External Affairs & Community Relations Manager

Karpower; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Karpower is seeking a seasoned stakeholder engagement lead for the Brownsville, Texas, Valley project. You will build relationships with local government officials, community groups, and businesses, ensuring timely, transparent communications and compliant public-sector engagement.

You will develop and implement a Brownsville engagement plan aligned with project milestones, coordinate with permitting and legal teams, monitor community sentiment, and represent the company at public meetings and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in public affairs, communications or related field.
• 7+ years of experience in external affairs, community relations or government relations.
• Experience with local government officials and diverse stakeholder groups in the United States.
• Ability to represent the company in public forums and manage sensitive issues.
• Strong English, and professional Spanish to engage with local stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a Brownsville stakeholder engagement plan aligned with project milestones, priorities, and community needs.
• Build and maintain relationships with local government officials, regulatory bodies, community leaders, and business organizations.
• Serve as the company’s primary local contact for community and government stakeholders, ensuring timely responses and follow-through.
• Design and manage community engagement programs, including listening sessions, meetings, and outreach activities.
• Represent Karpower at public meetings, local government forums, and business association gatherings with approved messaging.
• Support permitting processes through stakeholder outreach and coordination with authorities and internal teams.
• Monitor local government agendas and community sentiment to provide early warning of emerging issues.
• Document, escalate, and follow up on community concerns with responsible internal teams.
• Prepare stakeholder briefings and talking points with Communications and technical teams.
• Coordinate local media inquiries and act as a spokesperson in line with messaging.
• Identify and manage community partnerships and investment initiatives within priorities and budgets.
• Coordinate with project teams on advance communications about construction or operational changes.
• Advise leadership on stakeholder expectations and risks, reporting on relationship developments.
• Coordinate with Legal to ensure compliance with lobbying, ethics and political activity policies.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Public speaking

Relationship building

Bilingual English/Spanish

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Public Affairs, Communications, Political Science, Public Administration, Business, or related disciplines

Job description

Karpower is a next-generation power infrastructure company delivering fast-track, behind-the-meter energy solutions for industries and markets that require timely, reliable power. With 80 years of heritage and more than 25 years of experience in energy infrastructure, Karpower operates across more than 30 countries worldwide.

At Karpower, we combine proven expertise in floating and land-based power generation with integrated solutions spanning behind-the-meter power supply, advanced power delivery, and comprehensive fuel supply.

Karpower Valley is a first-of-its-kind industrial and power generation hub designed to deliver speed, scale, and certainty in meeting America’s growing energy demand. Located in Brownsville, Texas, the Valley brings together manufacturing, assembly, testing, commissioning, and deployment within a single, fully integrated ecosystem, fundamentally changing how power infrastructure is built in the United States.

WHAT DO WE EXPECT?

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs, Communications, Political Science, Public Administration, Business, or related disciplines.
• 7+ years of experience in external affairs, community relations, government relations, or stakeholder engagement, including direct responsibility for local engagement programs.
• Demonstrated experience working with local government officials, community organizations, and diverse stakeholder groups in the United States.
• Proven ability to represent an organization in public forums, facilitate constructive dialogue, and manage sensitive or contentious stakeholder issues.
• Strong understanding of the civic, government, business, and community landscape in Brownsville and the wider Rio Grande Valley (or comparable South Texas and border communities), with demonstrated experience building relationships with local stakeholders.
• Experience supporting stakeholder engagement for permitting, land-use approvals, public hearings, or major construction projects.
• Experience developing and managing community partnerships or community investment programs, including tracking outcomes and local impact.
• Strong written and spoken English, with the ability to explain complex project matters clearly to nontechnical audiences.
• Professional proficiency in Spanish (spoken and written) to support direct engagement with local stakeholders.
• Ability to travel regularly and maintain a consistent on-site presence, and to attend community meetings and events when required.

Preferred

• Experience in the energy industry, particularly power generation or major energy infrastructure projects.
• Experience coordinating with corporate communications teams on local media engagement, issue management, or crisis communications.

WHAT AWAITS YOU?

• Develop and implement a Brownsville stakeholder engagement plan aligned with project milestones, operational priorities, and community needs; maintain stakeholder records, engagement plans, and commitment logs.
• Build and maintain relationships with local government officials, relevant regulatory stakeholders, community leaders, neighborhood groups, business organizations, and other local institutions.
• Serve as the company’s primary local point of contact for community and government stakeholders, ensuring timely responses and consistent follow-through on inquiries and commitments.
• Design and manage community engagement programs, including listening sessions, community meetings, site visits, and outreach activities that enable ongoing dialogue.
• Represent Karpower at public meetings, local government forums, community events, and business association gatherings, communicating approved company positions clearly and consistently.
• Support permitting processes through relationship management by coordinating stakeholder outreach, facilitating meetings with relevant authorities, and helping the Permitting team understand and address community concerns that may affect the process.
• Monitor local government agendas, public discussions, and community sentiment; assess implications for projects and operations and provide early warning of emerging issues.
• Manage a structured process for receiving, documenting, escalating, and following up on community concerns and complaints, coordinating practical responses with responsible internal teams.
• Prepare stakeholder briefings, presentations, talking points, and community updates with Communications and relevant technical teams, ensuring information is accurate and appropriate for the audience.
• Coordinate local media inquiries and public communications with the Communications function; act as an authorized local spokesperson in line with agreed messaging and approval processes.
• Identify and manage community partnerships and investment initiatives within approved priorities and budgets, coordinating with relevant corporate functions and tracking outcomes.
• Coordinate with project and operations teams on advance communication of construction activities, operational changes, or incidents that may affect the community, supporting approved issue and crisis communication plans.
• Advise local and senior leadership on stakeholder expectations, community risks, and engagement approaches, recommending actions to strengthen relationships and resolve concerns; report on relationship developments, unresolved issues, and program effectiveness.
• Coordinate with Legal and relevant corporate functions to ensure adherence to company policies and applicable requirements for public-sector engagement, including lobbying registration and disclosure, ethics, and political activities.