of Copia's renewable energy and data center project portfolio, guiding projects from early-stage site identification through late-stage commercialization, financing, and handoff to construction. This role sits at the intersection of power and digital infrastructure, requiring creative solutions to deliver energy for both traditional solar and storage projects and large-scale AI and hyperscale data centers in constrained markets.
The ideal candidate will be responsible for leading site identification and evaluation, land negotiations and real estate agreements, permitting and entitlements, power and interconnection strategy, utility engagement, and energy markets across a portfolio of projects ranging from utility-scale generation to 100MW to 300MW+ data center loads by phase. This role requires 10+ years of experience in renewable energy and/or large-scale data center infrastructure development, deep expertise navigating land, permitting, interconnection, and energy markets, and exceptional decision-making, communication, and influencing skills to align cross-functional teams and external partners toward successful outcomes.
The Director, Development will report directly to the EVP, Chief Development Officer, working closely with Copia’s asset management, energy markets, legal, and finance teams in an individual contributor capacity.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead a team of subject matter experts to advance early and late-stage renewable energy and data center projects from site selection through commercial contracting, construction handoff, and project financing
Manage the development of a portfolio of projects, including budgeting and finances, project timing and planning, risk assessment, and defining priorities based on development metrics and offtake potential
Coordinate and manage interdisciplinary teams across land negotiations, real estate, engineering, permitting, interconnection, and legal through construction commencement
Facilitate project discretionary permitting, including permit strategy, stakeholder engagement, and representation with local authorities and public meetings
Engage with utilities on interconnection, transmission, and power delivery, aligning with Copia's internal generation strategy across solar, storage, and gas
Support negotiation of critical project agreements, including site control, PPAs, interconnection and load agreements, EPC contracts, and O&M agreements
Manage due diligence on individual or portfolio acquisitions, partnering with the business development and M&A team to assess project risk, complete valuations, and inform transaction structuring
What We Look For: