Head of Data Center Acquisition

Cerebras Systems builds the world's largest AI chip, 56 times larger than GPUs. Our novel wafer-scale architecture provides the AI compute power of dozens of GPUs on a single chip, with the programming simplicity of a single device. This approach allows Cerebras to deliver industry-leading training and inference speeds and empowers machine learning users to effortlessly run large-scale ML applications, without the hassle of managing hundreds of GPUs or TPUs.  

Cerebras' current customers include top model labs, global enterprises, and cutting-edge AI-native startups. OpenAI recently announced a multi-year partnership with Cerebras, to deploy 750 megawatts of scale, transforming key workloads with ultra high-speed inference. 

Thanks to the groundbreaking wafer-scale architecture, Cerebras Inference offers the fastest Generative AI inference solution in the world, over 10 times faster than GPU-based hyperscale cloud inference services. This order of magnitude increase in speed is transforming the user experience of AI applications, unlocking real-time iteration and increasing intelligence via additional agentic computation.

Why now

Demand for Cerebras inference is high and climbing. We need ever-more power-ready data center capacity to meet demand for the world’s fastest inference solution. Project facts often change as providers work through power, site, capital, design, security, and schedule issues. This work shapes customer delivery, capital use, and risk for years. The job demands a hands-on deal leader who can separate real capacity from optimistic claims and keep priority transactions on track.

Role at a glance

• Own the data center capacity pipeline across North America, Europe, and other priority markets.
• Source and evaluate data center providers, developers, colocation sites, expansion projects, and partner-led capacity.
• Lead commercial work from first qualification through diligence, internal approval, customer review, signature, and handoff.
• Diligence power, site control, permits, design, security, operations, financing, and schedule claims.
• Ensure compliance with regional regulations, permitting requirements and mitigate reputation risk.
• Accountable for aligning business functions (legal, finance, procurement, etc.), internal delivery teams (networking, infrastructure, operations, security, etc.), executive, and customer teams to qualify and execute partnerships.
• Build a team to execute at “the speed of light”

What you will build

• A repeatable data center acquisition system that turns credible supply into signed capacity.
• A qualified pipeline with clear views of location, capacity, timing, provider, commercial status, diligence status, and risk.
• Diligence standards that test provider claims before Cerebras commits company time or capital.
• Executive and customer deal summaries that state the facts, risks, decisions, and next steps.
• Term and negotiation standards that give teams a shared baseline.
• Assets and rituals that expose blockers early and keep owners accountable.
• Deal evaluation framework and metrics (inclusive of total cost of ownership) enabling high velocity decision making

What you will own

• Market coverage: Build relationships with data center providers, developers, infrastructure partners, power partners, and other sources of capacity.
• Opportunity qualification: Decide which opportunities deserve company time, technical review, legal work, customer review, and capital.
• Commercial work: Lead negotiations and contract work with clear business goals, risk tradeoffs, and timelines.
• Diligence: Collect facts from internal experts and outside parties across power, site, design, security, operations, finance, legal, and customer requirements.
• Risk calls: Identify the risks that matter, ask providers to prove their claims, and make clear recommendations.
• Customer review: Prepare summaries, surface open issues, manage review cycles, and make sure customer requirements shape the deal before signature.
• Path to close: Maintain owner-based close plans, move decisions through the company, and prevent stalled deals.
• Executive updates: Give concise answers on what is real, what blocks signature, who owns the next step, and what requires a decision.

What success looks like in the first 6 to 12 months

• Cerebras has a current, prioritized, and trusted view of all active capacity opportunities.
• Priority deals have owners, open issue lists, close plans, and escalation paths.
• Cerebras signs strong opportunities and pauses or kills weak ones based on facts.
• Providers prove power, site, financing, technical, security, and schedule claims before Cerebras commits.
• Internal and customer reviews move faster because deal materials state the facts, risks, and decisions.
• Teams reuse diligence standards and negotiation standards across deals.
• Cerebras can forecast capacity by site, region, provider, and delivery window.
• Leaders know which capacity is real, which deals will close, and which risks need action.

What we look for

• We want a data center deal leader with infrastructure judgment, commercial skill, and a bias for facts. You have closed complex infrastructure transactions and can work credibly with data center, power, finance, legal, technical, security, operations, and customer teams.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in hyperscale data center acquisition, cloud infrastructure sourcing, colocation leasing, site selection, data center development, infrastructure business development, power or site acquisition, strategic sourcing, or infrastructure finance.
• You have led high-value data center, cloud infrastructure, or critical infrastructure transactions.
• Strong grasp of data center capacity drivers: power, cooling, network, site readiness, permits, security, operations, provider credibility, and delivery timing.
• Credibility with legal and finance leaders on complex commercial risk.
• Credibility with technical, security, and operations experts. You can turn their input into business decisions.
• Clear executive communication. You can summarize a complex deal in one page, name the decision, and recommend the path.
• Strong ownership. You create structure, assign owners, escalate early, and close loops without perfect process.
• Sound risk judgment. You know when to push, when to slow down, and when to walk away.

Ways to stand out

• Experience at a hyperscaler, AI infrastructure company, cloud provider, data center developer, wholesale colocation provider, infrastructure investor, or power infrastructure company.
• Experience with AI, GPU, HPC, or other high-density compute environments.
• Familiarity with North American and European data center markets.
• You have assessed utility power, interconnection status, temporary power, backup power, or power-constrained markets.
• You have worked on deals that require customer review, confidentiality controls, or public-company disclosure discipline.
• You have built acquisition processes, diligence workflows, executive reports, or commercial standards from scratch.
• CDCDP or similar data center credentials.

Location

In-person at Cerebras headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. Expect travel to sites, data center providers, developers, partners, and customer meetings.

Why Join Cerebras

People who are serious about software make their own hardware. At Cerebras we have built a breakthrough architecture that is unlocking new opportunities for the AI industry. With dozens of model releases and rapid growth, we’ve reached an inflection  point in our business. Members of our team tell us there are five main reasons they joined Cerebras:

1. Build a breakthrough AI platform beyond the constraints of the GPU.
2. Publish and open source their cutting-edge AI research.
3. Work on one of the fastest AI supercomputers in the world.
4. Enjoy job stability with startup vitality.
5. Our simple, non-corporate work culture that respects individual beliefs.

Read our blog: Five Reasons to Join Cerebras in 2026.

Apply today and become part of the forefront of groundbreaking advancements in AI!

Cerebras Systems is committed to creating an equal and diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We believe inclusive teams build better products and companies. We try every day to build a work environment that empowers people to do their best work through continuous learning, growth and support of those around them.

This website or its third-party tools process personal data. For more details, click here to review our CCPA disclosure notice.