Manager, Community Engagement Development & Origination Austin, TX

SB Energy Corp.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits (100% company-paid)

401(k) with company match

Paid time off + 11 holidays

Parental leave (12 weeks)

Wellness support

Job summary

SB Energy Corp. in Austin, TX, seeks a Community Development Manager to serve as a local liaison, building trusted relationships and partnerships across communities through project development, construction, and transition to operations. You will lead outreach and ensure residents’ priorities shape programs and benefits.

The role requires 6+ years in community engagement or related fields, a bachelor’s degree, and strong public speaking skills. Travel up to 15% is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field; Masters/JD preferred.
• 6+ years in community engagement, business development, market development, economic development, public policy, or program/project management.
• Proven track record engaging diverse community stakeholders for large infrastructure or technology projects.
• Experience creating external communications plans, including crisis communication management.
• Experience integrating community benefits (workforce, education, infrastructure) into development strategies.
• Strong public speaking and facilitation skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive political and reputational issues.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain relationships with residents, local officials and staff, schools, chambers of commerce, nonprofits, civic groups, and emergency responders.
• Execute community engagement strategy: briefings, listening sessions, group discussions, community events.
• Represent SB Energy at community events; keep development updated on concerns and opportunities.
• Coordinate community concerns: track issues, assign owners, escalate, follow up with residents.
• Draft updates, FAQs, and presentations for stakeholders to stay informed.
• Identify community priorities and drive company investment in grants, sponsorships, and partnerships.
• Build relationships with schools, technical colleges, workforce organizations, and local businesses to establish workforce training and career pathways.

Skills

Public speaking

Stakeholder management

Crisis communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Masters or JD preferred

Job description

Do you want to work with high-caliber professionals in a dynamic and growing company? Are you entrepreneurial, hard-working, and collegial? Join us at SB Energy, a leading infrastructure company backed by SoftBank Group and Ares Infrastructure, pairing cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution. Our mission is to deliver reliable and secure data center and power infrastructure to strengthen America's future.

Founded in 2019, SB Energy is a SoftBank Group company headquartered in Redwood City, California. In 2026, SoftBank Group and OpenAI announced a $1 billion investment to support SB Energy as their leading development and execution partner for data center campuses, while Ares Infrastructure continues its long-standing support of the company's growth. SB Energy develops, builds, owns, and operates some of the largest and most technically advanced energy and data center infrastructure projects in the United States. Since its founding, the company has rapidly grown into a top-tier integrated platform with more than 3 gigawatts (GW) in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide.

SB Energy also leverages a strong culture of innovation to identify and integrate new technologies into its projects, including its AI-based digital platform, delivering energy infrastructure that is local, reliable, and matched to load. We are building the energy and infrastructure future—today.

Come join us in accelerating the energy and infrastructure transition!

Basic Function:

SB Energy is seeking a Community Development Manager to serve as a local point of contact in the communities we are partnering with to develop digital infrastructure. This role will build trusted relationships and strategic partnerships, lead day-to-day outreach, and turn community priorities into community benefits throughout project development, construction, and the transition to operations. The Community Development Manager has local knowledge and community relationships that they will bring into project planning, help residents understand project activities, and coordinate timely responses to questions and concerns.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain relationships with residents, local officials and staff, schools, chambers of commerce, nonprofits, civic groups, and emergency responders.
• Execute community engagement strategy. Organize briefings, listening sessions, small group discussions, community dinners, open houses, and other outreach suited to the project and community.
• Represent SB Energy at community events and relevant public meetings; keep the development up to date on emerging concerns, local developments, and opportunities to strengthen community partnerships.
• Anticipate emerging community issues and ensure local feedback informs project planning, construction, and operations. Own the coordination of community concern resolution, including tracking issues, assigning internal owners, escalating when needed, and following through with residents.
• Draft project updates, project website, FAQs, presentations and other materials necessary to keep community stakeholders current on project information.
• Identify community priorities and drive company investment in grants, sponsorships, and partnerships in areas such as education, youth programs, workforce development, and public safety.
• Build relationships with local schools, technical colleges, workforce organizations, and local businesses. Lead strategic efforts to establish or build workforce development training and career pathways.

Qualifications/Requirements

• A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in related field. Masters or JD is preferred but not required.
• 6+ years in community engagement, business development, market development, economic development, public policy, or program/project management.
• Proven track record engaging and building trust with diverse community stakeholders (local municipalities, non-profit decision makers etc.) for large infrastructure or technology projects.
• Experience with creating and implementing external communications plans, including crisis communication management, utilizing modern communication strategies.
• Experience integrating community benefits (workforce, education, infrastructure support) into development strategies.
• Strong public speaking and facilitation skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive political and reputational issues.
• Experience managing contractors, agencies, or other third-parties.
• Understanding and experience in developing and presenting strategic recommendations from a broad range of data sources (e.g., survey data, social intelligence, qualitative research, online telemetry, business metrics).
• Collaborative and adaptable, with experience working across government, community, and corporate teams.

Location: Austin, TX

The position requires up to 15% domestic travel.

Base Pay - $140,000 - $165,000

The pay range mentioned above is a guideline. We tailor each offer based on your unique skills, experience, location, and market benchmarks—while ensuring internal parity across our teams. The compensation range provided reflects base pay. Total rewards may also include performance-based bonuses, equity grants, and a market leading comprehensive health and wellness benefits package. Final details will be discussed during the later stages of the hiring process.

At SB Energy, we invest in our people and their families with benefits designed for flexibility, support, and peace of mind. Full-time employees enjoy:

• 100% Company-Paid Medical, Dental & Vision (for employees and dependents)
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Generous Paid Time Off + 11 Paid Holidays
• 12 Weeks Parental Leave
• Life, AD&D & Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for Medical, Dependent Care, Transit & Parking (with company contributions)
• Mental, Physical & Social Wellness Support (with company contributions)
• Flexible Work Arrangements & Hybrid Office Setup Benefits
• Monthly Reimbursement for Phone, Internet & Data
• Optional Legal & Pet Insurance Plans
• Device Purchase Support

At SB Energy, the success of our projects is driven by a desire to see our projects benefit as many people as possible. We work to serve local communities through volunteering, fundraising, and much more. For example, we’re proud to support access and opportunity in engineering and clean energy through impactful mentorship programs and workforce training. When you join SB Energy, you can become a part of these efforts, collaborating with team members who share a vision of building a better future now!

SB Energy is built on a foundation of collaboration and inclusion. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.