Director, Policy Communications

Role Overview

As Nscale continues to expand its global footprint of AI data centers, the communities and policy environments in which we build are central to our long-term success. We are seeking a Director, Policy Communications to lead our approach to community and policy communications — building understanding and trust from federal to the state and local levels while translating national and global policy positions into credible, locally resonant stories.

This role sits at the intersection of public policy, communications, and community engagement. You will partner closely with Legal & Government Affairs, real estate, and development teams throughout the data center development lifecycle, ensuring our external communications strategies are informed by political readiness and community engagement intelligence. You will be a strategic counselor and a hands-on builder — equally comfortable drafting op-eds and blog posts, briefing executives, and building a coalition narrative from scratch.

Key Responsibilities

Community & Policy Communications

• Develop and execute proactive communications plans for the federal, state, local municipality level stakeholder audiences to increase awareness of Nscale’s investment in and positive impact on the local community and economy.
• Execute events and programs that communicate transparently and build strong relationships with the local community where Nscale is building or planning data centers.
• Create and disseminate public-facing messaging (grounded in facts and data) around Nscale’s environmental footprint, economic contribution, and local impact of data centers.
• Collaborate with Government Affairs, Legal, Community Engagement teams to develop external messaging for media and stakeholders.
• Monitor media and social media for public, political sentiment, local community sentiment about Nscale data centers and the AI data center industry at large. 
• Work hand-in-hand with Government Affairs to turn high-level, national-scale policy positions into messaging that resonates locally — spanning a community messaging playbook, bylined articles, press placements, coalition talking points, and leadership commentary.
• Cultivate strong relationships with national and local policy reporters, universities, think tanks, trade groups, and coalition partners.
• Mine public opinion research and polling data for insight, then turn those insights into content that positions Nscale ahead of emerging conversations about energy use, job creation, and community impact.

 

Crisis & Issues Management

• Monitor and analyze the policy landscape across Nscale's key markets, identifying media risks, opportunities, and emerging narratives around AI infrastructure, data sovereignty, energy, and community impact.
• Lead communications on sensitive regulatory, siting, and community issues
• Lead crisis communications response for inbounds regarding Nscale data centers and other policy issues
•  Develop and update reactive talking points and messaging to support Nscale’s reputation.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and Government Affairs and Legal on policy communications and 

Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience in policy communications, public affairs or public relations, ideally within technology, infrastructure, energy, or another regulated or capital-intensive industry.
• Proven track record building and executing communications strategies that translate complex policy and regulatory topics into clear, locally relevant narratives.
• Direct experience supporting policy communications for technology companies - a plus if includes experience in supporting comms for infrastructure development projects (e.g., data centers, energy, utilities), including working through siting, permitting, and community engagement processes.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with policy-focused journalists, think tanks, trade associations, and industry groups.
• Experience partnering cross functional teams, including Government Affairs, Policy, Corporate Affairs and Legal.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify technical or regulatory topics for a range of audiences — from local residents to policymakers to executives.
• Experience advising and preparing senior executives for high-stakes public, media, or community engagements.
• Sound judgment operating in fast-moving, high-scrutiny environments, including issues management and crisis response.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic, thoughtful, and highly organized.
• Confident communicator with strong stakeholder presence at all levels, from local community members to C-suite executives.
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently  
• Proactive and solutions-oriented, comfortable building programs from the ground up.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• High level of judgment and discretion.