VP, Design and Construction AI infrastructure

About Volta

Volta is the category-defining, fully vertically integrated AI infrastructure platform – from capital to clusters to software, under a founder-led enterprise. Our mission is The Utility of Compute™: AI infrastructure as dependable and available as electricity, for every organization that needs it. Launched with a $10B strategic partnership with one of the leading frontier AI labs, a Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, and a $5B AI Infrastructure Fund, Volta is building the infrastructure layer of the AI era from the ground up. We are 100+ people across London, Palo Alto, and New York, with rapid growth expectations to hundreds.

About The Role

Volta is building AI factories across Europe and North America, with several in planning, design and construction at the same time. Our first AI factory is 133MW in Norway on NVIDIA Vera Rubin systems, with a contracted power pipeline of more than 1GW behind it, and the next sites are already moving through preconstruction in the Nordics and the United States. The VP, Design and Construction owns how our AI factories get planned and built, and is accountable for the cost, schedule, safety and quality outcomes across them.

You will lead a global organisation that spans preconstruction, regional delivery and the portfolio office. Preconstruction takes each site from feasibility through front end planning to a build-ready design, budget, schedule and contract structure. Regional delivery leads in Europe and the United States then run the projects through site project directors and their construction, engineering, logistics, environmental and commissioning teams.

This is a role for someone who has already led design and construction at hyperscale across more than one region, has built the organisation and the playbook rather than inherited them, and is comfortable making decisions without a large structure around them.

What You Will Be Doing

• Own design and construction across Volta's AI factories in Europe and North America, from front end planning through preconstruction, construction, commissioning and handover to operations
• Build and lead the global organisation: a preconstruction programme with project managers in Europe and the United States, regional delivery leads with site project directors and their construction, engineering, logistics, environmental and commissioning teams, a portfolio office and a third party development lead
• Run preconstruction so every site reaches construction with a settled design basis, a credible budget and schedule, a permitting path and a contract structure that fits the site
• Set the capital delivery model for each project, including contracting strategy, procurement approach, schedule logic and where modular and prefabricated methods will speed delivery
• Be accountable for cost, schedule, safety and quality outcomes across the programme, with clear, regular reporting to the Chief Delivery Officer, the executive team and the board through the portfolio office
• Select, direct and hold to account design consultants, general contractors, modular suppliers and specialist partners, and build the partner bench Volta will need as more AI factories come through
• Work through Volta's matrix, drawing project controls, estimating, contracts, design, turn-up and commissioning, safety and procurement from the functional leads, so every project has one team and one plan
• Deliver both Volta's self-build sites and its deployments in partner data centres, adapting the approach to each without lowering the standard
• Represent Volta with planning authorities, utilities, landlords, partners and investors on design, permitting and construction matters
• Establish the standards, playbooks and lessons learned that make each project faster and more predictable than the last

What You Bring

• Data centre experience is essential. You have led a design and construction function for large scale data centre programmes at hyperscale or the equivalent, across more than one region, and have owned it at this level rather than a single project or site
• Direct experience building and running front end planning and preconstruction across multiple sites and countries
• A record of building an organisation and its operating model from an early stage, including hiring and leading regional leads and site project directors
• An engineering or construction background with a working command of the mechanical and electrical systems that make a data centre run
• Control of capital programmes running into the billions and the complex contracts behind them, with a record of value engineering, change control and resolving disputes without losing the programme
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and external partners across several countries at once, and keeping safety and quality standards consistent between them
• The judgement to make decisions with incomplete information and without a large support structure, and the discipline to report plainly on progress, risk and cost to an executive team and board
• Willing and able to travel regularly to sites across Europe and North America

What We Offer

At Volta, we believe people do their best work when they feel supported, trusted and able to grow. We're building a company where you can make an impact, keep a healthy balance between work and life, and build a career you're proud of.

As a global team, we do our best to provide great benefits wherever you're based. While some benefits vary by country due to local regulations, we believe looking after our people is simply the right thing to do.

• Competitive salary based on the work you do here, not your previous salary
• Retirement/pension contributions
• Comprehensive health, wellbeing and insurance benefits
• Generous number of vacation days each year

Additional Information

Equal Opportunity

Volta is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and make employment decisions based on skills, qualifications, experience and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Accessibility

Volta is committed to providing an accessible recruitment experience for all candidates. If you require accommodations or adjustments at any stage of the application or interview process, please contact us at askpeople@volta.com. We will work with you to identify reasonable accommodations that enable you to participate fully in the hiring process.

Candidate Privacy Notice

By applying, you consent to the processing of your personal data for recruitment purposes in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the UK GDPR, EU GDPR and relevant US state privacy regulations. Your data will be shared only with those involved in the hiring process and will not be used for unrelated purposes. For details, see our Recruitment & Candidate Privacy Notice.