Vice President, Public Policy and Community Relations

Summary

Description

At CoreSite, we empower a more connected future through high-performance data centers and interconnection solutions. Recognized as a trusted partner in digital transformation, our strategically located facilities and innovative services enable businesses to connect, collaborate, and grow in an ever-evolving technological landscape.

Our culture is defined by operational excellence and a relentless drive for innovation. We foster a collaborative environment where every team member is valued, wins are celebrated as a team, and ownership is part of our DNA. At CoreSite, we’re not just building state-of-the-art infrastructure—we’re creating a community of forward-thinkers committed to solving complex challenges and delivering exceptional customer experiences.

At CoreSite not only are we Committed to Excellence, but we also Build Connections, Own It, Do the Right Thing, Have Fun, and Win as a Team. Join us and be part of a team that is shaping the future of digital infrastructure while nurturing your professional growth and success.

Vice President, Public Policy and Community Relations Role:

As a member of the company’s Legal team, the Vice President, Public Policy and Community Relations will manage and develop a team and work closely with the VP of Marketing and Sales Development, SVP of Corporate Development, and SVP of General Management to define and build public policy strategies at CoreSite to support our growth. This includes planning and executing strategic communications programs while operating at a high level of autonomy and regularly collaborating with cross-functional subject matter experts. This role will enable CoreSite to deliver on its growth plans across the U.S. and has responsibility for maintaining relationships, tracking emerging regulations and engaging across federal, state and local regulatory environments. The Vice President, Public Policy and Community Relations will be responsible for formalizing a national community relations strategy to proactively and continually engage with local leaders and the communities in which we operate.

CoreSite develops and operates essential multi-tenant data centers for our customers across the U.S. to deploy their compute infrastructure to support our daily digital lives. This role reports to CoreSite’s SVP and General Counsel and is an exciting opportunity for an expert candidate to build CoreSite’s public policy and community engagement agenda and to develop and implement strategies to advance this agenda at community, local, state and federal levels.

Duties:

• Develop and implement a coordinated strategy to advance our public policy agenda across our existing and expansion markets. 
• Set the public policy and community engagement strategy to actively build and maintain relationships with key elected officials, regulatory agencies, industry associations and community leaders.
• Lead the design, implementation and measurement of community engagement strategies and philanthropic initiatives, building meaningful partnerships and driving positive outcomes for the communities in which CoreSite operates.
• Research, identify and track current and emerging public policy issues.
• Partner with various internal stakeholders to prioritize key public policy issues related to our mid- and long-term business plans.
• Select, develop and manage third-party policy advisors and lobbyists.
• Manage, develop and mentor a regional team.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams, including leadership, legal, general management, corporate development, and operations and marketing, to ensure alignment and lead support of public policy, community and government initiatives.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments at the local, state and federal level that could impact CoreSite’s operations and, as appropriate, proactively create and implement strategies to address such developments.
• Collaborate on internal processes for handling public policy and community relations matters that arise on an emergency or unexpected basis so that CoreSite is prepared to respond in such cases.
• Provide regular public policy updates for senior management and key stakeholders.
• Partner with the marketing/PR team and internal subject matter experts to develop materials that:
  • Educate policymakers about CoreSite, our multi-tenant model and critical role in supporting essential services and our daily digital lives. 
  • Highlight CoreSite’s contributions to the communities in which it operates.

• Provide leadership and strategic representation for the Company within relevant trade associations, contributing to organizational planning, policy development, and key decision-making initiatives.
• Promote and demonstrate the behaviors consistent with CoreSite’s culture and core values. 

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to thrive in a hybrid work environment, with regular on-site presence of up to 2 days per week.
• Flexibility to travel up to 25%, with the potential for increased travel or in-office presence as business needs evolve.
• Regular travel to multiple CoreSite markets, capital cities, regional meetings and hearings, etc.
• Excellent written and verbal communication to internal and external audiences, including senior government officials, community leaders and company executives
• Proven creative and critical thinking, and the ability to understand complex issues and identify clear and effective action plans to resolve them
• Advanced political savvy and the ability to connect with customers and community members
• Demonstrated track record of successfully advocating for policy initiatives and building relationships with government officials and industry stakeholders.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree from accredited college or university preferred; law or master’s degree plus
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in government relations, economic development or community engagement
• Information technology (IT) and B2B experience preferred
• Strong understanding of legislative and regulatory processes, with experience in government relations, economic development, and community engagement.
• Experience representing business interests before government officials and stakeholders, including learning and advocating for organizational priorities.
• Knowledge of public policy issues related to data centers, AI, tax policy, energy, and sustainability.
• Experience managing contract lobbyists and serving as an internal government affairs representative for a private company or trade association preferred.
• Experience building, managing, and developing public policy teams. 

Physical Demands:

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 accommodation 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.  Ability to travel is required. 

Benefits:

Not only does CoreSite have a fun, team-focused work environment, but we also offer great benefits to all employees regularly scheduled to work more than 20 hours a week!

• First-day medical insurance through Cigna with generous premium cost coverage
• Dental insurance through Delta Dental
• Vision insurance through VSP
• Telemedicine through MDLive for Cigna
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending account (FSA) plans
• Health saving account (HSA) plans for employees participating in the High Deductible Health Plan
• Life, AD&D, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance fully paid by the company
• Voluntary coverage benefits for supplemental life, critical illness, accident, and hospital insurance
• First-day eligibility for 401(k) savings plan through Fidelity, which includes an attractive matching company contribution with a 5% company match
• Discretionary annual bonus and equity incentive plan
• Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP) with a 15% discount
• 16 days of paid time off (PTO)11 paid company holidays and additional floating holidays
• Additional paid time off for school events, elder care, volunteering, bereavement, jury duty, voting, parental leave and disability leave
• Free parking or a company contribution toward a public transit pass

Additional Perks

• Wellness Reimbursement Program: Yearly stipend of $500 for employees and $300 for dependents, up to $800 total for the family
• Wellness Incentive Program: Participate in various wellbeing activities to earn up to $450 per year in cash incentives
• Technology Stipend: $100 monthly stipend.
• Educational Reimbursement Program: Work-related learning and development with reimbursement on qualifying degree programs, up to $5,250 per year
• Giving Back: Charitable donation matches up to $5,000 per year and nominate organizations for Company Foundation grants
• Financial Management: Access to financial coaching, digital tools and services to manage and pay student loan debt quicker
• Pet Insurance: Keep your furry friends healthy and happy
• Family Planning: Benefits and services related to fertility, pregnancy, menopause, adoption and surrogacy
• Employee Assistance Program: 24×7 service to support family, work, money, health, legal and life challenges
• Counseling and Caregiving Programs: Including access to mental health services, licensed counselors, and caregiving tools including membership for finding care.
• Referral Bonus: Receive a $3,000 cash bonus if referred candidate is hired and meets eligibility requirements
• Discounts: Discounts, cash back offers and perks on thousands of brands
• LinkedIn Learning Membership: Support your development when accessing LinkedIn’s online library of courses and videos

General Statements –
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. The employer will not sponsor applicants for work visas.
Please note that all offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and, where permitted by law, a 5-panel drug test conducted after the offer letter is signed, which will screen for THC, opiates, PCP, cocaine, and amphetamines. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Applicant Privacy Notice: CoreSite is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information submitted by applicants. The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) requires us to provide you information about our personal information handling practices. As a result, we’re providing this Privacy Notice that describes how we collect, use, share, and update personal information from individuals who wish to be considered for employment with CoreSite. To read the Applicant Privacy Notice, please go to https://www.coresite.com/applicant-privacy-notice.
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