Real Estate Strategy Manager

Crusoe · Data AI · San Francisco, CA - US · Real Estate (DIG)

This role is for a Real Estate Strategy Manager at an AI infrastructure company. The manager will be responsible for the end-to-end acquisition and development lifecycle for large-scale data center projects, including site selection, capitalization, and global expansion. The role acts as a bridge between finance, engineering, and external municipalities to ensure the company's physical footprint scales ahead of AI demand. Responsibilities include strategic site acquisition, capital and financial architecture, investment committee leadership, entitlement and stakeholder management, vendor and execution oversight, market intelligence, and cross-functional integration.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead the identification and de-risking of high-scale data center sites, overseeing the evaluation of power capacity, fiber latency, and complex environmental/geotechnical constraints.
  2. Oversee the development of sophisticated financial models for infrastructure-heavy assets. You will design capitalization strategies that leverage conventional project finance alongside innovative alternative sources.
  3. Present complex acquisition opportunities and return scenarios to senior leadership and the Board, providing data-driven recommendations on land value and infrastructure recovery.
  4. Act as a point of contact for city officials, utilities, and community stakeholders, navigating the high-stakes zoning and permitting processes required for global expansion.
  5. Manage RFP for consultants, ensuring technical specifications meet our "AI-first" infrastructure standards.

Skills

Required

  • 5–8+ years of experience in real estate development, infrastructure investment, or project finance
  • Expert-level financial modeling skills
  • Proven experience navigating the entitlement and permitting process for large-scale, complex land use projects
  • Ability to lead cross-functional pods and influence external partners
  • Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Real Estate, Engineering, or a related field
  • Mastery of Excel and PowerPoint
  • Proficiency in GIS and project management software

Nice to have

  • Direct experience in Data Center development or large-scale Power/Utility infrastructure
  • Experience with IPP (Independent Power Producer) energy development or grid-interconnection processes
  • A deep network within the industrial real estate or energy sectors
  • MBA or Master’s in Real Estate Development (MRED)

What the JD emphasized

  • end-to-end acquisition - development lifecycle
  • site selection
  • capitalization
  • global expansion
  • AI demand curve
  • power capacity
  • fiber latency
  • complex environmental/geotechnical constraints
  • sophisticated financial models
  • capitalization strategies
  • investment committee
  • land value
  • infrastructure recovery
  • entitlement and permitting process
  • large-scale, complex land use projects
  • cross-functional pods
  • external partners
  • industrial or digital infrastructure
  • Expert-level financial modeling skills
  • structure complex deals
  • explain the "why" behind the numbers
  • executive stakeholders
  • Proven experience navigating the entitlement and permitting process
  • large-scale, complex land use projects
  • lead cross-functional pods
  • influence external partners
  • move at "Crusoe speed"
  • Data Center development
  • Power/Utility infrastructure
  • IPP (Independent Power Producer) energy development
  • grid-interconnection processes