Senior Community Engagement Specialist, NA

Vantage; Ashburn (VA); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

401k with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Vantage is seeking a Senior Community Engagement Specialist to lead external affairs across the Eastern Region, including Virginia, Ohio, and Georgia. You will build relationships with local officials, community leaders, and nonprofits to support project success and strengthen the company’s social license to operate.

You will collaborate with Public Policy, Development, Construction, and Marketing teams to advance community investment, workforce development, and risk mitigation throughout

Qualifications

• 5-8 years of experience in community engagement, external affairs, or public affairs.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with ability to build trust across diverse communities.
• Organized, detail-oriented and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to travel up to 40% for site visits and stakeholder meetings.
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs, Communications, Political Science, or related field.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary community engagement representative for the Eastern Region (VA, OH, GA, and others).
• Build and sustain relationships with local officials, community leaders, organizations, and partners.
• Represent Vantage at community meetings, civic events, and stakeholder engagements.
• Develop and coordinate engagement plans and outreach activities with internal teams.

Skills

Community engagement

Stakeholder relations

Public affairs

Relationship building

Travel up to 40%

PowerPoint

CRM

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs, Communications, Political Science

Tools

CRM

PowerPoint

Job description

About Vantage

Vantage powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well‑known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

About Vantage

Vantage powers, cools, protects and connects the technology of the world’s well‑known hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. Developing and operating across North America, EMEA and Asia Pacific, Vantage has evolved data center design in innovative ways to deliver dramatic gains in reliability, efficiency and sustainability in flexible environments that can scale as quickly as the market demands.

Public Policy Team

The mission of Vantage Data Centers’ Global Public Policy team is to help deliver the best possible digital infrastructure for the world’s leading technology companies. By advocating for positions, advising on issues, and building relationships with stakeholders, through a combination of creativity, resourcefulness, trust, problem‑solving, and an outward mindset, we aim to create a more favorable and resilient public policy environment for our company. Our work ensures success across the asset lifecycle, mitigates risks and fosters sustainable, long‑term growth for our company and our customers, and establishes us as a value‑adding member of the community.

Global Public Policy is responsible for Vantage Data Centers' government relations, economic development, and community engagement. The team partners with our New Site Development, Construction, Engineering, Legal, Tax, People, Operations, and other departments to grow market share, acquire and retain customers, navigate through regulatory and policy developments, mitigate risk, and expand into new geographies. We are a dedicated team of problem solvers who strive for excellence and drive value‑creation in our work. We practice empathy, humility, curiosity, and accountability, and we strive to support and empower each other to promote the value that Vantage our company generates for our customers, investors, employees, and communities.

Position Overview

This role can be based in Ashburn, VA following our flexible work policy (3 days in‑office, 2 days flexible). As well as Atlanta, Georgia or New Albany, Ohio.

As a Senior Community Engagement Specialist, you will lead Vantage's community engagement and local external affairs strategy across the Eastern Region, serving as the primary representative for community and stakeholder engagement across one of the company's most highly visible markets. This role will be responsible for building and managing relationships with local elected officials, government staff, community leaders, workforce development partners, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, business groups, and other key stakeholders to support project success, strengthen Vantage's social license to operate, and reinforce the company's reputation as a trusted long‑term community partner.

Working closely with Public Policy counterparts, Marketing, Construction, Operations, Sustainability, and People & Culture, you will enhance and execute market‑specific engagement strategies, oversee local external affairs efforts, identify and mitigate stakeholder and reputational risks, advance community investment and workforce development initiatives, and provide strategic counsel to internal teams throughout the development, construction, and operational phases of Vantage's projects.

As the lead community engagement representative for the Eastern Region, you will serve as a trusted advisor to project teams and company leadership, providing market intelligence, monitoring community sentiment, identifying emerging issues and opportunities, and helping shape engagement strategies that build trust, foster meaningful partnerships, and maintain Vantage's social license to operate in the communities where we invest and operate.

Key Responsibilities include:

Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management

• Serve as a primary community engagement representative for Vantage across Virginia, Ohio, Georgia, and other Eastern Region markets, building and maintaining positive relationships with local stakeholders.
• Develop and sustain relationships with local elected officials, government staff, community leaders, business organizations, educational institutions, workforce development partners, and nonprofit organizations to support project objectives and strengthen community partnerships.
• Represent Vantage at community meetings, civic events, industry forums, and stakeholder engagements, helping build awareness, trust, and understanding of the company's projects and commitments.
• Support stakeholder outreach efforts by identifying engagement opportunities, coordinating meetings, and maintaining regular communication with key community partners.

Community Partnerships & Impact

• Implement community engagement initiatives that support Vantage's business objectives while addressing local community priorities and needs.
• Coordinate community investment, workforce development, educational, and nonprofit partnership programs that create meaningful value for local communities and strengthen Vantage's reputation as a long‑term partner.
• Identify opportunities to build new partnerships and expand existing relationships that advance community and business goals.
• Support volunteer, sponsorship, and community relations activities that reinforce Vantage's commitment to responsible growth and community stewardship.

Community Intelligence & Issue Management

• Monitor community sentiment, stakeholder feedback, local issues, and emerging trends that could impact project development, construction, operations, or community relationships.
• Provide regular updates and insights to project teams and leadership regarding stakeholder priorities, community concerns, and engagement opportunities.
• Help identify and address stakeholder concerns through proactive outreach, relationship management, and coordination with internal teams.
• Support issue management and community response efforts by facilitating communication and helping maintain constructive stakeholder relationships.

Cross‑Functional Project Support

• Partner with Public Policy, Development, Construction, Operations, Sustainability, Marketing, and People & Culture teams to support stakeholder engagement activities throughout the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate community engagement activities that support development, permitting, construction, and operational priorities.
• Help ensure stakeholder perspectives and local community considerations are incorporated into project planning and decision‑making.
• Maintain stakeholder records, engagement plans, and activity tracking to support project execution and organizational knowledge sharing.
• Strategic Advisory & Reporting
• Provide recommendations to project teams and leadership based on stakeholder feedback, community priorities, and local market dynamics.
• Assist in evaluating the effectiveness of engagement efforts and identifying opportunities to strengthen stakeholder relationships and community impact.
• Prepare briefings, stakeholder updates, community engagement summaries, and reports for internal audiences.
• Support continuous improvement of community engagement practices by sharing lessons learned, emerging trends, and best practices across the region.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years of experience in community engagement, external affairs, stakeholder relations, nonprofit partnerships, or public affairs.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including writing and public speaking, with a proven ability to build trust across diverse communities; a natural relationship builder and people‑oriented professional.
• Organized, detail‑oriented, and capable of managing multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to work across departments and regions.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, especially PowerPoint, and project management tools; experience with CRM or impact reporting tools is a plus.
• Flexibility to travel for site visits, events, or stakeholder meetings as needed (anticipated up to 40%).

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Affairs, Communications, Political Science, or a related field.
• Experience supporting community programs in regulated, capital‑intensive, or infrastructure‑related industries.
• Ability to navigate both grassroots engagement and executive‑level relationships.
• Existing relationships and experience working with VA, OH or GA‑based communities, local governments, civic and business organizations, educational institutions, workforce development partners, or nonprofit stakeholders.

Physical Demands And Special Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop or kneel; talk and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Additional Details

• Salary Range: $135,000 - $145,000 Base + Bonus (this range is based on CO market data and may vary in other locations)
• This position is eligible for company benefits including but not limited to medical, dental, and vision coverage, life and AD&D, short and long‑term disability coverage, paid time off, employee assistance, participation in a 401k program that includes company match, and many other additional voluntary benefits.
• Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including your qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience and may fall outside of the range shown.

We operate with No Ego and No Arrogance. We work to build each other up and support one another, appreciating each other’s strengths and respecting each other’s weaknesses. We find joy in our work and each other, actively seeking opportunities to inject fun into what we do. Our hard and efficient work is rewarded with an above market total compensation package. We offer a comprehensive suite of health and welfare, retirement, and paid leave benefits exceeding local expectations.

Throughout the year, the advantage of being part of the Vantage team is evident with an array of benefits, recognition, training and development, and the knowledge that your contribution adds value to the company and our community.

Vantage is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Vantage does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm agencies. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of Vantage.