Local and State Economic Development Manager

Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack — from electrons to tokens — to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster.

We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that — with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI.

We're looking for problem-solving, opportunity-finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved — people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services.

If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high-performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe.

About This Role

As the Manager, Economic Development at Crusoe, you'll be an integral part of our Public Affairs team, leading economic development, community engagement, and advocacy efforts. You will build and maintain positive relationships with key stakeholders, serving as an internal expert on a variety of social and governmental issues. Your work will directly impact Crusoe's ability to operate productively, leading on key local initiatives such as navigating tax incentives, permitting, and legislative challenges in a dynamic and highly visible political environment. We are looking for an open, intellectually curious, and bipartisan leader with a strong network and policy knowledge to drive impactful advocacy and enhance Crusoe's competitive edge. This is a full-time position, fully on-site at our Cherry Creek headquarters.

What You'll Be Working On

• Economic Development: Lead the initiation, negotiation, and completion of state and local economic incentive agreements for new Crusoe developments, including tax abatements, exemptions, and other development incentives. You will manage the full lifecycle from initial jurisdictional outreach through term sheet negotiation, agreement execution, working closely with real estate, energy, tax, legal, and finance to structure deals that align with Crusoe's growth objectives.
• Community Benefit Agreement Development: Design and negotiate community benefit agreements (CBAs) that reflect Crusoe's community outreach pillars; Environmental Impact, Being a Good Neighbor, and Furthering Tech Innovation. You will translate these pillars into concrete, locally relevant commitments and work with Real Estate, Energy, ESG/Community Impact, and local stakeholders to ensure agreements are enforceable, mutually beneficial, and aligned with Crusoe's long-term presence in the community.
• Advocacy and Representation: Build and maintain strategic relationships with local elected officials, public safety leaders, and other government stakeholders. You will represent Crusoe in industry groups, working groups, and coalitions in close collaboration with the Director of Economic Development and Community Engagement.
• Problem Solving and Issue Management: Address local issues impacting our sites of operation, including neighborhood complaints and good neighbor agreements. You will also monitor legislative developments, conduct policy research, and support state and local advocacy efforts.
• Community Engagement: You will support grassroots activities, including calls to action, site tours, and local activations, and partner with the ESG/Community Impact team to represent Crusoe at relevant events.
• Strategic Insight and Trend Monitoring: Develop an intelligence-gathering strategy to identify emerging trends and proactively address potential impacts to the business. You will also help shape advocacy priorities in alignment with Crusoe’s business objectives and values.
• Administrative and Collaborative Support: Work proactively and independently to support cross-functional teams, ensuring Crusoe's values-driven culture is maintained. You will also support groundbreakings, ribbon-cuttings, and other community events.

What You'll Bring to the Team

• Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Economic Development, Public Policy, Business, Political Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience. You will have 3-5 years of experience in economic development, government relations, or public affairs, with direct experience structuring or negotiating tax incentive agreements.
• Economic Development Expertise: Demonstrated experience structuring and negotiating economic incentive agreements at the state and local level, with working knowledge of jurisdictional processes and compliance requirements. You will translate complex incentive structures into terms that are clear to both internal stakeholders and government partners.
• Policy and Analytical Skills: Proven ability to analyze complex policy issues, solve problems creatively, and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. You will possess superior writing, editing, and research skills, and demonstrate the ability to quickly assimilate new information.
• Relationship and Diplomacy Skills: Strong interpersonal and diplomacy skills with a track record of building lasting relationships with stakeholders. You will demonstrate a commitment to upholding discretion and sensitivity when working with confidential information.
• Collaborative Mindset: A collaborative mindset with the ability to engage cross-functional teams and contribute to Crusoe’s values-driven culture. You will work independently and solicit guidance only when needed.
• Subject Matter Expertise: You will have the ability to work to become a subject matter expert on certain policy issues.
• Travel: Availability to travel up to 25%.

Bonus Points

• Experience with energy, tech (AI and data centers), or real estate issues.
• Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) accreditation

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and equity packages
• Restricted Stock Units
• Paid time off, paid holidays & leave of absence programs
• Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance
• Employer contributions to HSA account
• Paid parental leave
• Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
• Professional development & tuition reimbursement
• Mental health & wellness support
• Commuter benefits (parking & transit)
• Cell phone stipend
• 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary
• Volunteer time off
• Global travel insurance & emergency assistance
• Daily meals allowance
• Additional perks & programs specific to location

Compensation Range

Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $130,000-$155,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicant's knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.