Associate, External Affairs

About the role

NorthMark Compute & Cloud (NMC²) is backed by dedicated leadership and investment, with a clear mission as it operates at the bleeding edge of technology. Its goal is to scale and enhance the high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud infrastructure that supports its clients' research, production, and delivery, enabling breakthroughs that shape the industries of tomorrow. Its engineers build critical infrastructure to eliminate friction in scientific research, simulations, analysis, and decision-making, accelerating discovery and driving faster innovation. We are seeking an Associate, External Affairs to provide coordination and execution support for NMC²'s External Affairs team in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Reporting to the Director of External Affairs, this role supports both the Director and the Community Relations Manager — keeping the team's communications, events, and day-to-day operations organized and running smoothly. This role sits at the coordination layer of the team: drafting communications materials and FAQs, coordinating event logistics, tracking stakeholder activity, and providing general support so the Director and Manager can stay focused on strategy and relationship-building. The ideal candidate is highly organized, a polished and confident writer, and comfortable moving across a range of tasks in a fast-paced, community-facing environment, with room to grow into greater ownership as the team scales.

Responsibilities

• Draft and maintain FAQs, talking points, and messaging documents to support the Director and Manager in community and stakeholder communications
• Manage the development of external-facing content, including social media, newsletters, and website updates
• Preparing briefing materials, presentations, and reports for internal and external audiences
• Responsible for translating technical or operational updates into clear, accessible language for community-facing materials
• Responsible for logistics for community events, sponsorship activations, and stakeholder meetings, including venue, vendor, and materials coordination
• Responsible for event logistics and execution on-site, including signage, attendance tracking, and post-event follow-up
• Maintain and update the team's master calendar of events, deadlines, and commitments
• Coordinate scheduling and logistics for the Director's and Manager's community and stakeholder engagements
• Serve as a company representative at community events and engagements as needed
• Maintain stakeholder inquiries, concerns, and requests, and support triage and routing to the Director and Manager as appropriate
• Provide day-to-day coordination support across the External Affairs team's priorities and workstreams
• Maintain organized records of communications materials, event history, and team documentation
• Manage the external affairs partner tracking system and monitor potential new relationships
• Assist with ad hoc research, drafting, and logistics requests from the Director and Manager
• Manage External Affairs relationships and partnerships, including maintaining ongoing engagement with existing partners and identifying new opportunities to expand the company’s community and stakeholder network

Requirements

• 2-4 years of experience in external affairs, communications, public affairs, community relations, or a related coordination role
• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, business, public affairs, or a related field preferred
• Excellent, polished writing skills, with demonstrated experience drafting FAQs, talking points, or external-facing communications; writing sample or portfolio may be requested
• Experience coordinating events or logistics in a professional setting
• Highly organized, detail-oriented