Senior Manager, Government Affairs & Public Policy
CyrusOne
This role sits at the intersection of public policy, energy, real estate development, and economic development, serving as a critical partner to internal business teams and external stakeholders. The Senior Manager will shape legislative, regulatory, and facilitate community outcomes that support power availability, project delivery, sustainability goals, and long term operational certainty in a rapidly evolving digital infrastructure landscape driven by cloud and AI demand.
Responsibilities:
Develop and implement state and local public policy strategies that directly support site selection, project development, and ongoing operations across current and future data center markets.
Identify and manage policy risks and opportunities related to energy, utilities, land use, tax, sustainability, permitting, and infrastructure investment.
Anticipate emerging policy issues affecting hyperscale and AIdriven growth, including power availability, grid reliability, decarbonization, and infrastructure resilience.
Partner with internal energy and sustainability teams to align policy advocacy with clean energy and decarbonization strategies.
Build and maintain strong relationships with state and local elected officials, regulatory agencies, economic development organizations, and key government staff.
Support economic development and incentive strategies, including negotiations, compliance, and long term partnership management.
Represent the company in public hearings, legislative forums, and stakeholder meetings.
Work closely with real estate, development, construction, legal, tax, sustainability, operations, and communications teams to align policy strategy with business priorities.
Provide clear, actionable policy guidance to support market entry, site development, and operational decision making.
Translate complex policy and regulatory developments into concise executive briefings and recommendations.
Engage with industry associations, trade groups, and public/private coalitions to advance shared policy objectives.
Draft position papers, comment letters, testimony, and advocacy materials.
Support company leadership in external speaking engagements and industry forums.
Support community engagement strategies related to data center development, including local outreach and stakeholder education.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
7-10+ years of hands-on experience in economic development, government relations, or state and local government.
Experience learning business needs and representing those interests before government officials.
Creative and critical thinking and the ability to understand complex issues and identify clear and effective action plans to resolve them is desired.
Beneficial to have experience working on policies related to energy, artificial intelligence, taxes, sustainability, and infrastructure development.
Strong written and verbal communication to internal and external audiences including senior government officials and company executives.
A standout colleague who enjoys working in a matrixed organization to drive forward business value creation is strongly preferred.
Experience in leading contract lobbyists and working as an internal lobbyist for a private company is strongly preferred.
Advanced political acumen and the ability to connect with collaborators from all backgrounds.
Must at ease balancing multiple priorities with shifting timelines and objectives.
Travel is anticipated. Travel includes visits to other CyrusOne offices, capital cities, regional meetings and hearings, etc. Travel may increase over time as the business evolves.
Preferred Experience:
Direct experience supporting data centers, hyperscale, AI infrastructure, or other large energy intensive developments.
Familiarity with economic development incentives, land use, zoning, and permitting.
Background in corporate public affairs, state and local government service, or relevant trade associations.
CyrusOne is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.
CyrusOne provides reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and any other state or local laws. We will respond to requests for reasonable accommodations to assist you in applying for positions at CyrusOne, or to submit a resume.