Director, Corporate Communications

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Salary Range: $180,000 - $190,000 plus bonus

Location: Brooklyn, NY (Hybrid)                                                                                                                 

About The Company:

NineDot's name derives from the classic mathematical puzzle for sparking out-of-the-box solutions. As a leading community-scale, clean energy developer with a growing portfolio of projects across a range of technologies, NineDot Energy is creating innovative energy solutions that support a more resilient electric grid, deliver economic savings, address environmental justice and reduce carbon emissions. We plan to develop, build and operate more than 400 MW of clean energy systems by 2026 that will strengthen the local power grid infrastructure and provide clean, reliable and resilient power to tens of thousands of New York households and businesses. This is all in support of New York State’s mission to achieve 100% clean energy by 2040.

With the backing of Manulife Investment Management and The Carlyle Group - two of the world’s leading infrastructure investors - NineDot is continuing to expand its core battery energy storage pipeline, deliver enhanced products and services, explore new regions and consider potential acquisitions all to advance the decarbonization of New York’s grid. This is an exciting opportunity to build a platform from the ground-up with a world-class team of developers and innovators.

Job Summary:

NineDot Energy is seeking a Director, Corporate Communications to be responsible for developing and executing internal and external communication strategies that strengthen the company’s reputation, align stakeholders, and advance business objectives. This role oversees executive communications, employee communications, media relations, brand messaging, and change communications to ensure consistent, clear, and compelling storytelling across all audiences.

The Director serves as a strategic advisor to the whole company, from leadership to individual contributors, and helps shape how the company communicates its vision, priorities, achievements, and impact. This role partners closely with senior leaders across Project Development, Community Engagement, Policy & Regulatory, Operations, Construction & Engineering, Finance and People & Enterprise Services to build and protect NineDot's brand while increasing awareness of our mission, business impact, and industry leadership.

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with hands-on execution and has experience navigating complex stakeholder environments, managing media relationships, developing executive communications, and supporting high-growth organizations. This is a roll-up-your-sleeves leadership role requiring someone who can move seamlessly between long-term strategy, day-to-day execution, and everything in between.

Responsibilities:

Corporate Communications Strategy

• Develop and execute a comprehensive corporate communications strategy aligned with NineDot's business objectives and growth plans.
• Build and maintain a consistent company narrative that effectively communicates NineDot's mission, market position, and impact.
• Identify opportunities to elevate company visibility across industry, policy, business, and clean energy audiences.
• Look around the corner: be ready to drive communications plans for new regions, new types of projects, and new partners in conjunction with the relevant 3rd parties involved.
• Measure communications effectiveness and provide regular reporting on key performance indicators.

Media Relations & Public Affairs Communications

• Lead proactive and reactive media engagement efforts.
• Cultivate relationships with energy, climate, infrastructure, business, and local media outlets.
• Develop press releases, media pitches, briefing materials, and press statements.
• Develop award applications across media outlets, research organizations and specialized programs.
• Serve as a communications advisor during project announcements, market developments, regulatory matters, and company milestones.
• Support communications efforts related to public affairs, policy initiatives, and community engagement activities.
• Manage all media interactions across the company, whether training and supporting spokespeople, or being the spokesperson.

Executive Communications

• Partner with executive leadership to develop presentations, talking points, opinion pieces, panel remarks, and internal messaging.
• Position company leaders as trusted voices in clean energy, grid modernization, and energy storage.
• Prepare executives for media interviews, conferences, public appearances, and stakeholder meetings.
• Support investor communications including development of board decks and updates in partnership with the Chief of Staff.

Crisis & Reputation Management

• Develop and maintain crisis communications plans and protocols.
• Provide strategic guidance during sensitive business, operational, regulatory, or community-related issues.
• Monitor emerging issues and recommend proactive communications strategies to protect and enhance company reputation.

Brand, Content & Events

• Lead our corporate marketing events from strategy and planning to execution and improvement, including all program management, staffing, budgeting, and on-site execution.
• Oversee the development of high-impact corporate content, including articles, case studies, white papers, announcements, and executive bylines.
• Identify opportunities for speaking engagements, awards, industry recognition, and thought leadership initiatives.
• Oversee the creation of engaging and informative content for various platforms, including the company website, social media, and other channels.
• Serve as the steward of NineDot's visual and verbal brand identity, maintaining communications templates, presentation standards, and brand assets across the organization.
• Lead some and support all event planning from internal events, to community outreach events in conjunction with the Community Engagement team, site tours in conjunction with the Operations team.

Internal Communications

• Partner with the People Operations team to strengthen employee communications and engagement.
• Help ensure employees understand company priorities, milestones, and strategic objectives.
• Support leadership communications during periods of growth and organizational change.

Tools and Partners

• Manage web and digital marketing agency for ongoing support, from updates to new web content and collateral; directly handle basic website updates.
• Manage communications team from public affairs agency for targeted support and strategic input.
• Manage the Company’s CRM platform including increasing capture of known company contacts, cleaning and categorizing data, segmenting for different outbound communications, and the execution of newsletters, news flashes and more.
• Manage Company’s “support” inbox from web form contacts either directly (including media and neighbors) or by coordinating with appropriate colleagues, generally within 24-48 hours.
• Case-by-case, be the lead representative or relationship “owner” from the Company to specific organizations on an ongoing basis or ad hoc as the need arises.
• Review content from all functional areas when asked (and proactively) from financial teasers and other financing documents to partner communications to ESG reports to Board decks to public agency case studies on the Company and more, with quick turnaround.

Other duties as assigned

Core Competencies:

• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Drives Results - Constantly achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
• Interpersonal Savvy - Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
• Cultivates Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Financial Acumen - Interpreting and applying understanding of key financial indicators to make better business decisions.
• Strategic Mindset - Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
• Optimizes Work Processes - Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.

Required education and experience:

• 10+ years of experience in corporate communications, public relations, strategic communications, public affairs, or related fields.
• Experience working in clean energy, infrastructure, climate technology, utilities, renewables, energy storage, or similarly regulated industries preferred.
• Proven track record managing media relations and securing meaningful earned media coverage.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level writing.
• Strong executive presence and ability to advise senior leaders.
• Ability to simplify complex technical, regulatory, and business topics for diverse audiences.
• Ability to influence colleagues and stakeholders without direct control.
• Experience managing agencies, consultants, and external communications partners.
• Experience overseeing and executing social media management.
• Experience using WordPress and Canva is a positive.
• Highly collaborative with the ability to build strong relationships across all levels of the organization.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Public Policy, or a related field is a plus.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

At NineDot Energy, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation and are the foundation of our success. As such, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender expression, gender identity, age, or any other status of an individual or that individual’s associates or relatives that is protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

If you're passionate about this role but don’t meet every qualification listed, we still encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other opportunities with us. We’re committed to building a team that reflects a broad range of experiences, backgrounds, and skills.

NineDot Employee benefits include but are not limited to:

• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• 5% employer match on your 401k retirement account
• 20 paid vacation days off, plus 7 sick days, 9 federal holidays and 3 personal floating holidays
• 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for both the primary and secondary caregiver within the first year of birth or adoption
• Wellness initiatives including a $1,000 stipend
• 16 volunteer hours plus two planned company-wide volunteer outings per year