The Community & Project Outreach Specialist is responsible for serving as the primary face of Williams and central contact point for local outreach and engagement efforts. This is a highly collaborative position and will interact with operations personnel and internal business partners in addition to community leaders and organizations. The ability to guide the application of local/public outreach efforts, communication strategies, project management and change forward culture are keys to success.
Responsibilities/Expectations:
Provides strategic direction for outreach and engagement activities; develops strategic plans to build and enhance our credibility and trust with local public officials and communities
Reviews public landscape including market statistics, key civil and political players, and communications trends
Supports business leaders in preparation to represent the company at public and trade association meetings; prepares and researches for presentations to local municipalities, non-governmental organizations, and special interest groups
Identifies emerging issues and develops risk mitigation strategies
Identifies outsourcing or consulting needs; handles third party firms that are hired to assist in local outreach or engagement activities
Works with others to ensure project statuses are communicated to business partners; cultivates relationships with key business partners
Assists with the generation of FERC regulatory deliverables; acquires knowledge of FERC pre-filing and filing requirements for outreach
Analyzes the efficiency and effectiveness of outreach activities and interventions, and provides recommendations for improvement
Other duties as assigned
Education/Years of Experience:
Required: Bachelor's degree in public Affairs, Communications, or Political Science; a minimum of eight (8) years of experience in Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Government Affairs, Project Management
Preferred: Master's degree in public relations; a minimum of ten (10) years of experience in Public Relations, Corporate Communications, Government Affairs, Project Management
Other Requirements:
Demonstrates excellent interpersonal/organizational skills and safety as the utmost priority
Proficiency in Microsoft Applications and PC skills
Ability to learn quickly and balance multiple projects
Proficient knowledge of state and federal regulatory regulations and requirements groups
Preferred: Settles differences with minimal disruption and can compromise without damaging relationships
Travel up to 50%
Preferred: Solid understanding of energy industry
Preferred: Ability to describe sophisticated concepts in non-technical terms