Community Relations Communication Specialist

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SOFT's client is looking for a Community Relations Communication Specialist for a long term contract assignment. The Communications Specialist is responsible for meeting the outreach and education needs of the Organization's capital infrastructure projects. Part of the success of a project depends on the quality of its relationships and interactions with stakeholders and our neighbors.

Hybrid-3 days in the office

Will be the member of a project team that manages communications for internal and external audiences, public outreach for gas and electric projects. If they start in June there will be in person open houses to attend in a group setting and some of them could be in the evening. • Top skills - definitely strong written and verbal communications; relationship building and empathic, strong organization skills for projects, able to juggle multiple projects and their deadlines, must be a self-starter. • Will be working with all levels of roles, landowners, management, business owners. An electric line may be going for miles, this person deals with anyone this line touches creating a relationship and identifying any issues that could have an impact • MS Suite a must, some Land Run, Copilot and Power Bi would be a bonus

As part of multiple project teams, the Senior Specialist will be responsible for building relationships and engagement strategies for a multimillion-dollar portfolio of complex construction projects, supporting the on-time and on-budget completion of these projects.Key Accountabilities

• Serve as the Subject Matter Expert for stakeholder relations and public engagement for complex construction projects.
• Develop, manage, and execute strategic project outreach plans, tailored to educate and engage a wide range of audiences.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders throughout the planning, permitting, construction, restoration and post-construction phases to proactively address, minimize, and resolve project impacts (e.g., traffic impacts, visual disruptions, recreational concerns, etc.).
• Develop project messaging and collateral, simplifying technical information to ensure it is easily understood across audiences.
• Organize, execute project-related events, including open houses and public hearings to support the delivery of projects.
• Establish and maintain long-term professional relationships with internal stakeholders (including Engineering, Legal, Environmental, Project Management, and Corporate Affairs departments) within a specific geographic area.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred in Communications, Political Science, Business, Environmental Science, or other related field or 4+ years of experience

• Proven experience in public, customer, community, and/or municipal relations.

• Exceptional writing and editing skills, including the ability to craft documents and marketing materials.

• Exceptional people skills, relationship building skills, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong verbal communication skills, with experience in public speaking and handling potentially contentious conversations.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office products (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint, etc).
• Excellent project management and time management skills; capable of handling multiple projects with competing deadlines.

Desired Knowledge and Experience:

• Problem-Solving: Skilled at working within a team to plan and execute outreach and education initiatives, and effectively respond to stakeholder inquiries.
• Execution Management: Proficient in managing and measuring the execution of outreach plans with internal stakeholders across disciplines, including Project Management and Corporate Affairs.
• Communication: Skilled in conveying complex engineering, environmental, construction, and regulatory information in an understandable manner across diverse audiences.
• Strategic Development: Proven track record of developing strategic, informative, and professional collateral to deliver campaigns.
• Crisis Communication: Proficient in anticipating, planning, and executing communications in potentially contentious environments, with of the ability to de-escalating situations.
• Relationship Building: Highly skilled in building and maintaining relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, from executives to the public, fostering trust and collaboration.

o Capable of navigating complex organizational structures to ensure alignment and support for projects.o Proven ability to create and sustain long-term professional relationships that contribute to the successful execution of projects.

• Availability & Travel: Willing to attend meetings and presentations as required to support project work, including evenings, weekends and `off-hours`.
• Travel: Open to travel, including off-hours.

• Driver's License: Possesses a valid driver's license

Job Types: Full-time, Contract

Pay: $30.00 - $40.00 per hour

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Experience:

• public outreach for gas and electric projects: 4 years (Required)
• manages communications for internal and external audiences: 4 years (Required)
• Crisis Communication:: 4 years (Required)
• Availability & Travel: Willing to attend meetings: 4 years (Required)
• Engineering, Legal, Environmental, Project Management,: 4 years (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• Driver's License (Required)

Ability to Commute:

• Watertown, NY 13601 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Watertown, NY 13601: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Watertown, NY 13601