Company:
Our Client is seeking a Director of Community Engagement for their Utility-Scale Development team to help craft, develop, execute, and manage the company’s public support-building campaigns for projects in their PJM, MISO, and ERCOT portfolio. This will include media relations, communications, community relations, and grassroots advocacy. The Community Engagement Manager may also help manage Our Client’s strategic partnerships, organizational memberships, and coalition memberships at the local, state, and regional levels.
WIth over $2 billion of solar energy assets developed and financed, they are a leading renewable energy developer, financier, trader and operator, the business empowers entrepreneurs to have a meaningful impact on the world with a focus on catalyzing the development and operation of sustainable infrastructure.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead a team of regional solar community relations representatives and local site reps.
- Create, maintain, and own a Community Relations Playbook.
- Develop and lead local support campaigns, including developing and executing strategies for identifying local solar energy supporters, activating those individuals to engage locally, building relationships with the project community with the local media, articulating compelling key messages about their projects
- Maintaining and building a strong contact database for projects.
- Cultivate media relations, including developing relationships with media reporting on Our Client or its projects, developing responses to media inquiries, developing and distributing local press releases, preparing Our Client spokespeople for media speaking opportunities.
- Coordinate with the Marketing/Communication team to manage external communications, including helping to maintain and update project-specific websites, and managing project Facebook strategies, including content development and tracking.
- Own the messaging surrounding the project, including developing compelling messaging and positioning statements for local projects.
- Drive teamwork and coordinate with counterparts on the Our Client development team to effectively plan and execute local support campaigns.
Skills & Qualifications:
- A bachelor’s degree or higher in public relations, communications, political science, or a related field.
- Minimum of 4 years of experience working in public affairs, public relations, communications, community organizing, or campaign management.
- Experience designing and executing effective grassroots campaigns, whether political or issue-based. Experience working in the renewable field is preferred.
- Demonstrable ability to design and concisely document a detailed campaign plan.
- Demonstrated experience working both as a lead and as support on cross-departmental teams.
- Familiarity and experience working with common campaign tactics such as direct mail, radio/newspaper advertising, door-to-door canvassing, GOTV efforts, and social media advertising.
- Facility and skill in working with the media to build productive relationships and produce positive press.
- Comfort and skill engaging with different types of people in rural parts of the U.S., including local elected officials, community leaders, and members of the public.
- Comfort and skill with de-escalating potential confrontations with individuals or groups that are opposed to wind energy or a similar issue-based campaign.
- Experience building and executing effective social media campaigns that drive engagement.
- Ability to lead collaborative efforts with peers and colleagues and earn buy-in from team members.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Design Suite, and familiarity with web-based content management systems (i.e., WordPress, Drupal, Perch, etc.).
- Exemplary standards of honor, ethics, quality, communication, and productivity.
- Professional appearance and manner.
- High attention to detail.
- Up to 40% travel to project sites required, focused mostly on projects.
