Community Engagement Specialist Jobs in Illinois

For years, Stream Data Centers has been a trusted partner in providing world-class data center solutions. With a focus on sustainable, secure, and reliable infrastructure, Stream empowers businesses to scale their digital operations while prioritizing environmental and social responsibility.

Stream Data Centers continues to set new standards for innovation, operational excellence, and sustainability in the data center industry, having provided premium data center services since 1999. Now, with 90% of its inventory leased to Fortune 100 customers, the company has acquired, developed and managed more than 27 data center projects nationally, while leadership has remained consistent for over two decades.

From site selection to data center construction and operations, Stream develops wholesale colocation capacity and build-to-suit facilities for hyperscale and enterprise users in major markets across the United States. Additionally, Stream sources and develops low-risk land sites for optimum data center development and provides energy procurement services with a focus on reducing market risk and providing low-cost renewable energy options.

Stream Data Centers is seeking a Community Engagement Lead to support the company's ambitious growth objectives and uphold our commitment to responsible development in the markets where we develop. This role is critical to protecting and enhancing our reputation as we develop new data center and infrastructure projects, ensuring we act as trusted, transparent partners in the communities where we operate.

As part of Stream's community engagement model, this position will establish consistent local ownership, stakeholder engagement, and scalable community relations practices within assigned markets. Reporting to the Community Engagement Leader, the Community Engagement Lead serves as the single-threaded community lead for assigned projects and sites, owning community engagement strategy and stakeholder relationships throughout the full asset lifecycle, from acquisition and entitlement through development, construction, and operations. The role partners closely with Development during the acquisition and development phases and with Operations as assets transition into service, while remaining the consistent community point of contact regardless of project stage. Working cross-functionally with Development, Construction, Operations, Legal, Marketing and Communications, and external partners, the Community Engagement Lead ensures continuity of relationships, commitments, and engagement strategies, providing communities with a trusted and accountable representative throughout the life of the project.

The successful candidate will work closely with Development, Operations, and cross-functional partners to evaluate community dynamics, conduct stakeholder and market assessments, identify and mitigate community-related risks, develop engagement strategies, and execute community-facing initiatives. Serving as a trusted partner to the development and operations teams, the Community Engagement Lead will own civic and community relationships, coordinate public and stakeholder outreach, facilitate community meetings, identify strategic partnerships, track community sentiment, and support issue resolution efforts. While Development retains responsibility for land, entitlement, design, schedule, cost, and technical decisions – and Operations owns the ongoing operational aspect of the business, this role will lead day-to-day community engagement execution, allowing teams to remain focused on core activities while ensuring alignment with local priorities and stakeholder expectations.

The ideal candidate is a skilled relationship builder and communicator with experience navigating complex community environments, managing multiple stakeholders, and representing organizations in public settings. They are comfortable working independently, collaborating across functions, and developing thoughtful engagement strategies that support business objectives while delivering meaningful community impact. This position offers a unique opportunity to help shape and scale Stream's community engagement program, strengthen relationships in key markets, and ensure the company continues to be viewed as a responsible and valued community partner in every market where we develop and operate.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Local Stakeholder Strategy & Civic Relationships

• Build and maintain relationships with priority civic and community stakeholders while supporting Development and Operations in managing project-specific relationships with elected officials, government staff, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, workforce boards, schools, colleges, faith leaders, HOAs, adjacent landowners, and other influential stakeholders.
• Develop site-specific stakeholder maps with priority ranking, sentiment baselines, and named relationship owners.
• Assess community dynamics before public disclosure and lead early, plain-language engagement to build understanding, address concerns, and establish trusted channels for accurate information.
• During the acquisition stage, profile prospective communities to assess site-related community risk, informing go/no-go decisions and site strategy ahead of land acquisition and public disclosure.

Site Engagement Planning, Public Meetings & Events

• Develop and execute site engagement plans aligned to the Acquisition, Development, Construction, and Operations lifecycle, sequencing activities by site risk, schedule, and public visibility.
• Plan and coordinate community meetings and open houses, including visual materials, viewshed information, contact intake, attendance tracking, real-time issue logging, and post-meeting summaries.
• Coordinate Data Center 101 briefings and site tours with decision makers where appropriate.

Issue Tracking, Feedback Closure & Sentiment

• Maintain an issues log and “What We Heard / How We Responded” documentation, routing questions to named owners and closing the loop within defined response standards.
• Track community sentiment through baseline and post-engagement readouts, monitor opposition intensity, and report changes in community risk to leadership.
• Identify and escalate emerging community, political, and reputational risks, and coordinate response strategies with Development, Operations, Legal, Marketing and Communications, and executive leadership.

Community Benefit Shaping & Stream Corporate Pillar Alignment

• Translate local priorities into clearly defined community benefit categories, including infrastructure, workforce development, education, sustainability, community well-being, and grants, aligned with Stream’s corporate pillars and approval processes.
• Support development of a site-specific community investment framework with funding, governance, readiness, and approvals.
• Adapt and deploy corporate community engagement programs in ways that align with local needs and market dynamics.

Program & Project Management

• Translate engagement strategies into structured project plans with clear timelines, deliverables, milestones, and KPIs.
• Lead cross-functional coordination and execution of community engagement initiatives.
• Track and report on engagement activities, commitments, and outcomes; maintain accurate documentation and project records.
• Develop and manage site-level engagement budgets, agency expenditures, sponsorship requests, and community investment recommendations in accordance with company approval processes.

Cross-Functional Coordination, Handoffs & Agency Management

• Manage local agency partners against a standard scope, templates, metrics, and dashboards under a primary agency model.
• Where a site or asset is sold or otherwise transitions to a new owner, support a clean handoff through joint stakeholder meetings, open-commitment reviews, issue logs, and receiving-owner acceptance so no commitments are dropped.
• Serve as the single-threaded community lead for assigned sites, maintaining continuity and accountability for community engagement across acquisition, development, construction, and operations while coordinating execution with cross-functional partners.
• Maintain a centralized record of community commitments, including the responsible owner, approval status, target completion date, funding source, and final disposition.
• Partner with Marketing/Communications, Legal, Construction, and Operations to maintain one voice and compliant, consistent engagement.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in community development, public affairs, communications, political science, urban planning, nonprofit management, business, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• 7+ years or progressively responsible experience in community engagement, public affairs, government relations, economic development, stakeholder management, or a closely related field, preferably supporting infrastructure, energy, industrial, technology, or large-scale real estate development.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust with local officials, community leaders, and residents, and to manage sensitive or contested public processes.
• Strong project-management skills with the ability to manage multiple sites, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public meeting facilitation.
• Experience maintaining stakeholder data, issue trackers, dashboards, or engagement reports.
• Ability to work a hybrid schedule with regular in-office work days
• Ability to travel up to 50% within the assigned market(s), including overnight travel and occasional evening or weekend meetings and events. Location within or near the assigned market is preferred.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Direct experience with land entitlement, zoning, or public-hearing processes for large development or infrastructure projects.
• Established relationships with economic development, workforce, education, or civic organizations within the assigned market.
• Experience managing external agencies or consultants and coordinating multi-stakeholder engagement campaigns.
• Familiarity with data center, energy, or industrial development and associated community concerns (power, water, traffic, noise, viewshed).
• Experience shaping community benefit or investment frameworks tied to measurable public outcomes.

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development
• Wellness Resources

The pay range for this role is between $125,000 – $160,000 (base). Individual compensation packages are based on various factors unique to each candidate, including skill set, experience, qualifications, location, and other job-related reasons. Stream Data Centers offers annual bonus, performance bonuses, benefits, flexible time off (vacation), 401k and a variety of other perks and benefits.

Stream is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, military status, or any other reason prohibited by law. Note: Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.