External Affairs Specialist

South32; Patagonia (AZ); On-site; USD 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual short-term incentive bonus

Retirement matching

4 weeks paid time off

12 weeks parental leave

Job summary

South32 is seeking a highly organized External Affairs Specialist for our Hermosa project in Arizona. You will coordinate administrative and stakeholder engagement activities, supporting leadership and the EA Americas team to advance development and operations.

You will monitor policy developments, prepare briefing materials, and help align cross-functional partners. Fluency in Spanish is a plus; prior experience in government affairs or community relations is valued.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or related field.
• 1–3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in administration, stakeholder engagement, communications or public affairs.
• Experience coordinating meetings, events, travel, budgets and records.
• Experience supporting senior leaders and coordinating multiple activities.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills with attention to detail.
• Strong research and analytical skills.
• Familiarity with Office 365 tools (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint).
• Familiarity with social media platforms.
• Spanish language is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate External Affairs activities and provide administrative support to the External Affairs Manager and EA Americas team.
• Assist with annual planning, budgeting, invoicing, vendor management, and governance processes.
• Organize meetings, travel, training compliance, and action tracking.
• Manage calendars, travel plans, and logistics for leadership engagements and stakeholder meetings.
• Prepare briefing materials, presentations, correspondence and meeting notes.
• Coordinate events, site tours, conferences and stakeholder visits.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory and policy developments impacting Hermosa and South32.
• Support policy research and briefing papers.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Organization

Project coordination

Research & analysis

MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Power

Spanish (advantage)

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Affairs, Political Science, Business Administration, Public Policy, Community Relations, or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

At South32, we’re meeting the challenge of enabling a sustainable future through our focus on responsibly producing commodities critical for a low-carbon world.

As a collaborative, caring and inclusive company, there’s no better place to make a genuine difference. Together we’re making a positive, global impact that has the potential to change lives.

Whatever career path you choose, we’ll support you every step of the way to learn, grow and succeed. So join us, step towards a brighter future and leave your legacy.

ABOUT Hermosa

Hermosa, located approximately 75 miles south-east of Tucson, Arizona, is the only advanced mining project in the United States as of 2023 that could produce two federally designated critical minerals—manganese and zinc—as well as silver and lead. The project has the potential to help power the nation’s clean energy future, strengthen the domestic supply chain of critical minerals, grow the local economy, and improve lives in Santa Cruz County and the surrounding community for generations to come.

WHAT SOUTH32 OFFERS

• Annual short-term incentive bonus that recognizes both your individual performance and the overall success of the business.
• When you choose to contribute more into your retirement savings, South32 will match it up to a certain percentage.
• South32 provides you with 4 weeks paid time off.
• 12 weeks full-paid parental leave for primary carers and 2 weeks full-paid parental leave for secondary carers

ABOUT THE ROLE

At South32’s Hermosa project, our External Affairs team plays a critical role in building strong relationships with communities, government agencies, Tribal Nations, industry partners, and other key stakeholders. As the Specialist, External Affairs, you will serve as a key coordinator and trusted partner, providing administrative, operational, and stakeholder engagement support that helps advance the successful development and operation of the Hermosa Mine.

Key Responsibilities

External Affairs Coordination & Administration

• Serve as the primary coordinator for the External Affairs function, providing administrative and operational support to the External Affairs Manager, Head of External Affairs, and EA Americas team.
• Support annual planning, budget management, billing, purchase orders, invoice processing, vendor management, and corporate approval processes, including ICAS and other business integrity and governance requirements.
• Coordinate team meetings, leadership meetings, travel, training compliance, action tracking, and other core business routines.

Executive & Stakeholder Support

• Manage complex calendars, schedules, travel arrangements, itineraries, and logistics for leadership engagements, site visits, and stakeholder meetings.
• Prepare briefing materials, presentations, correspondence, meeting notes, and executive support documentation.
• Coordinate events, site tours, conferences, stakeholder visits, and participation in community and industry activities.
• Monitor and track legislative, regulatory, and policy developments that may impact Hermosa and South32.
• Conduct policy research and support the preparation of briefing papers, issue summaries, reports, and stakeholder updates.
• Maintain legislative, policy, stakeholder, and engagement tracking systems and databases.

Stakeholder Engagement & Internal Alignment

• Coordinate stakeholder engagement activities across Hermosa and EA Americas to ensure alignment, consistent messaging, and effective execution.
• Support relationships with government agencies, elected officials, Tribal Nations, community organizations, educational institutions, industry associations, and other key stakeholders.
• Track stakeholder commitments, engagement activities, and follow‑up actions, ensuring timely communication and coordination across business functions.
• Facilitate information sharing between External Affairs and cross‑functional teams, including Operations, Environment, Permitting, Human Resources, Finance, and Project Development.

Communications, Reporting & Special Projects

• Prepare and distribute reports, engagement summaries, communications materials, and departmental updates.
• Maintain accurate records of stakeholder interactions, meetings, action items, budgets, and business priorities.
• Support special projects and initiatives for Hermosa, CMSA, Business Development, and the broader Americas region as required.

ABOUT YOU

You are a highly organized and detail‑oriented professional who thrives on building relationships, coordinating multiple activities, and supporting business objectives. You bring strong communication skills, sound judgment, and the ability to manage competing priorities with professionalism and discretion.

• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Affairs, Political Science, Business Administration, Public Policy, Community Relations, or a related field (preferred).
• 1-3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in administration, stakeholder engagement, communications, community relations, government affairs, public affairs, or a related discipline.
• Experience coordinating meetings, events, travel, budgets, records, reports, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Experience supporting senior leaders, managing priorities, and coordinating multiple activities and stakeholders.
• Experience working in a fast‑paced environment with competing priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational, coordination, and administrative skills with a high level of attention to detail.
• Strong research and analytical skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.
• Familiarity with social media platforms.
• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish is an advantage.

South32 is committed to building and maintaining an inclusive and diverse workforce that reflects the communities in which we operate. We provide a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible for all and we encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.