Associate, External Affairs

NorthMark Strategies • Spartanburg, SC

2d • Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking an Associate, External Affairs to provide coordination and execution support for NMC²'s External Affairs team in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Reporting to the Director of External Affairs, this role supports both the Director and the Community Relations Manager — keeping the team's communications, events, and day-to-day operations organized and running smoothly.
This role sits at the coordination layer of the team: drafting communications materials and FAQs, coordinating event logistics, tracking stakeholder activity, and providing general support so the Director and Manager can stay focused on strategy and relationship-building. The ideal candidate is highly organized, a polished and confident writer, and comfortable moving across a range of tasks in a fast-paced, community-facing environment, with room to grow into greater ownership as the team scales.

Requirements

• 2-4 years of experience in external affairs, communications, public affairs, community relations, or a related coordination role
• Bachelor's degree in communications, public relations, business, public affairs, or a related field preferred
• Excellent, polished writing skills, with demonstrated experience drafting FAQs, talking points, or external-facing communications; writing sample or portfolio may be requested
• Experience coordinating events or logistics in a professional setting
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and comfortable managing multiple workstreams and deadlines simultaneously
• Ability to operate as a flexible, hands-on contributor supporting multiple team members and priorities, with a polished and professional presence
• Comfortable with public/event visibility as a representative of the company
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship, now or at any time in the future.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with CRM or stakeholder-tracking tools, grant management or corporate philanthropy software, and content/social media scheduling platforms is a plus
• Experience in HPC, data center, energy, or infrastructure environments is a plus

Responsibilities

• Draft and maintain FAQs, talking points, and messaging documents to support the Director and Manager in community and stakeholder communications
• Manage the development of external-facing content, including social media, newsletters, and website updates
• Preparing briefing materials, presentations, and reports for internal and external audiences
• Responsible for translating technical or operational updates into clear, accessible language for community-facing materials
• Responsible for logistics for community events, sponsorship activations, and stakeholder meetings, including venue, vendor, and materials coordination
• Responsible for event logistics and execution on-site, including signage, attendance tracking, and post-event follow-up
• Maintain and update the team's master calendar of events, deadlines, and commitments
• Coordinate scheduling and logistics for the Director's and Manager's community and stakeholder engagements
• Serve as a company representative at community events and engagements as needed
• Maintain stakeholder inquiries, concerns, and requests, and support triage and routing to the Director and Manager as appropriate
• Provide day-to-day coordination support across the External Affairs team's priorities and workstreams
• Maintain organized records of communications materials, event history, and team documentation
• Manage the external affairs partner tracking system and monitor potential new relationships
• Assist with ad hoc research, drafting, and logistics requests from the Director and Manager
• Manage External Affairs relationships and partnerships, including maintaining ongoing engagement with existing partners and identifying new opportunities to expand the company’s community and stakeholder network

Benefits

• Company-Paid Lunch Stipend: Lunch is provided via GrubHub
• Company-Paid Benefits: 100% Employer-Paid Medical in our High Deductible Health Plan, Dental and Vision benefits for employees and their families, 16 weeks of Paid Parental Leave, Employee Assistance Program, Life insurance, Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability
• 401(k): Company will match 100% of your contributions up to 6%
• Optional Employee-Paid Benefits: Medical insurance in our PPO plan and a variety of other benefits such as Health Savings Accounts (with Company Contribution!), Flexible Spending Accounts, Supplemental Life Insurance, Wellhub and more.
• Time Off: 25 days of Paid Time Off plus 12 company holidays

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree