Make a difference with us! At Alliance Defending Freedom, we believe God has brought you here for His purpose—to stand for truth and defend the God-given right to live and speak it. Together, we protect religious freedom, free speech, the sanctity of life, marriage and family, and parental rights. Review our Statement of Faith to ensure we’re a fit for you.

Locations: Lansdowne, VA / Dallas, TX

Team Overview

The Sr. Legal Counsel, Public Policy position promotes ADF's strategic objectives through education and advocacy efforts that involve direct government action. As an alliance builder, the Legal Counsel will support outreach and coordination with allies focused on government, legislative, and policy issues, with a joint focus on both federal and state legislative efforts. The Legal Counsel will serve on the government affairs team that manages legislative review and education initiatives.

Additionally, the Sr. Legal Counsel will work closely with the Center for Free Speech and the Global Censorship Group on legislative strategies that advance each team's goals and objectives. This position will focus on providing legal counsel on legislation and policies regarding free speech, government censorship from both domestic and foreign sources, private sector censorship (online censorship, censorship via professional associations and licensing entities), state/private censorship collusion, artificial intelligence, and strategies to protect speech and expression in tech, online, financial services, and throughout the business/professional sectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Advocate for and coordinate support of ADF’s positions on governmental policies and legislation, with a primary focus on free speech; government censorship from domestic and foreign sources; private‑sector censorship—including online platforms, professional associations, and licensing entities; and strategies to protect speech and expression across technology, online environments, financial services, essential services, and corporate/professional sectors.
• Conduct research on current federal and state court precedents that affect legislative and policy matters.
• Draft legislation, model policies, and policy recommendations related to free speech, the prevention of government and private censorship, and the protection of speech and expression across technological, online, financial, and professional domains.
• Travel extensively to meet with and educate lawmakers on legislative proposals, policy positions, and legal implications.
• Assist in developing testimony, position papers, reports, and other advocacy materials.
• Provide frequent in-person and virtual testimony before legislative bodies on the legal impact of proposed legislation.
• Review, track, analyze, and report on relevant federal and state legislation.
• Travel extensively to engage with policy organizations, legislative staff, and other stakeholders to discuss policy, strategy, and effective methods for engaging government officials and public engagement.
• Cultivate, strengthen, and maintain strong working relationships with key government officials and policy allies.
• Represent ADF in public forums, including speaking engagements with the media and large audiences.
• Collaborate effectively with team members across ADF and with external allies to advance shared legislative and policy goals.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, J.D., and licensed to practice law
• 5+ years of experience in public policy advocacy, governmental relations/affairs, or legislative work at the federal or state level
• 10+ years of legal experience is strongly preferred

Pay & Benefits

At Alliance Defending Freedom, we offer a competitive compensation and benefits package to support your well-being and growth. While we do not disclose specific salary ranges, our compensation is competitive with top non-profit law firms. Our benefits include 100% covered medical and dental insurance, medical and dependent care reimbursement, paid disability, long-term care, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan with a 4% company match. We prioritize work-life balance with paid time off and 12 paid holidays each year.

Want to Know More About ADF?

Who We Are

Core Scientific is a leading provider of infrastructure for high-performance compute in North America. Our mission is to accelerate digital innovation by scaling high-value compute rapidly, efficiently, and responsibly.  We transform energy into high-value compute with unmatched efficiency at scale. The company is a $5 billion publicly traded company (NASDAQ: CORZ).

We power AI, HPC, and other next-generation data center workloads demanding exceptional computing power, in addition to our digital asset mining operations.  We own and operate nine data centers in seven states, housing advanced infrastructure for our customers.

What sets us apart? We have an entrepreneurial culture, a "can-do" and collaborative attitude, and we own and control our infrastructure. These strategic advantages enable us to maintain operational excellence, increase efficiency, and rapidly deploy cutting-edge innovations developed by our team of experts.

Join us and accelerate your career alongside our groundbreaking journey. We seek smart, creative, and collaborative professionals who thrive in a fast-paced, result-driven environment. Ready to be part of something exceptional? Apply today and make an impact at Core Scientific. 

Title

Director, External Affairs

Reports To
Chief Power Officer  

The Job

The Director of External Affairs leads efforts to advance Core Scientific’s strategic position and stakeholder adoption across Texas, Oklahoma, and other markets, directly influencing organizational growth, market expansion, and key stakeholder and partner alignment. This role builds trusted relationships, earns credibility, and establishes a strong presence across the region.

Responsibilities

• Establish a proactive stakeholder intelligence framework that enables executive leadership to anticipate and respond to emerging stakeholder, policy, and market risks with no material surprises.
• Build and maintain proactive relationships with state legislators, legislative committees, and governors’ energy offices across Texas, Oklahoma and other states as determined.
• Serve as Core’s primary point of contact for state government affairs, anticipating legislative and executive priorities that may affect Core’s activities, and positioning Core as a credible, accessible resource for policymakers navigating the energy transition.
• Collaborate with internal counter parties to develop messaging and execute public communications and outreach campaigns that elevate Core's visibility and credibility.
• Build and maintain a consistent and visible presence in regional forums and stakeholder discussions, establishing credibility and serving as a trusted source of insight to inform and advance organizational priorities.
• Develop and implement a comprehensive stakeholder engagement strategy that establishes Core as a trusted, proactive partner across the states, including utilities, regulators, policymakers, and regional forums.
• Deliver measurable progress in relationship depth and stakeholder awareness and maintain relationships moving forward.
• Act as the primary liaison between Core and key stakeholders, ensuring timely and clear communication of organizational priorities, services developments, and strategic initiatives. Be present, accessible, and credible in the regional forums and conversations to add value and bring needed insights forward.
• Collaborate closely with Corporate Communications to ensure all regional communications are consistent with Core's brand and corporate strategy, messaging standards, and brand, while remaining tailored to the unique context of Western stakeholders.
• Provide timely, candid strategic guidance to the Chief Power & Policy Officer on key stakeholder dynamics, local and state issues and opportunities, regulatory developments, and communications opportunities, with particular focus on areas where such dynamics create reputational risk or opportunity.
•  Establish and monitor performance metrics to evaluate stakeholder engagement and the effectiveness of communications.
• Foster open, respectful, and professional communication across teams and leadership
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Affairs, Public Policy, Business, Energy Policy, or a related field
• Minimum 7+ years of relevant experience in stakeholder engagement, public affairs, communications, regulatory policy, or energy industry roles
• Demonstrated success managing stakeholder relationships in complex regulatory or policy environments
• Proven ability to influence and advise senior leadership on stakeholder engagement and communications strategy
• Strong strategic communications and messaging development skills, with the ability to craft narratives that resonate across diverse and sometimes skeptical audiences
• Ability to translate complex energy, regulatory, and market concepts into clear and compelling messaging for non-technical audiences
• Strong facilitation, relationship-building, and executive presentation skills
• A bias for action and demonstrated ability to build programs, relationships, and presence where little existed before

Preferred

• Existing relationships within Texas and or Oklahoma utilities, with key stakeholders, county commissioners, and/or policy makers
• Experience working with executive leadership, regulators, and energy industry stakeholders in a high-visibility, external-facing role

Location

To be considered for the role, you must reside near Dallas – Fort Worth, TX, or Austin, TX.

Travel

Frequent travel is required, approximately 30%.

Work Environment

This job operates in a data center, office, and shop environment. The role routinely uses standard maintenance equipment, including ladders, scissor lifts, forklifts, power tools, and voltmeters. While performing these duties, the employee will be exposed to both hot and cold environments.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, use hands, and lift up to 25 pounds. 

Position Type/ Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position. General hours and days of work are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some nights and weekends may be required.

Supervisory Experience (Yes or No)

Yes

About You and The Role 

As a Development & Permitting Project Manager, you will be responsible for driving the expansion of our network - defining how autonomous aerial logistics integrates into the built environment at scale. You are the single-threaded owner of development outcomes from site identification through entitlements, permitting and approvals across multiple metros, often simultaneously and under real deadlines.

We are looking for someone who takes ownership seriously - someone organized, highly detail-oriented, and consistent in follow-through. You are a self-starter who can operate independently, make decisions with incomplete information, and drive outcomes without constant direction. The work will be ambiguous at times; the expectation is that you bring structure and clarity to it.

This role sits at the intersection of site acquisition, real estate development, land use, aviation, and regulatory strategy. You will work closely with government affairs and legal land use to unlock jurisdictions that have never approved infrastructure like ours before. The playbook is being written - and you will help create it. Success requires sound judgment, persistence, and the ability to move projects forward in environments that are ambiguous, slow-moving, or resistant.

You will partner closely with engineering and operations to solve technical and site-specific challenges and ensure projects are executable - not just approvable. You should be comfortable going deep on drawings, constraints, and tradeoffs while still maintaining forward momentum.

This is an in-person position based out of our regional office in metro. Candidates must be local to the area and bring existing, credible relationships with AHJs and permitting authorities. This is not a role where you build your network from scratch.

What You'll Do

• Real Estate Search & Site Development:
• Support site selection, feasibility, and risk assessment end-to-end, ensuring alignment with zoning, land use, and aviation constraints.
• Identify risks early and drive mitigation plans across permitting, environmental, and infrastructure considerations before they impact timelines.
• Partner with engineering to translate site constraints into clear design requirements and ensure permit-ready drawings.
• Land Use Approvals & City Permitting:
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with planners, zoning officials, and building departments to move projects forward efficiently.
• Lead permitting efforts across multiple metros, including navigating novel regulatory pathways for drone operations.
• Partner with government affairs to navigate and, where necessary, help shape regulatory approaches.
• Represent Zipline in public forums (Planning & Zoning, City Council), communicating clearly and effectively to secure approvals.
• Ensure all submittals are complete, accurate, and aligned with jurisdictional requirements - high attention to detail is critical.
• Actively manage permitting timelines by engaging directly with departments, resolving issues, and escalating when appropriate.
• Pre-Construction:
• Support the building permit process from submission through approval, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
• Work with external consultants to produce high-quality, compliant drawings and documentation.
• Support contractor engagement and scope definition to ensure a smooth transition to the construction team.
• Cross-Functional Coordination:
  • Collaborate with site acquisition, engineering, regulatory, legal land use and operations teams to ensure alignment across development and execution.
  • Surface risks early and propose practical solutions to keep projects moving.
  • Provide clear input on permitting and policy considerations during site selection and deal review.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical, Others), Real Estate, Development, or Construction Management.
• 5+ years of experience in Real Estate Development, Permitting, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, and/or Public-Private Project Development, with a track record of delivering projects from concept through approvals.
  • Bonus: Professional Engineering (Civil) License in the State of Texas, Florida, Arizona, Georgia or California and ability to stamp drawings.
• Strong understanding of zoning laws, building codes, and regulatory processes, with the ability to navigate them independently.
• Proven experience managing entitlements, permitting, and development projects in coordination with real estate and construction teams.
• Proficiency in tools such as Smartsheet and Bluebeam (Revit / AutoCAD a plus), with the ability to review and interpret drawings.
• Ability to work effectively with government officials, permitting agencies, and community stakeholders to secure approvals.
  • Bonus: Experience in aviation, logistics, or other highly regulated infrastructure environments.
• Strong communication skills, including experience presenting in public meetings or similar forums.
• Established local relationships with AHJs and permitting authorities that can be leveraged immediately.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% across the state to support expansion efforts.
• Must be eligible to work in the US.

What Else You Need to Know   

About You and The Role 

As a Development & Permitting Project Manager, you will be responsible for driving the expansion of our network - defining how autonomous aerial logistics integrates into the built environment at scale. You are the single-threaded owner of development outcomes from site identification through entitlements, permitting and approvals across multiple metros, often simultaneously and under real deadlines.

We are looking for someone who takes ownership seriously - someone organized, highly detail-oriented, and consistent in follow-through. You are a self-starter who can operate independently, make decisions with incomplete information, and drive outcomes without constant direction. The work will be ambiguous at times; the expectation is that you bring structure and clarity to it.

This role sits at the intersection of site acquisition, real estate development, land use, aviation, and regulatory strategy. You will work closely with government affairs and legal land use to unlock jurisdictions that have never approved infrastructure like ours before. The playbook is being written - and you will help create it. Success requires sound judgment, persistence, and the ability to move projects forward in environments that are ambiguous, slow-moving, or resistant.

You will partner closely with engineering and operations to solve technical and site-specific challenges and ensure projects are executable - not just approvable. You should be comfortable going deep on drawings, constraints, and tradeoffs while still maintaining forward momentum.

This is an in-person position based out of our regional office in metro. Candidates must be local to the area and bring existing, credible relationships with AHJs and permitting authorities. This is not a role where you build your network from scratch.

What You'll Do

• Real Estate Search & Site Development:
• Support site selection, feasibility, and risk assessment end-to-end, ensuring alignment with zoning, land use, and aviation constraints.
• Identify risks early and drive mitigation plans across permitting, environmental, and infrastructure considerations before they impact timelines.
• Partner with engineering to translate site constraints into clear design requirements and ensure permit-ready drawings.
• Land Use Approvals & City Permitting:
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with planners, zoning officials, and building departments to move projects forward efficiently.
• Lead permitting efforts across multiple metros, including navigating novel regulatory pathways for drone operations.
• Partner with government affairs to navigate and, where necessary, help shape regulatory approaches.
• Represent Zipline in public forums (Planning & Zoning, City Council), communicating clearly and effectively to secure approvals.
• Ensure all submittals are complete, accurate, and aligned with jurisdictional requirements - high attention to detail is critical.
• Actively manage permitting timelines by engaging directly with departments, resolving issues, and escalating when appropriate.
• Pre-Construction:
• Support the building permit process from submission through approval, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
• Work with external consultants to produce high-quality, compliant drawings and documentation.
• Support contractor engagement and scope definition to ensure a smooth transition to the construction team.
• Cross-Functional Coordination:
  • Collaborate with site acquisition, engineering, regulatory, legal land use and operations teams to ensure alignment across development and execution.
  • Surface risks early and propose practical solutions to keep projects moving.
  • Provide clear input on permitting and policy considerations during site selection and deal review.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical, Others), Real Estate, Development, or Construction Management.
• 5+ years of experience in Real Estate Development, Permitting, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, and/or Public-Private Project Development, with a track record of delivering projects from concept through approvals.
  • Bonus: Professional Engineering (Civil) License in the State of Texas, Florida, Arizona, Georgia or California and ability to stamp drawings.
• Strong understanding of zoning laws, building codes, and regulatory processes, with the ability to navigate them independently.
• Proven experience managing entitlements, permitting, and development projects in coordination with real estate and construction teams.
• Proficiency in tools such as Smartsheet and Bluebeam (Revit / AutoCAD a plus), with the ability to review and interpret drawings.
• Ability to work effectively with government officials, permitting agencies, and community stakeholders to secure approvals.
  • Bonus: Experience in aviation, logistics, or other highly regulated infrastructure environments.
• Strong communication skills, including experience presenting in public meetings or similar forums.
• Established local relationships with AHJs and permitting authorities that can be leveraged immediately.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% across the state to support expansion efforts.
• Must be eligible to work in the US.

What Else You Need to Know   

About You and The Role 

As a Development & Permitting Project Manager, you will be responsible for driving the expansion of our network - defining how autonomous aerial logistics integrates into the built environment at scale. You are the single-threaded owner of development outcomes from site identification through entitlements, permitting and approvals across multiple metros, often simultaneously and under real deadlines.

We are looking for someone who takes ownership seriously - someone organized, highly detail-oriented, and consistent in follow-through. You are a self-starter who can operate independently, make decisions with incomplete information, and drive outcomes without constant direction. The work will be ambiguous at times; the expectation is that you bring structure and clarity to it.

This role sits at the intersection of site acquisition, real estate development, land use, aviation, and regulatory strategy. You will work closely with government affairs and legal land use to unlock jurisdictions that have never approved infrastructure like ours before. The playbook is being written - and you will help create it. Success requires sound judgment, persistence, and the ability to move projects forward in environments that are ambiguous, slow-moving, or resistant.

You will partner closely with engineering and operations to solve technical and site-specific challenges and ensure projects are executable - not just approvable. You should be comfortable going deep on drawings, constraints, and tradeoffs while still maintaining forward momentum.

This is an in-person position based out of our regional office in metro. Candidates must be local to the area and bring existing, credible relationships with AHJs and permitting authorities. This is not a role where you build your network from scratch.

What You'll Do

• Real Estate Search & Site Development:
• Support site selection, feasibility, and risk assessment end-to-end, ensuring alignment with zoning, land use, and aviation constraints.
• Identify risks early and drive mitigation plans across permitting, environmental, and infrastructure considerations before they impact timelines.
• Partner with engineering to translate site constraints into clear design requirements and ensure permit-ready drawings.
• Land Use Approvals & City Permitting:
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with planners, zoning officials, and building departments to move projects forward efficiently.
• Lead permitting efforts across multiple metros, including navigating novel regulatory pathways for drone operations.
• Partner with government affairs to navigate and, where necessary, help shape regulatory approaches.
• Represent Zipline in public forums (Planning & Zoning, City Council), communicating clearly and effectively to secure approvals.
• Ensure all submittals are complete, accurate, and aligned with jurisdictional requirements - high attention to detail is critical.
• Actively manage permitting timelines by engaging directly with departments, resolving issues, and escalating when appropriate.
• Pre-Construction:
• Support the building permit process from submission through approval, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness.
• Work with external consultants to produce high-quality, compliant drawings and documentation.
• Support contractor engagement and scope definition to ensure a smooth transition to the construction team.
• Cross-Functional Coordination:
  • Collaborate with site acquisition, engineering, regulatory, legal land use and operations teams to ensure alignment across development and execution.
  • Surface risks early and propose practical solutions to keep projects moving.
  • Provide clear input on permitting and policy considerations during site selection and deal review.

What You'll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, Industrial, Electrical, Others), Real Estate, Development, or Construction Management.
• 5+ years of experience in Real Estate Development, Permitting, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, and/or Public-Private Project Development, with a track record of delivering projects from concept through approvals.
  • Bonus: Professional Engineering (Civil) License in the State of Texas, Florida, Arizona, Georgia or California and ability to stamp drawings.
• Strong understanding of zoning laws, building codes, and regulatory processes, with the ability to navigate them independently.
• Proven experience managing entitlements, permitting, and development projects in coordination with real estate and construction teams.
• Proficiency in tools such as Smartsheet and Bluebeam (Revit / AutoCAD a plus), with the ability to review and interpret drawings.
• Ability to work effectively with government officials, permitting agencies, and community stakeholders to secure approvals.
  • Bonus: Experience in aviation, logistics, or other highly regulated infrastructure environments.
• Strong communication skills, including experience presenting in public meetings or similar forums.
• Established local relationships with AHJs and permitting authorities that can be leveraged immediately.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% across the state to support expansion efforts.
• Must be eligible to work in the US.

What Else You Need to Know   

We are seeking a Missions Coordinator to join our Missions Team. As a Missions Coordinator, you will Shine Hope as you design and deliver high-quality donor, mission, and volunteer experiences across the United States, Latin America, and Africa. Join our team and shine hope in the lives of others! 

What you'll do:

• Create, organize, coordinate and implement donor/mission/volunteer experiences in U.S., Latin America and Africa for a variety of external stakeholders including church groups, donors, organizations and volunteers.
• Understand the goals of each internal and external stakeholder and design travel experiences/ projects that meet those goals while aligning with the Buckner strategy.
• Collaborate with Church Engagement and Development teams to cultivate relationships with donors (churches, businesses, organizations, and individuals).
• Lead groups of donors, including high-net-worth individuals, during mission experiences and trip activities, ensuring a friendly, outgoing, and relational approach.
• Make real-time decisions to best serve trip participants, demonstrating confidence and empowerment.
• Collaborate with Major Gift Team members to understand and meet trip expectations for high-net-worth donors.
• Adapt mission experiences to meet the unique needs of donors based on the type of trip.
• Serve as liaison between mission experience participants and operations staff.
• Create and manage budgets for mission experiences, projects and travel.
• Use project management (PM) techniques and operate the PM system to track all phases of a donor and mission experience.
• Use the CRM system to capture and communicate relevant information.
• Travel as needed to lead mission experiences to international and domestic locations (typically 5+ trips annually. Varies year-to-year).
• Monitor and evaluate trip leaders.
• Liaison to the community; speaks in public on behalf of Buckner.

 What you’ll bring:

• High School Diploma (or G.E.D.)
• A minimum of 3 years prior related work experience required.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, International Development, International Relations, Public Affairs, Community Development, or a related field preferred.
• Requires experience in diverse and international settings. Latin American experience preferred.
• Requires experience in cultivating donor relationships.
• Requires in-depth knowledge of social development and social change theory and practice.
• Requires proficient ability to speak, read and write English and Spanish.
• Friendly, outgoing, and relational; comfortable engaging and leading diverse donor groups, including high-net-worth individuals.
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to communicate trip details effectively and promptly.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including polished grammar and clear writing.
• Knowledge of high-net-worth individuals and their needs.
• Requires ability to provide strategic and logistical planning and facilitate meetings. Requires ability to organize complex tasks and plans and to be detail oriented.
• Requires ability to lead others, foster teamwork, relate well to others and meet people with ease.
• Requires ability to speak clearly and make self-understood effectively in face-to-face interactions; articulate with accuracy to speak on the phone; ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing and speak in front of groups.
• Requires ability to hear and receive verbal instructions, answer phones, and communicate with people in situations with some background noise.
• Requires ability to work under pressure and remain flexible as priorities change. Requires ability to work under minimal supervision; must be self-motivated and able to motivate others; ability to exercise excellent professional judgment.
• Requires ability to relate positively, influentially, and sensitively to a broad spectrum of persons in a variety of multi-tiered relationships and settings to include but not limited to clergy, laity, institutional staff/faculty, various organizations, churches of all sizes, cultural identities, board and council members.
• Requires ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Requires excellence in customer service while representing Buckner both internally and externally. They must be able to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with both constituents and a variety of individuals, groups, and public.
• Proficient working knowledge and ability to accurately and timely operate and perform computer related tasks with specific equipment and software applications required.
• Excellent presentation and influencing skills.
• Requires recognition that the organization is a faith-based organization operating with a commitment to Christian principles.

The above description reflects the details considered necessary to describe the essential functions of the job and should not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements that may be performed in the job.