Led by an experienced management team and supported by a strong investor group, including large and experienced institutions and strategic partners, EdgeConneX offers a dynamic, fast-paced work environment where we are bringing flexibility, proximity, power, and connectivity to some of the world’s key businesses. With major offices in Herndon, Denver, and Amsterdam, we have a global footprint and a unified team of employees committed to providing a premier customer experience and delivering the full spectrum of data center solutions, from core to edge, like no other data center provider can do.
Focused on driving innovation and helping our customers define and deliver their own unique vision for the Edge, at any scale, in any market worldwide, for any requirement, we are building tomorrow’s data center infrastructure, today for some of the world’s most demanding Network, Content, and Cloud customers.
The Senior Director, Communication & Community Partnerships will serve as a senior contributor and integrator across two complementary domains: co-leading EdgeConneX education partnerships, and driving traditional marketing and communications execution including press relations, content development, social media management, and delivery of the broader communications plan. This role combines the external credibility of a seasoned communications professional with the relationship-building instincts of a community and education advocate — representing EdgeConneX with educators, civic leaders, and media while ensuring the company’s story is told with consistency, quality, and impact. While this position can be remote, it will require travel that can peak at 25-30% travel depending on the level engagement necessary to build relationships with higher education and communities as a whole.
Primary Responsibilities
Education Partnerships & Community Liaison
- Build and maintain trust-based relationships with local external stakeholders in active and pipeline markets, including elected officials, municipal staff, school administrators, neighborhood associations, community entities, youth organizations, and other civic leaders; represent EdgeConneX at community and education events.
- Serve as an EdgeConneX liaison to community colleges, universities, and workforce development programs in markets where the company operates or is developing; cultivate relationships with educators, administrators, and program coordinators to identify opportunities for meaningful collaboration.
- Identify, develop, and manage education partnership programs that connect EdgeConneX business and mission to student learning, including facility tours, guest speaker engagements, curriculum support, internship pipelines, and career awareness initiatives in technology and data center fields.
- Coordinate with internal stakeholders across Real Estate, Development, Legal, Public Affairs, and Marketing teams to align community engagement activities with project timelines and corporate priorities.
- Coordinate with HR and Operations teams to align education outreach with EdgeConneX workforce needs; help bridge community relationships into tangible hiring and development opportunities.
- Capture and amplify community and education engagement stories — including photos, testimonials, student outcomes, and program milestones — for use across internal and external communications channels, award nominations, and sustainability reporting.
Press Relations & Media Outreach
- Draft and distribute press releases, media advisories, and executive statements; manage end-to-end logistics of press release distribution in coordination with wire services and targeted media lists.
- Develop and maintain proactive media relationships with journalists, editors, and producers across technology, real estate, energy, sustainability, and local market beats; pitch stories that advance EdgeConneX community/education narrative and thought leadership positioning.
- Manage inbound media inquiries, coordinate responses when needed with internal subject matter experts and legal review and maintain a media inquiry log to ensure timely resolution and consistent tracking.
- Monitor media coverage and compile regular intelligence digests for leadership; track competitive announcements and industry news to inform communications strategy and positioning.
Content Development & Communications Plan Execution
- Write and edit a broad range of marketing and communications content including blog posts, bylined articles, executive thought leadership pieces, award nominations, maintaining a consistent, compelling brand voice across all formats.
- Support the development and day-to-day execution of the EdgeConneX content and communications calendar, ensuring planned content is produced on time, aligned with business priorities, and delivered across the right channels.
- Manage incoming content requests from internal teams, capturing scope, audience, channel, deadline, and approvals needed; serve as a senior writer and editor who can produce high-quality first drafts with minimal direction.
- Partner with Marketing, Public Affairs, Sustainability, and Real Estate teams to identify content opportunities tied to business milestones, community activity, awards, and industry moments.
Social Media Management
- Oversee EdgeConneX social media presence on LinkedIn; co-develop and execute a social media content strategy that builds brand awareness, showcases community impact, and engages key audiences including customers, partners, talent, and community stakeholders.
- Draft, schedule, and publish social content; monitor daily comments, mentions, and direct messages requiring response or escalation; ensure tone and messaging remain on-brand and aligned with corporate communications guidance.
- Compile and analyze monthly social media performance reports covering follower growth, reach, impressions, engagement rate, and top-performing content; translate data into actionable recommendations for ongoing strategy refinement.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Strong communications, both written and verbal, in leading teams and coordinating with peers and other disciplines on driving projects/issues to closure
- Commitment to organizational excellence and constant awareness to seek opportunities to improve processes/quality of deliverables
- Superb ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects/responsibilities
- Superb ability to meet committed timelines, leveraging assistance/input from peers
- Strong and effective team player in working with various disciplines and peer groups; can cover all gamut of tasks required to ‘getting a job done’
- Strong attention to detail
Experience / Education
- 10+ years of progressive experience in marketing, communications, public relations, or a closely related field, with demonstrated senior-level ownership of programs and deliverables
- Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, Public Relations, Education, or a related discipline; advanced degree a plus
- Proven track record as a skilled writer and editor across multiple formats — press releases, thought leadership content, social media, and executive communications
- Experience building and managing education partnerships, community liaison programs, or stakeholder engagement initiatives; demonstrated comfort engaging with educators, school administrators, and civic officials
- Established media relationships and hands-on experience with media outreach, press release distribution, and proactive pitching
- Strong command of social media strategy and platform management, with experience translating performance data into content decisions
- Ability to manage a complex, multi-workstream portfolio independently while collaborating effectively with a cross-functional team
- Candidates with experience in the Data Center industry, Construction, or Real Estate environments are strongly encouraged to apply
EdgeConneX believes inclusion – of thought, backgrounds and experiences – affects all that we do, from our employees to the solutions we deliver. Our goal is to create an environment where embracing differences helps deepen the lives and work experience of our employees, enhances our innovation and creativity, and enriches our involvement in our communities. EdgeConneX is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, as well as any other category protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.
EdgeConneX offers a competitive benefits package.
For more information on how we process your data, visit our Data Privacy Policy here.
Similar Jobs
.png)
What you need to know about the Chicago Tech Scene
Key Facts About Chicago Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 245,800; 5.2% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: McDonald’s, John Deere, Boeing, Morningstar
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, fintech, software, logistics technology
- Funding Landscape: $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Pritzker Group Venture Capital, Arch Venture Partners, MATH Venture Partners, Jump Capital, Hyde Park Venture Partners
- Research Centers and Universities: Northwestern University, University of Chicago, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Illinois Institute of Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
