Community Engagement Manager

Who We Are:

It's pretty exciting, to find yourself standing in a pivotal moment in time. It’s even more exciting to be out front leading it. At QTS, our world-class data centers are supporting our customers most strategic growth initiatives, positioning us at the forefront of today’s dynamic digital transformation.

As AI and cloud drive the demand for increased speed, capacity and capability, QTS has emerged as the global digital infrastructure leader, committed to connecting the world for good. Driven by purpose and fueled by a spirit of innovation, QTS designs, builds and operates some of the world’s most advanced, forward-thinking data centers. QTS is a portfolio company of Blackstone. 

QTS is Powered by People. People who play a vital role in our company’s culture, innovation and growth. People who are committed to contributing to the communities where we operate and work. People who are knowledgeable, resourceful and mission driven. Together, we do great things.

Who You Are:

You strive to have a positive impact, at work and in your community. You are an excellent listener and work to find alignment and co-develop “win-win” outcomes with stakeholders. You work well with a team, contribute to strategy development and play your role in the team to deliver valuable outcomes.

The Impact You Will Have:

As the Community Engagement Manager at QTS Data Centers, you will lead fit for purpose stakeholder strategies to support data center development, operations, and long-term partnerships throughout the life cycle of QTS data centers. This is a leadership role is responsible for crafting and executing engagement plans across local, county, and state levels—ensuring timely alignment with construction milestones, permitting processes, and community-facing priorities. This role has a regional responsibility and will be based in either Fayetteville Georgia or the metro-Atlanta area.

Internally, the position will collaborate cross-functionally with teams including Real Estate, Legal, Government Relations, Marketing & Communications, Operations and Pre-Development to integrate stakeholder engagement into the critical path for site selection, project delivery, and operational success.

What You Will Do:

External Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain trust-based relationships with local stakeholders, including local elected officials, community leaders, non-profit civil society organizations, local businesses and government institutions (e.g., schools, economic development administration, etc.)
• Lead proactive engagement to secure community support and facilitate permitting, entitlement and other critical path objectives.
• Act as a key point of contact for information sharing, project/DC updates, community concerns and inquiries from the community surrounding QTS projects.
  
  

Strategic Alignment with Internal Teams

• Work closely with Real Estate and Pre-Development teams to understand site timelines, infrastructure dependencies and critical path requirements.
• Work closely Development and Site Operations teams to support project timelines, major initiatives and potential opportunities for community engagement.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications and Government Relations to align messaging and manage reputational risk
• Coordinate with Marketing & Communications to ensure narrative consistency across channels
• Collaborate with Community Impact team to identify and manage third-party partnerships and community investment
  
  

Conflict Resolution & Feedback Management

• Lead community feedback and complaint management processes, with escalation pathways and tracking
• Implement structured conflict resolution and dialogue mechanisms to support operational stability
• Utilize complaint and feedback tracking integrated with ongoing engagement to identify and manage and/or escalate emerging issues and risks.
  
  

Planning, Execution & Tracking

• Conduct and maintain stakeholder analysis, mapping and scenario planning to ensure effective and efficient engagement
• Develop stakeholder engagement plans integrated with business objectives and project milestones
• Track engagement activities and outcomes using internal systems; deliver insights to inform strategy
• Define and report KPIs for engagement efforts including community sentiment, issue resolution, and stakeholder value
• Provide regular updates to leadership on status, opportunities, and challenges in the region.
  
  

Budget Oversight

• Manage stakeholder outreach, engagement and related event budgets
  
  

What You Will Need to be Successful:

• Five or more years of experience in community engagement, public affairs, government relations, or a related field.
• Experience collaborating directly with communities, particularly in industries involving land use, infrastructure, or large-scale development projects.
• Bachelor’s degree in public affairs, Political Science, Communications, Business, or related professional experience.
• Experience in crisis response and managing public opposition to development projects, demonstrating accountability and action-oriented leadership.
• Ability to travel regionally, with an estimated 50-75% travel depending on project locations.
  
  

Nice to Have:

• Experience in real estate development, energy, mining, or hyperscale projects is a plus.
• Technical Proficiency: Familiarity with data analysis tools to assess community feedback and sentiment is preferred.
• Military veterans with Civil Affairs Corps experience or professionals with a background in community engagement for regulated industries are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Exceptional communication and public speaking skills, with the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a respectful and solution-driven manner.
• Ability to navigate local government processes, permitting, and regulatory frameworks while maintaining transparency and accountability.
  
  

TOTAL REWARDS

• This role is also eligible for a competitive benefits package that includes: medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; 401(k) retirement plan; flexible spending and HSA accounts; paid holidays; paid time off; paid volunteer days; employee assistance program; tuition assistance; parental leave; military leave assistance; QTS scholarship for dependents; wellness program, and other company benefits.
• This position is Bonus eligible.
  
  

We conform to all the laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply to all of our job openings. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, Genetic Information & Testing, Family & Medical Leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or discrimination claim.

The "Know Your Rights" Poster is included here:

Know Your Rights (English)

Know Your Rights (Spanish)

The pay transparency policy is available here:

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Poster-Formatted

QTS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please send an e-mail to talentacquisition@qtsdatacenters.com and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.