Associate Director, Public Policy

Your Impact 

Lead AirTrunk's global public policy capability, developing the enduring policy positions and forward-looking policy insight that underpin our government relations and advocacy strategy across markets. 

The role will build a small, high-quality policy function that identifies emerging regulatory issues early, develops credible and practical policy solutions, maintains AirTrunk's policy positions and works with regional Government Relations teams to turn those positions into targeted advocacy. 

What You'll Do

Lead AirTrunk’s policy positions across energy, water, planning, community and emissions, ensuring they are evidence-based, commercially relevant and consistent across markets while reflecting local needs. Identify emerging policy and regulatory risks and opportunities, assess their implications, and recommend whether to advocate, monitor or act. Develop practical solutions that support responsible data centre growth and align AirTrunk’s interests with government and community objectives.

Guide AirTrunk’s engagement with industry associations, policy forums and governments. Coordinate research, thought leadership and policy contributions, ensuring external advocacy reflects agreed positions. Partner with regional Government Relations leads to prioritise advocacy, support government engagements and incorporate stakeholder feedback into policy development. Keep the AVP informed of key risks, opportunities, recommendations and progress.

Lead the global Public Policy function, initially including the Energy Policy Manager. Set priorities and quality standards, build capability as AirTrunk grows, and work with subject matter experts across Energy, Water, Planning, Community, Sustainability and Legal to provide clear, timely advice for executive and stakeholder engagement.

What You'll Bring

• Extensive experience leading public policy development and implementation in a complex, multi-market organisation, ideally in a regulated or infrastructure-intensive sector.
• Proven ability to take a policy issue from problem definition through to implementation and finalisation: developing evidence and options, establishing a position, engaging stakeholders, supporting implementation and iterating in response to evidence and feedback.
• Strong ability to develop clear, evidence-based policy positions that balance commercial priorities with technical, government, regulatory, industry and community considerations.
• Strong understanding of policy and regulatory issues relevant to data centres and digital infrastructure, including energy, water, planning, emissions and community impact, with the ability to build expertise in new areas quickly.
• Experience identifying emerging policy risks and opportunities, assessing their impact and translating them into practical policy responses, research and thought leadership.
• Curious, low-ego and highly collaborative, with a genuine willingness to listen to subject matter experts, government, industry and other stakeholders and incorporate different perspectives into robust policy solutions.
• Strong relationship-building skills and proven ability to work across regional Government Relations teams and internal SMEs, providing the policy substance that underpins effective advocacy while contributing directly to external engagement where required.
• Strong leadership and executive communication skills, with the ability to set quality standards, develop others and distil complex policy issues into concise, commercially relevant advice.