Communications Director

Define and deploy DataOne's communications strategy in the United States, in line with the Group's brand platform and governance, around three objectives: * Industry awareness and credibility: Establish DataOne as a recognized sustainable AI infrastructure player among specialist media, clients and the wider ecosystem. * Local acceptance: Build and maintain trusted relationships with stakeholders in Vineland and Cumberland County, and secure a stable environment around the project. * Employer attractiveness: Support the recruitment and onboarding of US teams in a tight talent market. ### Responsibilities **1- External Communications and Media Relations** * Build and manage the US media database: data center and cloud specialist media, national business press, energy and construction press, and regional press in southern New Jersey. * Produce corporate content: press releases, press kits, talking points, project fact sheets, client messaging, web and LinkedIn content. * Prepare and support spokespersons (US General Management, Technical Management) before every public appearance, with briefs, difficult questions and red lines. * Lead DataOne's presence at industry trade shows and conferences, and secure speaking opportunities on panels. **2- Local Acceptance and Community Relations** * Map local stakeholders and keep the stakeholder map up to date: City of Vineland, City Council, planning departments, Vineland Municipal Electric Utility (VMEU), Cumberland County, Chamber of Commerce, residents' associations, environmental organizations and educational institutions. * Design the local engagement program: public meetings, open-house days, construction-site information points and a mechanism for responding to residents' questions. * Prepare DataOne's interventions at public meetings and council sessions, with materials, talking points and anticipation of objections. * Translate technical topics (electrical connection, cooling, noise, water and construction traffic) into understandable, verifiable and non-promotional messages. * Monitor the local environment: press review, social media and community groups, and alert management to early warning signals. **3- Institutional Communications and Public Affairs** * Support relationships with state and county institutional stakeholders, in coordination with US General Management and Legal. * Prepare institutional materials: project presentation materials, economic impact briefs and contributions to public consultations. * Ensure consistency between public messaging, commitments made during permitting procedures and the project's actual data. **4- Sensitive and Crisis Communications** * Develop and maintain the US crisis communications framework: scenarios, decision trees, crisis team, designated spokesperson and pre-approved talking points. * In particular, cover the following scenarios: construction-site incident or workplace accident, operational incident or service outage, organized local opposition, environmental controversy, social issue, cybersecurity incident and unfavorable press article. * Provide communications on-call coverage in the event of an incident, in coordination with headquarters and Legal. * Conduct a post-incident review after each event and update the framework. **5- Employer Brand and Recruitment Support** * Adapt the Group employer brand for the US market and provide content for recruitment channels. * Design local awareness campaigns to support recruitment of technical and operations profiles. * Work with the recruitment team and US HR on employment events, partnerships with local educational institutions and employee content. **6- Internal Communications and Brand Governance** * Relay and adapt Group internal communications for US teams, taking construction-site and operations populations into account. * Ensure compliance with the Group visual identity guidelines and logobook across all materials produced in the United States, including those of providers and partners. * Select and manage local agencies and providers: media relations, creative, audiovisual production and site signage. * Track the US communications budget and report results according to the KPIs defined with headquarters. **Requirements** ### 1- Education and Experience * Seven to ten years of experience in corporate communications, media relations or public affairs, including at least three years in a heavy infrastructure sector: data centers, energy, industry, logistics real estate, construction or utilities. * Demonstrated experience communicating projects to US local communities and elected officials, ideally in a permitting or opposition context. * Experience in crisis communications in an industrial or construction-site environment. * Experience building a communications function from the ground up as an early or first communications hire. * Experience working with a non-US headquarters and teams across multiple time zones is a plus. ### 2- Skills * Excellent written English, native or equivalent level. Ability to write quickly, clearly and without jargon. * French is a plus: headquarters and part of the teams work in French. This is not a disqualifying criterion. * Strong public-speaking skills and ability to command a room in a public meeting. * Ability to quickly understand technical subjects and explain them to non-technical audiences. * Proficiency with content-production and media-monitoring tools. * Experience managing external communications agencies or providers, as well as communications budgets. * Eligible to work in the United States. ### 3- Expected Qualities * Autonomy: this is the first communications role in the United States and requires building before managing. * Factual rigor: no public statement should go beyond what the project can substantiate. * Composure and availability in sensitive situations, including communications on-call coverage during incidents. * Team spirit and respect for Group approval processes.