Site Selection & Colocation Manager – Data Centers
The role
The Site Selection & Colocation Manager is responsible for identifying, evaluating, and securing optimal locations for new data center developments and colocation expansions. This role combines real estate strategy, technical due diligence, market analysis, and vendor management to support the company’s global data center growth. The manager will collaborate closely with engineering, construction, finance, legal, and network planning teams to ensure that selected sites meet operational, technical, and business requirements.
You’re welcome to work in our office in Amsterdam or Remote in the EU.
Your responsibilities will include:
Site Selection & Market Analysis
Lead the end-to-end site selection process for new data center facilities.
Conduct market assessments, including power availability, fiber connectivity, land suitability, regulatory requirements, and risk factors.
Build and maintain market intelligence on emerging data center regions, supply trends, energy markets, and colocation pricing.
Evaluate and shortlist candidate sites through comparative analysis, scoring models, and feasibility studies.
Technical & Environmental Due Diligence
Coordinate environmental, geotechnical, hydrological, and seismic assessments.
Assess infrastructure availability (power, water, fiber) and future scalability.
Evaluate construction constraints, climate conditions, logistics access, and permitting feasibility.
Work with engineering teams to ensure sites meet mechanical, electrical, and network resilience requirements.
Colocation Strategy & Vendor Management
Identify colocation providers and evaluate facilities based on technical specifications, SLA requirements, and cost structure.
Lead RFPs, negotiations, and contract execution with colocation and connectivity partners.
Manage colocation lifecycle: renewals, expansions, migrations, and optimization of space/power allocations.
Monitor vendor performance against SLA, uptime, compliance, and efficiency metrics.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work with data center design and construction teams to validate site feasibility and development timelines.
Partner with legal on contract terms, property acquisition, lease terms, and regulatory compliance.
Support finance with CapEx/OpEx modeling, ROI calculations, and business case development.
Coordinate with public authorities, utilities, and permitting agencies as needed.
Risk Assessment & Compliance
Evaluate risks related to natural hazards, geopolitical risk, security, environmental constraints, and utility reliability.
Ensure compliance with local regulations, zoning laws, and corporate standards.
Maintain documentation for audits, reporting, and internal approvals.
We expect you to have:
Bachelor’s degree in Real Estate, Engineering, Business, Geography, or related field.
5–8+ years of experience in site selection, real estate development, colocation management, or data center infrastructure.
Strong understanding of data center power, cooling, and network requirements.
Experience in evaluating colocation providers and negotiating leases/SLAs.
Analytical skills in market research, cost modeling, and risk assessment.
Ability to manage multiple simultaneous projects across regions.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
It will be an added bonus if you have:
Experience with hyperscale or large-scale data center development.
Knowledge of utility procurement (power, water), renewable energy markets, and substation planning.
Familiarity with geospatial tools (GIS), risk modeling, or data center capacity planning.
Understanding of permitting processes and environmental regulations.