Pre-Construction Lead
On-siteHouston, Texas, United States
Job Summary
Own end-to-end site delivery from selection through shovel-readiness, driving zoning, land use approvals, and conditional use permits through local and state agencies. Lead negotiations with power providers, water districts, and telecom utilities while managing Phase I/II environmental assessments and wetlands determinations. Build agency and community relationships to compress approval timelines, create detailed development schedules, and escalate risks proactively. Based in Houston with exemptions for exceptional candidates. This role is ideal for someone who thrives under real schedule pressure and thinks in terms of parallel workstreams.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Planning, Construction Management, or related field
- 10+ years delivering complex, multi-agency development or infrastructure projects
- Demonstrated experience managing entitlements, permitting, and utility coordination simultaneously
- Strong technical literacy — able to hold substantive conversations with civil, electrical, and structural engineers
- Exceptional relationship-building skills with government agencies, utilities, and community stakeholders
- Experience creating and managing detailed project schedules and critical path dependencies
- Comfortable operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with shifting priorities
Desired Qualifications
- Background in hyperscale data center or other large-scale industrial development
- Experience in oil & gas, LNG, or petrochemical — industries that drive large capital projects through permitting under real schedule pressure
- Track record compressing development timelines through creative regulatory strategies
- Previous experience on the owner's side of development
- Knowledge of utility interconnection processes and power provider negotiations
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