Subregional Real Estate Development Lead - ATL

Position Title: Subregional Real Estate Development Lead

Location: Hybrid - Atlanta

Your role 

The Data Center Subregional Real Estate Development Lead is responsible for the end-to-end development of data center facilities, coordinating planning, entitlements, design, and construction to deliver projects on time and within budget. This role provides oversight of consultants, contractors, and internal partners while proactively identifying and communicating risks to support Digital Realty’s strategic and financial objectives.

What you’ll do

•  Lead end-to-end development activities including feasibility, due diligence, entitlements, design management, construction, and turnover.
• Coordinate cross-functional stakeholders to implement comprehensive project plans that support on-time, on-budget delivery.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks, providing clear updates and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Manage project budgets, development pro formas, cash flows, and financial forecasts, escalating potential variances.
• Partner with HDL, PMG, DEC, Investments, Finance, Legal, and Operations teams to validate underwriting assumptions and drive alignment.
• Develop and execute procurement strategies, support contract negotiations, and drive value optimization.
• Oversee design teams and specialty consultants to maintain alignment on scope, schedule, cost, and brand standards.
• Monitor construction performance including quality, safety, schedule, contract compliance, and review of RFIs, submittals, and change orders.
• Support entitlement, permitting, zoning, and community engagement activities in partnership with internal teams and public stakeholders.
• Lead commissioning, closeout, and turnover activities, ensuring complete documentation, warranties, and financial reconciliation.

What you’ll need 

• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale real estate or data center development projects from concept through delivery.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience with project budgets, pro formas, forecasting, and cost controls.
• Experience coordinating across multiple internal functions and external partners in complex project environments.
• Working knowledge of entitlement, permitting, design management, and construction delivery processes.
• Ability to identify and communicate project risks clearly to executive stakeholders.
• Strong contract, procurement, and consultant management capabilities.
• Excellent executive communication and stakeholder management skills.
• High level of ownership, accountability, and sound business judgment.
• Bachelor’s degree in real estate, engineering, construction management, architecture, or related field preferred.

A bit about us

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company’s global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx®) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected data communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 50+ metros across 25+ countries on six continents.

To learn more about Digital Realty, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

A bit about our team 

Our Operations team keeps our customers’ infrastructure running safely and securely. We get plenty of opportunities to take on a variety of tasks and develop our technical skills. From overseeing electrical power to cooling and fire suppression systems, our team plays a vital role in making sure everything in our data centers operates as it should.

What we can offer you

Our rapidly evolving business sector offers the opportunity to be part of a courageous and passionate team who work together to understand and meet the changing needs of our global customers. 

Join us and you’ll be part of a supportive and inclusive environment where you can bring your whole self to work. As part of our team, you’ll get to work with people from different business areas, challenge the way we do things and put your ideas into action. We’ll also give you plenty of development opportunities so you can build a rewarding and successful career with us. 

Apply today, take charge of your career and grow your talents with us.

Health and Safety

Safety isn't just a priority here at Digital; it's critical to everything we do. Safeguarding lives, protecting assets, and securing data aren't just ideals - they're essential pillars of our commitment to excellence for our people, our partners and our customers. We have a culture of care where every member of Team Digital embraces a relentless pursuit of working safely across Digital Realty. Together we are Safely Powering Progress.

Our Compensation Philosophy

Digital Realty offers its employees a highly competitive compensation package, excellent benefits, and an environment that recognizes and rewards your contributions. Central to our compensation philosophy is rewarding our employees for achieving the values and objectives aligned to the company's overall goals and values.