Most data center companies didn't start with an energy team. As power became the main constraint on growth, many are building one quickly, often without a clear model of which roles matter first. Here's a practical way to think about it.
Stage 1: A single power leader
Early-stage developers usually start with one senior hire (a director of power or head of energy) who owns utility relationships, interconnection strategy and power due diligence on new sites. This person needs breadth more than depth.
“Which power roles a data center company needs, in what order to hire them and how the team evolves as a portfolio grows.”
Stage 2: Interconnection and utility coverage
As the pipeline grows, the first additions are typically interconnection managers and utility relations managers, often organized by region so each person knows the local utilities well.
Stage 3: Technical depth
Next come power systems engineers who can review utility studies, guide campus electrical design and challenge consultant work. Larger teams add substation and protection expertise in-house rather than relying entirely on outside firms.
Stage 4: Supply and generation
Companies with large portfolios add energy procurement managers to structure supply and PPAs, and onsite generation managers where behind-the-meter power is part of the strategy. A VP of Energy often leads the combined function.
Operations runs in parallel
Once sites are live, critical power operations managers and their teams take over day-to-day electrical reliability. Strong feedback between operations and development improves every new design.
Common mistakes
The most common mistakes are hiring too late, hiring only consultants, and expecting one person to cover interconnection, procurement and engineering across many markets. Power teams are cheaper than delayed energization.