Project Outreach Specialist - External Affairs - Washington DC

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers’ lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of more than 3,500 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp.

This position will be onsite and will need to reside near the Washington, DC location. This position requires frequent travel to NoVA, Northern Shenandoah Valley, and the Eastern Panhandle of WV.

Reporting to the Director, Project Engagement and Outreach, with close coordination to the President, FE Transmission, this position supports the primary resource for strategy and public engagement and outreach on FirstEnergy Transmission projects. Key member of project siting team who interfaces with or supports interaction with external audiences, including individual customers and local officials, community groups, and key stakeholders. Requirements include excellent written and public speaking skills, excellent interpersonal skills, and strong business knowledge. Able to meet with affected or potentially affected communities to surface issues, solve problems, and bring local knowledge and insight to the siting process.

The estimated pay range for this role is $108,800 - $153,600. This range is based off of relevant experience.

Responsibilities include:

• Responsible for assisting in identifying, developing, and coordinating delivery of overall outreach strategies to support the goals, philosophies, policies, initiatives, and day-to-day activities of FirstEnergy Transmission and its affiliates, including joint ventures;
• Provide guidance and coordinate alignment of project routing, siting, communications, and external stakeholder engagement strategies;
• Work directly with affected or potentially affected communities, impacted landowners, elected officials and community leaders to gain beneficial project routing information and resolve issues before and during the transmission line routing and siting process.
• Support efforts to work with external affairs teams and educate the public (landowners, thought leaders, elected officials) about proposed transmission projects.
• Assist and support of customer outreach strategies that improve two-way communications and line siting success.
• Build strategic information and awareness campaigns that balance education, advocacy, and information to ensure project success.
• Work closely with Project Management, Engineering, Real Estate, PJM Strategy, Legal, Corporate Communications, and External Affairs to foster two-way communications between key stakeholders and the project team to improve success in siting and executing transmission projects. Coordinate deployment of resources accordingly.
• Assist the Transmission Planning and Project Development Teams in providing geopolitical risk analysis for supplemental projects proposed through the annual Rounds process.

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree in public affairs, communications, public policy, public administration, journalism, business, marketing, customer service, advertising, public relations, or related field.
• 5-7 years related work experience in Political campaigns, Utilities, External Affairs, Corporate Communications, Customer Service, Marketing, Media Relations, Journalism, or related field.
• Highly organized and effective at managing multiple workstreams simultaneously and demonstrated ability to take on high-levels of responsibility.
• A strategic thinker and day-to-day executor who can juggle several issues at once; ability to effectively consider and solve both short and long-term problems.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; capable of working with and influencing stakeholders at all levels, all while exhibiting a knack for always finding the right tone.
• Strategic problem solver; challenges the status quo and looks for creative solutions.
• Meticulous and vigilant, with a high level of attention to detail
• Ability to multi-task and handle multiple projects / assignments simultaneously is critical.
• Fluency in other languages is a plus
• Ability to travel across the footprint, including overnight travel. 

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity