Chief Development Officer

At Montera, we’re building the future of digital infrastructure. Founder-led with $1.5B backed by Stonepeak, Montera is driven by a future-focused vision: to develop and operate hyperscale data centers essential for tomorrow's technology. Our mission is to deliver strategically located, hyperscale data centers designed for speed, reliability, and scalability. Backed by decades of experience in design, construction, and operations, we don’t just build, we execute with purpose.Our Values Client First Alignment: We align every solution to our clients’ goals. Speed with Certainty: Velocity matters. We deliver with urgency and precision. Operational Excellence: Decades of experience drive our high standards. Safety & Integrity: Safety is non-negotiable. We lead with integrity and transparency. Ownership Mentality: We think like owners, because we are. Position Overview:The Chief Development Officer (CDevO) is responsible for leading Montera's development organization and overseeing the front end of the hyperscale data center development lifecycle as the company expands its national development platform.Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serving as a member of the executive leadership team, this role will own development strategy, market and site selection, land acquisition and control, utility and power strategy, technical due diligence, entitlement, permitting, and overall development readiness through handoff to the delivery organization.The ideal candidate brings extensive experience developing large-scale data center or other complex infrastructure projects, deep expertise in powered-land development, and a strong understanding of the technical, commercial, and regulatory factors that influence project feasibility. Success in this role means building a scalable development organization, identifying and mitigating risk early in the development lifecycle, and consistently advancing projects from initial opportunity through construction readiness.This is a hands-on executive leadership opportunity for someone who enjoys building teams and processes while remaining directly involved in high-value development projects and strategic decisions.Key Responsibilities and Deliverables:Development Strategy & Market Selection Lead Montera's overall development strategy and powered-land pipeline, identifying and prioritizing target markets based on power availability, customer demand, infrastructure, economics, and execution risk. Develop and execute strategies for expanding Montera's development portfolio while aligning opportunities with customer requirements and long-term business objectives. Establish repeatable processes and evaluation frameworks for moving opportunities from initial market screening through development and construction readiness. Champion a data-driven approach to market selection, site prioritization, and development risk assessment. Partner with executive leadership to evaluate potential development opportunities, capital commitments, and strategic investment decisions. Site Origination, Land Acquisition & Development Oversee site origination, evaluation, acquisition, and land-control activities across target markets. Lead negotiations and development strategies involving landowners, brokers, developers, and other commercial stakeholders. Oversee land transactions, purchase and sale agreements, options, easements, title matters, and development agreements. Evaluate site constraints, infrastructure availability, development costs, and execution requirements before committing significant capital. Establish and maintain senior relationships with landowners, brokers, municipalities, developers, and other stakeholders critical to successful site development. Power Strategy, Utilities & Infrastructure Lead utility engagement, load requests, interconnection strategy, and energization planning for new and existing development opportunities. Evaluate power availability, utility capacity, grid constraints, energization timelines, financial requirements, and potential curtailment exposure. Develop relationships with utilities, transmission providers, and other infrastructure stakeholders to support reliable and timely power delivery. Oversee the evaluation of utility infrastructure requirements, commercial arrangements, and associated development risks. Ensure that power availability, infrastructure readiness, and energization schedules are integrated into site selection and development decision-making. Technical Due Diligence & Development Readiness Own the full site due diligence process across environmental, geotechnical, civil, survey, title, water, wastewater, telecommunications, power, and related disciplines. Ensure development risks, constraints, costs, schedules, and technical requirements are fully understood before significant capital commitments. Partner with Engineering, Product, Technology, and Delivery teams to ensure development sites meet customer specifications and t