Community Engagement & External Affairs Manager

Community Engagement & External Affairs Manager

Location: Bismarck or Fargo, North Dakota (with in-state travel)

Company Overview:

Base Electron is the Independent Power Producer (IPP) platform supporting Applied Digital’s next-generation digital infrastructure. Focused on delivering reliable, scalable energy solutions, Base Electron plays a critical role in enabling high-performance computing operations across key markets. As a mission-driven organization in an evolving and often highly visible industry, Base Electron is committed to responsible development, strong community partnerships, and transparent engagement.

Position Overview:

Base Electron is seeking a Community Engagement & External Affairs Manager to lead local relationship-building efforts and support project success across North Dakota. This role is responsible for establishing and maintaining trust with key stakeholders, supporting project execution through proactive engagement, and representing the company in community-facing environments.

This is an execution-focused role with visibility across the full project lifecycle, particularly during construction and operations. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in public affairs, community engagement, or external relations within infrastructure, energy, or similarly complex industries, and is comfortable operating in environments where public perception and stakeholder alignment are critical. While primarily executional, this role offers the opportunity to help shape longer-term engagement strategy as the organization grows.

Key Responsibilities:

Community Engagement & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with local stakeholders, including municipal and county officials, community groups, and workforce/education partners
• Serve as a primary local representative for Base Electron, fostering trust and transparency in all interactions
• Develop and execute community engagement plans aligned with project timelines and operational needs
• Coordinate and participate in public meetings, community forums, and stakeholder briefings

Project Enablement & Support

• Partner closely with Development, Construction, and Operations teams to support project execution through proactive stakeholder engagement
• Identify and mitigate community-related risks that could impact project timelines or reputation
• Support permitting and entitlement processes through coordinated communication and local engagement efforts
• Provide on-the-ground support during key project phases, particularly construction and early operations

External Affairs & Communications

• Represent Base Electron in public-facing settings, including presentations, hearings, and community events
• Support messaging and communications in coordination with Applied Digital’s External Affairs team
• Assist in managing local media interactions and community narratives as needed
• Monitor public sentiment and provide feedback to internal stakeholders

Crisis & Issues Management

• Serve as a front-line resource for managing sensitive community issues or concerns
• Support crisis response efforts, including stakeholder communication and coordination with internal teams
• Proactively identify potential reputational risks and escalate as appropriate

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Applied Digital’s External Affairs function, as well as internal Development, Legal, and Operations teams
• Contribute insights to inform broader engagement strategies and best practices
• Support the gradual build-out of a scalable community engagement function

Basic Qualifications:

• 7 years of experience in public affairs, community engagement, external relations, or related fields
• Experience in infrastructure, energy, or other highly visible, community-impacting industries
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills, with the ability to represent the company in a variety of forums
• Demonstrated experience managing sensitive stakeholder situations and/or crisis scenarios
• Ability to build trust and credibility with diverse stakeholder groups
• Willingness to travel within North Dakota as needed

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting large-scale construction or infrastructure projects
• Background in corporate communications, government relations, or project development
• Familiarity with permitting and entitlement processes
• Experience working in or alongside politically sensitive or highly scrutinized industries (e.g., energy, data centers, utilities)
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, evolving organizational environment

Please note that Base Electron is currently unable to sponsor new applicants for employment authorization or provide immigration-related support for this position. This includes, but is not limited to, visa categories such as H-1B, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, TN, E-2, E-3, L-1, O-1, and any Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) or other work authorizations that require employer sponsorship.

The company has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the company reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the company may deem appropriate.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents acknowledge that they possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.

The company is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.