Head of Community Partnerships and Economic Development

Verrus; California (MO); On-site; USD 175,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Verrus is seeking a Head of Community Partnerships and Economic Development to lead national community engagement and to develop a repeatable multi‑metro partnership playbook. This full‑time role requires extensive travel, representing Verrus in first‑mile communities and coordinating with cross‑functional teams.

You will build partnerships across metros, translate Verrus' mission into local value, and ensure consistent, authentic engagement with residents, local leaders, and stakeholders

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Community Development, Economic Development, Regional Planning, Corporate Communications, Journalism or equivalent.
• 12+ years in community engagement, economic development, strategic communication, public relations, or related field, including senior leadership and team/agency management.
• Experience managing organized public opposition and crisis response for large-scale development projects in sectors such as data centers, energy, infrastructure, real estate, or natural resources.
• Experience partnering with HOAs, neighborhood groups, and community organizations to navigate complex projects from concept to delivery.
• Experience selecting and managing external agencies, consultants, and on-the-ground representatives across multiple markets.
• Exceptional communication and public-speaking skills.
• Willingness and ability to travel 50% or more across multiple metros and states.

Responsibilities

• Own Verrus' national community partnerships and economic development strategy, shaping it to a repeatable multi‑metro partnership playbook that scales across the portfolio.
• Serve as Verrus' trusted local presence and lead voice in the first metros, forging lasting partnerships with residents, local stakeholders, land community organizations, leading open houses, public hearings, and community meetings in person.
• Build and lead the network of local partners, consultants, public relations firms and community ambassadors who deepen Verrus' presence and credibility in every market.
• Earn community trust by listening early and often, engaging questions with candor and transparency, and building broad coalitions and local champions for Verrus.
• Be a responsive, accountable neighbor across the full project lifecycle, from site selection through construction and into operations, resolving day‑to‑day matters with care and respect.
• Quantify for partner communities Verrus’ lasting measurable local impact: economic development, quality jobs, workforce and supplier opportunities, grid and clean energy benefits, and lasting community investment.
• Bring the community's voice into the business, partnering across pre‑development, real estate, construction, engineering and permitting, and coordinating with energy policy leadership on the local‑to‑state seam.
• Maintain a portfolio‑level view of community sentiment, trust, impact, and engagement across all metros (stakeholder mapping, engagement standards, concern response, hearing prep).
• Prioritize time and investment across metros by permitting stage and community need.

Skills

Public speaking

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree (Urban Planning / related)

Master's degree (related field)

Job description

About Verrus

Data centers should be valuable assets to their customers, the grid, and the local community such that we are able to give customers what they want, where they want it, while cities and utilities are actively seeking us to build in their region.

Verrus is a developer of next generation, greenfield hyperscale data centers that flexibly leverage its onsite energy infrastructure (i.e. large scale BESS) through our proprietary technology. This allows Verrus to be a flexible resource to the grid, and provide grid services that facilitate interconnection and the effective procurement of power and carbon free energy, and balance traditional and variable uptime workloads (e.g., AI/ML). Verrus builds and capitalizes its turnkey data centers deeply integrated with energy resources, providing significant advantages over traditional designs.

Verrus is led by industry veterans with experience at the largest data center development companies as well as power & utilities, delivering GWs of data center capacity across four continents in their careers (representing billions of investment).

About Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners

Verrus is backed by Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP). With investment from Alphabet, Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and Stepstone Group, SIP is a leading infrastructure holding company propelling one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects of this era: modernizing the electric power grid while building the compute superstructure that drives the global economy. SIP invests in and develops breakthrough businesses and projects at the intersection of scalable, affordable, and resilient energy and digital systems.

Following years of research and in collaboration with the Verrus management team, SIP formed Verrus to design, build, and operate the world’s most innovative data centers, leveraging unique technology to develop a scaled project portfolio that delivers significant financial, environmental, community, and innovation outcomes.

Role

Verrus is looking for a Head of Community Partnerships and Economic Development. This is a full‑time role reporting to the General Counsel, with significant travel (estimated 50% or more) across our active and target markets making sure that Verrus is hearing the voice of the communities in which we develop, while making sure that the unique Verrus values are being communicated effectively.

At Verrus we believe data centers should be valuable assets to their customers, the grid, and the local community. You will be the person who makes that vision real on the ground. You will develop and lead Verrus' community partnerships and economic development function horizontally across the various groups at Verrus engaging with the external communities. As part of this work, you will be defining our national community engagement strategy and a repeatable partnership approach, while serving as Verrus' trusted local representative in our first metros. You own how Verrus shows up in every community we join.

This is a relationship‑first role. Communities welcome new neighbors who listen, who are transparent, and who leave the place better than they found it. You will lead with listening, build authentic and lasting relationships with residents and local leaders, and translate Verrus' mission into tangible local value: economic development, good jobs, supplier opportunities, grid and energy benefits, and community investment that lasts well beyond construction. When questions and concerns arise about a large project, you will engage them directly, honestly, and quickly, building the trust and broad‑based local support that lets Verrus and the community succeed together. You will hire and manage the local partners and representatives who extend our presence, and you will work hand in hand with our pre‑development, real estate, construction, engineering, permitting, energy policy, and marketing teams to ensure one consistent, authentic voice across every site.

Responsibilities

• Own Verrus' national community partnerships and economic development strategy, shaping it to a repeatable multi‑metro partnership playbook that scales across the portfolio.


• Serve as Verrus' trusted local presence and lead voice in the first metros, forging lasting, strategic partnerships with residents, local stakeholders, land community organizations, leading open houses, public hearings, and community meetings in person.


• Build and lead the network of local partners, consultants, public relations firms and community ambassadors who deepen Verrus' presence and credibility in every market.


• Earn community trust by listening early and often, engaging questions with candor and transparency, and building broad coalitions and local champions for Verrus.


• Be a responsive, accountable neighbor across the full project lifecycle, from site selection through construction and into operations, resolving day‑to‑day matters with care and respect.


• Quantify for partner communities Verrus’ lasting measurable local impact: economic development, quality jobs, workforce and supplier opportunities, grid and clean energy benefits, and lasting community investment.


• Bring the community's voice into the business, partnering across pre‑development, real estate, construction, engineering and permitting, and coordinating with energy policy leadership on the local‑to‑state seam.


• Maintain a portfolio‑level view of community sentiment, trust, impact, and engagement across all metros (stakeholder mapping, engagement standards, concern response, hearing prep).


• Prioritize time and investment across metros by permitting stage and community need.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning, Community Development, Economic Development, Regional Planning, Corporate Communications, Journalism, Public Relations or equivalent professional experience.


• 12 or more years in community engagement, economic development, strategic communication, public relations, or a related field, including senior leadership and team or agency management.


• Demonstrated experience managing organized public opposition and crisis response for large‑scale development projects in sectors such as data centers, energy, infrastructure, real estate, or natural resources.


• Demonstrated experience partnering with HOAs, neighborhood groups, and community organizations to navigate complex projects from concept to delivery.


• Demonstrated experience selecting and managing external agencies, consultants, and on‑the‑ground representatives across multiple markets.


• Exceptional communication and public‑speaking skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders in a respectful, solution‑oriented manner.


• Willingness and ability to travel 50% or more across multiple metros and states.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing and implementing community investment, local partnership, and community benefit programs.


• Established relationships with stakeholders in our established and emerging data center markets, and familiarity with sentiment and community‑feedback data tools.


• Experience standing up a community engagement function from scratch in an early‑stage or high‑growth company.


• Master's degree in a related field.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $175,000-$250,000. Salary is only one part of Verrus' comprehensive compensation package, which also includes a discretionary bonus, equity, general health benefits and paid time off. Compensation is determined by multiple factors, including market location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer. For us, this is more than legal boilerplate; it is reflective of a deeply held belief that our success depends on our willingness to recruit, hire, empower, compensate, reward, and promote the best and brightest individuals, of all backgrounds and characteristics.