Vice President, Land Acquisition & Energy – Design, Build & Operate (Global)

Vice President, Land Acquisition & Energy – Design, Build & Operate (Global) 

Location: Flexible / Global 
Start: ASAP 
Contract: Full-Time / Permanent 
Travel: International –  

 

About Submer 

Submer designs and delivers end-to-end AI data center infrastructure built around industry-leading liquid cooling. 

Through our Design, Build & Operate (DBO) model, we provide fully integrated infrastructure solutions—from site origination and development through to delivery and ongoing operations—enabling customers to scale AI with speed, efficiency, and sustainability. 

 

What Impact You Will Have 

The Vice President, Land Acquisition & Energy – DBO is a critical global leadership role responsible for defining and executing Submer’s land and power strategy across all regions. 

This role sits at the core of Submer’s ability to scale its AI infrastructure platform—owning where and how we deploy capacity globally. You will lead the development of a scalable, repeatable model for land and energy origination that enables rapid deployment while optimizing long-term performance, cost, and resilience. 

You will build and lead a high-performing, globally distributed team across North America, EMEA, and APAC, ensuring alignment with Submer’s growth roadmap and capital deployment strategy. 

 

What You’ll Do 

Global Land & Energy Strategy (Platform-Level Ownership) 

• Define and lead Submer’s global land and energy origination strategy aligned with the DBO expansion roadmap  

• Identify and prioritize key global markets based on power availability, latency, customer demand, regulatory landscape, and scalability  

• Develop a standardized, scalable model for site origination across regions  

• Ensure all land and energy decisions support long-term operational performance and lifecycle efficiency  

 

Power Strategy & Global Energy Partnerships 

• Own global power strategy, including utility engagement, interconnection, and long-term energy planning  

• Build and manage relationships with utilities, transmission operators, and energy providers globally  

• Lead negotiations for large-scale power capacity, grid access, tariffs, and infrastructure investments  

• Develop strategies for renewable energy integration, PPAs, redundancy, and energy resilience  

• Align energy delivery with deployment timelines across all DBO projects  

 

Land Origination & Portfolio Development 

• Oversee the creation and management of a global pipeline of land opportunities across priority markets  

• Set standards and frameworks for site selection, acquisition structures, and due diligence  

• Guide regional teams in executing complex land transactions (purchase, lease, options, joint ventures)  

• Ensure a consistent, high-quality approach to site origination across all geographies  

 

Regulatory & Market Strategy 

• Provide strategic direction on navigating diverse regulatory, zoning, and permitting environments globally  

• Ensure regional teams are equipped to accelerate entitlements and de-risk projects  

• Shape market entry strategies based on regulatory complexity, incentives, and infrastructure readiness  

• Partner with public sector stakeholders and governments where required  

 

Commercial & Investment Leadership 

• Own the land and energy inputs into global investment cases and capital allocation decisions  

• Provide strategic guidance on:  

• Land economics and acquisition structures  

• Grid connection costs and infrastructure investments  

• Market-level feasibility and prioritization  

• Partner with Finance, Strategy, and Executive Leadership on long-term infrastructure planning  

 

Team Leadership & Organizational Build-Out 

• Build, lead, and scale a high-performing global team across NAM, EMEA, and APAC  

• Define roles, structure, and ways of working for regional land and energy teams  

• Drive alignment and collaboration across Engineering, DBO, Finance, Legal, and Commercial teams  

• Establish clear performance metrics, accountability, and execution discipline  

 

Executive & External Leadership 

• Act as a senior representative of Submer in global infrastructure, energy, and real estate ecosystems  

• Lead strategic negotiations and partnerships at the highest level  

• Engage with investors, partners, and key stakeholders on infrastructure strategy  

• Contribute to broader company strategy as a member of the senior leadership team  

 

What You’ll Need 

• 15+ years of experience in infrastructure development, energy, real estate, or large-scale industrial projects  

• Proven leadership experience building and scaling land and/or energy origination functions across multiple regions  

• Deep experience securing land and power for data centers, renewables, or large infrastructure platforms  

• Strong understanding of global energy markets, grid infrastructure, and interconnection processes  

• Experience operating in a vertically integrated or developer-operator model (DBO, EPC, infrastructure platforms)  

• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to influence capital allocation and investment decisions  

• Track record of leading complex, multi-stakeholder negotiations  

• Ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels in a fast-scaling, high-growth environment  

 

What We Offer 

• A defining leadership role in scaling next-generation AI infrastructure globally  

• Ownership of a critical function at the intersection of energy, real estate, and technology  

• Opportunity to build and shape a global team and operating model  

• High-impact exposure to executive leadership and strategic decision-making  

Competitive compensation, performance incentives, and significant long-term equity participation 

Our job titles may span more than one job level. The actual base pay is dependent on a number of factors, such as transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. 

 

Our inclusive responsibility 

Submer is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.