Director, Energy & Utilities

Director, Energy & UtilitiesLocation: Austin, Texas (Site Based)Reports To: SVP, CommercialOverviewA leading data center developer and operator is seeking a Director, Energy & Utilities to lead the development and management of its natural gas interface strategy supporting hyperscale and enterprise data center operations.This role serves as the critical bridge between data center tenants and upstream natural gas suppliers, ensuring reliable, efficient, and transparent gas delivery to support power generation and ongoing operations. While third-party partners will manage commodity sourcing, this position oversees execution, coordination, and performance across all stakeholders.In the near term, the successful candidate will build the function from the ground up—establishing systems, processes, and tools to support daily gas operations. Over time, the role will evolve into a strategic leadership position managing relationships and operations across a growing portfolio of sites and tenants.Key ResponsibilitiesFunction Build-Out & Systems ImplementationEstablish internal energy and gas operations capability from inception, including process design, controls, and documentationIdentify, implement, and manage gas scheduling, nomination, and tracking systems (e.g., EBBs, pipeline portals, internal tools)Develop operational frameworks to support approximately 600 MMBtu/day usage, with scalability for future growthPartner cross-functionally (operations, finance, IT) to integrate gas operations into broader business systemsGas Operations & SchedulingOversee daily natural gas nominations, confirmations, and scheduling across relevant pipelinesParticipate in and/or lead daily operational calls with suppliers, schedulers, and tenantsMonitor pipeline conditions, constraints, and imbalances to ensure continuity of supplyProvide oversight of third-party providers to ensure execution aligns with operational and commercial expectationsStakeholder & Relationship ManagementServe as the primary interface between the company, data center tenants, and gas suppliersAct as a trusted advisor to tenants on gas markets, pipeline logistics, and operational considerationsBuild strong relationships with trading desks, schedulers, and pipeline operatorsExercise sound commercial judgment to identify risks, inefficiencies, or misalignment among counterpartiesMarket & Infrastructure ExpertiseMaintain deep knowledge of regional pipeline infrastructure, capacity dynamics, and constraintsTrack market conditions and provide insights on pricing, supply availability, and operational risksEnsure strong operational positioning across key pipelines and interconnectsTeam Development (Future State)Recruit, develop, and lead a small team of energy/gas analysts as the function scalesEstablish training programs, procedures, and performance expectationsTransition from a hands-on role into a player-coach leadership modelQualifications & ExperienceBachelor’s degree in Engineering, Energy Management, Finance, or a related field8–12+ years of experience in natural gas operations, scheduling, trading support, or energy managementStrong understanding of natural gas pipelines, nominations, and scheduling processesExperience working with or alongside energy marketers or trading organizationsFamiliarity with pipeline systems, EBBs, and gas management toolsProven ability to operate in high-compliance, high-reliability environments with significant daily volumesExperience building processes or standing up new operational functions strongly preferredKey CompetenciesRelationship Management: Ability to operate effectively between sophisticated commercial stakeholdersCommercial Acumen: Skilled at identifying misalignment, inefficiencies, and value leakageOperational Rigor: High attention to detail with consistent execution accuracySystems Thinking: Ability to design scalable processes and implement supporting toolsCommunication Skills: Confident across technical, operational, and commercial audiencesAdaptability: Comfortable in a build-phase environment with evolving priorities