Director of Community Development (Data Centers)

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 company backed by SoftBank and Ares pairing cutting-edge innovation with best-in-class execution. Our Mission is to provide reliable, affordable energy at scale to support America’s growing energy demands.

Headquartered in Redwood City, CA, SB Energy develops, builds, owns & operates some of the largest and most technically advanced energy and data center infrastructure projects in the United States. Since launching in 2019, the company has rapidly grown into a top-tier integrated platform with over 3 gigawatts (GW) in operation and a multi-GW pipeline of energy and data center infrastructure nationwide. SB Energy also utilizes its strong culture of innovation to identify and incorporate new technology into our projects, including our AI-based digital platform, to deliver energy infrastructure that is local, reliable, and matched to load. We are building the energy and technology future—today.

Come join us in accelerating the energy transition to cleaner, more sustainable sources of power!

Title : Director of Community Development (Data Centers) Basic Function

The Director of Community Engagement will be the ambassador between SB Energy and communities where we are developing large-scale AI data centers across the U.S. The successful candidate will be responsible for building strong relationships with local leaders/stakeholders and communication with communities on upcoming AI data center projects. The Director of Community Engagement will work closely within the Development team and cross functional teams such as Construction, Capital Markets, Grid Integration and Legal departments during data center development.

Responsibilities

- Build and maintain relationships with local leaders, community organizations, and residents.

- Develop and execute community engagement strategies for new AI data centers.

- Originate, negotiate, and secure favorable property tax abatement and economic development incentive packages with states and Counties.

- Partner with respective departments on incentive compliance and community benefits.

- Develop proactive communications to address concerns, highlight benefits, and reduce risk of opposition.

- Monitor community sentiment and advise executives on risks and opportunities.

- Oversee data-driven community needs assessments, transforming research into actionable insights for projects.

- Represent SB Energy in public forums, hearings, and community events.

- Define and implement the strategic roadmap for programmatic community development.

Qualifications/Requirements

- A minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in related field. Masters or JD is preferred but not required.

- 8+ years in community engagement, business development, market development, economic development, public policy, or program/project management.

Previous Experience

- 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:

San Francisco Bay Area; San Diego, CA; Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Houston, TX preferred.

The position requires up to 30% domestic travel.

Base Pay - 190,000-220,000

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 team. In addition to competitive base pay, total compensation may include a discretionary annual bonus, a long-term incentive plan aligned with our ownership mindset, and a market leading comprehensive health and wellness benefits package. Final details will be discussed during the later stages of the hiring process.

Our Health & Wellness Benefits

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 Paid 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.

To learn more about us, visit www.sbenergy.com.