Senior Manager - Carbon-Free Energy Project manager
Nscale · United States · $140,000–$220,000 (stated in the posting)
Role Overview
Nscale is scaling AI infrastructure across the United States, and the energy that powers it is now the company’s largest sustainability lever and one of its biggest commercial differentiators. The Senior Manager, & Carbon-Free Energy will own the roadmap for sourcing carbon-free energy (CFE) across Nscale’s U.S. portfolio and lead its core environmental strategy.
The role pairs two mandates. First, find, evaluate and help close the energy deals that decarbonize Nscale’s load: PPAs, virtual PPAs, utility green tariffs, energy attribute certificates and emerging firm clean sources such as advanced nuclear, geothermal and storage-backed renewables. Second, lead strategy on water, embodied carbon and the emissions Nscale produces from its own operations.
The role partners closely with Power/Utility, Site Development, Finance, Legal and Commercial teams, carries direct people-leadership responsibility and is designed to scale as Nscale grows.
Key Responsibilities
1. Carbon-Free Energy Strategy & Procurement
- Own Nscale’s carbon-free energy (CFE) strategy and roadmap, setting portfolio targets by U.S. market and site type
- Partner with Power/Utility and Commercial teams to originate, structure, negotiate and close clean energy transactions, including physical and virtual PPAs, utility green tariffs and sleeved supply, and renewable energy certificates (RECs).
- Build business cases including financial models for price, basis, shape and volume risk, contract tenor, and credit and collateral requirements.
- Run energy due diligence during site selection: grid carbon intensity, local CFE supply, utility and market structure, interconnection timelines, and regulatory barriers to clean supply.
- Represent Nscale with utilities, independent power producers, developers, brokers and regulators; build a pipeline of offtake opportunities in each U.S. market where Nscale operates.
- Manage the contracted CFE portfolio after signing, tracking project delivery, contract performance and development risk on multi-year deals.
2. Emerging & Firm Clean Energy Sources
- Scan and evaluate emerging firm and dispatchable clean sources, including advanced nuclear and SMRs, next-generation geothermal, long-duration storage, hydro, and low-carbon fuels such as hydrogen and RNG.
- Assess technology readiness, cost curves, timelines and counterparty risk
- Evaluate on-site and adjacent generation, behind-the-meter and co-location structures, microgrids and battery storage with Engineering and Power teams.
- Develop grid-interactivity and demand flexibility options, such as load shifting, demand response and backup-generation alternatives, that lower emissions and ease interconnection.
- Track U.S. energy policy and market rules (for example federal clean energy tax credits, state clean energy standards and ISO/RTO market rules) and their effect on Nscale’s sourcing options.
- Build relationships with clean energy developers, industry groups and buyer coalitions to keep Nscale early in the deal flow.
3. Resource & Environmental Strategy
- Lead water stewardship strategy: consumption baselines, cooling technology decisions and replenishment initiatives.
- Lead the inventory of emissions Nscale produces directly from its own operations (such as backup generators, on-site fuel use and refrigerants) and drive plans to reduce them.
4. Stakeholder Engagement & Team Leadership
- Shape accurate, defensible sustainability and energy messaging for executives, clients, investors, communities and policymakers.
- Collaborate with community affairs, public policy, and other internal teams on energy and environmental matters.
- Directly manage and develop the team, and build the function’s planning cadence, governance and future subject-matter roles (e.g. energy markets).
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering, energy, environmental science, business, finance or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- 5+ years in sustainability, energy procurement, renewable project development or energy markets, including experience negotiating or structuring energy or clean energy agreements (PPAs, VPPAs, utility tariffs or RECs).
- Working knowledge of U.S. power markets (e.g. ERCOT, PJM, MISO), utility regulation, transmission and interconnection, and renewable energy certificate markets.
- Experience with financial modeling of energy deals and assessment of price, volume and development risk.
- Experience managing people or leading cross-functional programs with executive stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
- MBA or advanced degree in energy, environmental policy or finance.
- Track record of closing utility-scale clean energy deals (wind, solar, storage) or firm clean energy offtakes (nuclear, geothermal, hydro).
- Experience at a hyperscaler, colocation provider, utility, IPP or energy advisory firm serving data center load.
- Familiarity with 24/7 CFE and hourly matching methods and granular certificates.
- Experience with carbon removal buyers or environmental attribute suppliers.
- Direct experience with public utility commissions, regulators or grid operators, and with multi-state portfolios across U.S. markets.
- Willingness to travel ~20%.
The range below reflects the base salary for the position. Actual compensation may vary based on job-related factors such as skill set, experience, education, and location. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for bonus, equity, and/or commission programs. Nscale may offer a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, flexible paid time off, parental leave, and retirement plan participation.