Chief Development Officer

Job summary

Lead the Wave project from development through commercial operation, owning scope, schedule, budget, technical performance, and contracting strategy while directing design, EPC, and commissioning partners. Establish project governance and execution plans, oversee procurement and integrated delivery, report forecasts and risks to the Board, and lead recovery efforts when project performance deviates.

Job details

Start date: Immediate Employment: Full-time Reports to: CEO Location: Based in office in Downtown Vancouver. Frequent travel to project site, with travel to supplier and consultant locations as required. Compensation: 130k - 200k, depending on experience, plus benefits. About us Wafr builds sustainable infrastructure engineered for the AI era, with less power, less water and in less time. We design and supply the electrical, mechanical and thermal systems that critical facilities depend on, from AI data centres to utilities, renewables and industry. Through our subsidiary, Wave Infrastructure, we are bringing this together in our own project: a high-density AI Research Lab in Alberta with sustainability at its core. Wave considers the energy a facility consumes, the water it uses, the opportunities it creates, and the computing capacity it ultimately delivers. We are now expanding the team that will scale Wafr and take the Wave project from development through construction and operation. This is an opportunity to join a growing company at an important stage and help shape what comes next. wafr.ca waveinfra.com Role mission As Chief Development Officer, you will take the Wave project from development through to commercial operation as the owner-side executive accountable for delivery. You will own scope, schedule, budget, technical performance and contracting strategy, and direct the design, EPC and commissioning partners through handover. Core responsibilities: Convert Board strategy and financing commitments into an executable development and delivery plan with clear stage gates. Lead the integrated owner team across development, design, EPC, utilities, commissioning and operations readiness. Own the Project Execution Plan, master milestone schedule, delegated authority framework and executive decision cadence. Lead EPC delivery strategy and recommendation; approve major commercial positions before CEO/Board authorization. Chair weekly integrated project reviews with the architect, EPC and management. Protect owner requirements against uncontrolled scope growth, vendor-driven design decisions and interface gaps. Embed commissioning requirements from design stage through factory, site and integrated systems testing. Prepare monthly Board-level forecasts for cost-to-complete, schedule, top risks, commitments, contingency and decisions required. Lead recovery planning for material schedule, budget, permitting, procurement or quality deviations. First 90-day priorities Publish a 180-day integrated execution plan and governance/RACI matrix. Confirm project partner scopes, consultant matrix and design-stage deliverables. Launch and govern EPC procurement and the progressive preconstruction process. Freeze owner requirements and key design criteria. Establish monthly executive reporting aligned to financing milestones. Success measures / KPIs Project milestones achieved on or ahead of plan Approved baseline schedule and forecast accuracy Forecast cost at completion within Board-approved budget Decision turnaround time and closure of critical actions Material project risks mitigated before impact Commercial operation date (COD) achieved to approved performance requirements, with no critical open commissioning issues Candidate profile 15+ years major capital project delivery experience, including mission-critical or data centre assets Delivered at least one greenfield data centre from site selection through commissioning and ready-for-service Demonstrated leadership of C$100M+ programs and multidisciplinary teams across MEP, civil/structural, permitting, procurement and commissioning Strong commercial understanding of mission-critical EPC and subcontracting Executive-level communication with boards, lenders, investors, customers and public authorities Engineering, construction, architecture or related technical degree; P.Eng., PMP or MBA beneficial Critical experience: Must have personally led at least one major data centre or mission-critical facility through design, construction, commissioning and handover. Owner or developer-side experience and Canadian or North American delivery experience are strongly preferred.

What you’ll do

Lead the Wave project from development through commercial operation, owning scope, schedule, budget, technical performance, and contracting strategy while directing design, EPC, and commissioning partners. Establish project governance and execution plans, oversee procurement and integrated delivery, report forecasts and risks to the Board, and lead recovery efforts when project performance deviates.

Requirements

Candidates need 15 or more years of major capital project delivery experience and must have personally led at least one greenfield data centre or mission-critical facility through design, construction, commissioning, and handover. The role also requires experience leading C$100M+ programs and multidisciplinary teams; a technical degree is required, while P.Eng., PMP, or MBA credentials are beneficial.

Listed skills

• Risk Management · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Capital Project Delivery
• Data Centre Development
• Project Execution Planning
• Project Governance
• EPC Procurement and Delivery
• Schedule and Budget Management
• Commercial Contracting
• Multidisciplinary Team Leadership
• Commissioning and Handover
• Risk Management
• Cost Forecasting
• Permitting
• Utilities Coordination
• Executive and Board Communication
• Owner-Side Project Management

Job areas

• Management & Leadership
• Construction
• Engineering
• Energy
• Environmental & Sustainability