Head of Data Center Acquisition

Cerebras · Semiconductors · Headquarters +1 · Hardware Departments

This role is for a Head of Data Center Acquisition at Cerebras, a company that builds large AI chips. The primary focus is on securing data center capacity to meet the demand for Cerebras' AI inference solutions. The role involves sourcing, evaluating, and leading commercial negotiations for data center providers, developers, and colocation sites across North America and Europe. Key responsibilities include diligence on power, site, permits, security, and schedule, ensuring compliance with regulations, and building a team to execute these acquisitions. The goal is to build a repeatable system for data center acquisition that ensures credible supply and drives high-velocity decision-making.

What you'd actually do

  1. Own the data center capacity pipeline across North America, Europe, and other priority markets.
  2. Source and evaluate data center providers, developers, colocation sites, expansion projects, and partner-led capacity.
  3. Lead commercial work from first qualification through diligence, internal approval, customer review, signature, and handoff.
  4. Diligence power, site control, permits, design, security, operations, financing, and schedule claims.
  5. Ensure compliance with regional regulations, permitting requirements and mitigate reputation risk.

Skills

Required

  • Data center acquisition
  • Cloud infrastructure sourcing
  • Colocation leasing
  • Site selection
  • Data center development
  • Infrastructure business development
  • Power or site acquisition
  • Strategic sourcing
  • Infrastructure finance
  • Commercial negotiation
  • Diligence
  • Risk assessment
  • Team leadership
  • Regulatory compliance

Nice to have

  • Hyperscale data center experience
  • Experience with AI infrastructure

What the JD emphasized

  • Own the data center capacity pipeline
  • Diligence power, site control, permits, design, security, operations, financing, and schedule claims
  • Ensure compliance with regional regulations, permitting requirements and mitigate reputation risk
  • Build a team to execute at “the speed of light”
  • A repeatable data center acquisition system
  • Diligence standards that test provider claims
  • Deal evaluation framework and metrics
  • Market coverage: Build relationships
  • Opportunity qualification: Decide which opportunities deserve company time
  • Commercial work: Lead negotiations and contract work
  • Diligence: Collect facts from internal experts and outside parties
  • Risk calls: Identify the risks that matter
  • Customer review: Prepare summaries, surface open issues
  • Path to close: Maintain owner-based close plans
  • Executive updates: Give concise answers on what is real
  • 10+ years of relevant experience in hyperscale data center acquisition, cloud infrastructure sourcing, colocation leasing, site selection, data center development, infrastructure business development, power or site acquisition, strategic sourcing, or infrastructure finance.
  • You have led high-value data center, cloud infrastructure, or critical infrastructure transactions.
  • Strong grasp of data center capacity drivers: power, cooling, network, site readiness, permits, security, operations, provider credibility, and delivery timing.