Director, External Affairs

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain proactive relationships with local elected and appointed officials — including county judges, county commissioners, city council members, mayors, school board trustees, economic development boards, and other civic leaders — in localities where Core Scientific operates across Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and other markets as determined.
• Serve as Core Scientific's primary relationship manager with Congressional district offices and state district offices in every locality where Core Scientific operates, ensuring ongoing, productive, and respectful communication with district-level staff.
• Anticipate local policy and community priorities that may affect Core's operations, positioning Core as a credible, accessible, and good-faith partner for local officials and district staff.
• Establish a proactive policy intelligence framework that enables the company to anticipate and respond to emerging local government, policy, and community risks with no material surprises.
• Lead Core Scientific's community engagement strategy across all operating localities.
• Design, launch, and lead community initiatives that reflect Core Scientific's commitment to the regions where it operates — including workforce development, local education partnerships, environmental stewardship, and economic development efforts.
• Build and sustain trusted relationships with community leaders, neighborhood organizations, local nonprofits, chambers of commerce, and other civic stakeholders, ensuring Core Scientific is seen as a long-term, invested community partner.
• Proactively identify and act on opportunities to contribute meaningfully to local communities, going beyond regulatory or reputational necessity to demonstrate genuine civic commitment.
• Deliver measurable progress in community relationship depth, initiative impact, and local stakeholder awareness.
• Collaborate with Corporate Communications to develop and execute public communications and outreach campaigns that elevate Core Scientific's visibility, credibility, and reputation at the local and regional level.
• Ensure all regional and local communications are consistent with Core's brand, messaging standards, and corporate strategy, while remaining authentically tailored to the unique character and concerns of each community.
• Translate complex energy, technology, regulatory, and operational concepts into clear, compelling, and accessible messaging for local audiences — including residents, local officials, and community organizations.
• As a primary spokesperson and communications liaison for Core Scientific in local and regional forums, media engagements, and stakeholder discussions.
• Provide timely, candid strategic guidance to the Senior Director of Policy on local stakeholder dynamics, community sentiment, emerging issues, and communications opportunities — with particular attention to areas creating reputational risk or opportunity.
• Establish and monitor performance metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of local government affairs, community engagement, and communications efforts.
• Foster open, respectful, and professional communication directly within the team as well as with co-workers/ teammates and leaders across the organization.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Affairs, Public Policy, Political Science, Community Relations, or a related field. Minimum 7+ years of relevant experience in local government affairs, community engagement, or public affairs roles.
• Demonstrated success building and maintaining relationships with local elected officials, Congressional district offices, state district offices, and community stakeholders in complex, multi-jurisdictional environments.
• Proven ability to lead community-facing initiatives from conception through execution.
• Strong strategic communications and messaging development skills, with the ability to craft narratives that resonate across diverse audiences.
• Ability to represent an organization with credibility, warmth, and professionalism at the local level.
• Strong facilitation, relationship-building, and executive presentation skills.
• A bias for action and demonstrated ability to build programs, community presence, and government relationships where little existed before.
• PREFERRED: Existing relationships with local elected officials, county commissioners, city governments, and/or community organizations in Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina.
• Experience working in or alongside local government.
• Background in community affairs, civic engagement, or corporate social responsibility in a high-visibility external-facing role.
• Familiarity with the energy, technology, or data center industry and the community dynamics those sectors create.