Manager, Community Engagement

Invenergy drives innovation in energy. Powered by decades of entrepreneurial experience and unparalleled execution, we solve the energy challenges facing our customers and communities. We provide power generation and storage solutions at scale around the world to create a cleaner energy future. We develop. We build. We own. We operate. We are Invenergy.

Job Description

Position Overview

The Manager, Community Engagement, will support the development of Invenergy’s Even Keel Wind (EKW) project by engaging with stakeholders and communities on the Central Coast on behalf of Invenergy. As part of the public affairs team, this position will report to the vice president of government affairs, California, and will work closely with the offshore wind development team, environmental compliance and strategy team, and regulatory team. 
 
The ideal candidate will be able to communicate effectively between internal colleagues and external stakeholders to build and maintain credibility and trust in a long-term project such as EKW. The ideal candidate is self-motivated, and excellent at coordinating in a fast-paced environment, including multiple internal teams, to ensure consistency in messaging and commitment to the community in which Invenergy will operate for years to come.

Responsibilities 

• Identify, build, and maintain relationships with key community stakeholders on the Central Coast to build support for offshore wind and the EKW project.

• Represent the project at various types of outreach events to build a coalition of support and identify/address potential affected stakeholders’ concerns. 

• Work as key member of the EKW external engagement team, closely coordinating with internal Invenergy team members and key project personnel.  

• Assist in the development and dissemination of communications and advocacy materials including presentations, briefing documents, data analysis, etc. 

• Assist with event production, advocacy campaigns, and coordination of conference sponsorships and supporting outreach materials.  

• Coordinate with external engagement leads on community relations and giving activities, including representing Invenergy/EKW at meetings and events with external stakeholders.  

• Assist in developing and executing proactive amplification and reactive issues management strategies around major project milestones and day-to-day project developments. 

• Review and manage reporting produced by outside contractors for project media summaries, social media reports, stakeholder engagement dashboards, and other reporting to ensure contractors are executing to scopes and that information is being shared within the project team.   

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in public policy, political science, environmental policy, or related field. 

• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in community outreach within the fields of urban planning, infrastructure, environment/energy, or related field with existing relationships and knowledge of the Central Coast. 

• Strong critical thinking skills with the ability to identify and solve problems in a fast-paced environment. 

• Ability to travel within the region and state. Ability to travel up to 25% of the time, including being the holder of a driver’s license and being willing and able to operate personal and/or rented vehicle for travel to project locations, as most are not accessible by public transit.   

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven ability to build relationships with diverse stakeholders, including elected officials, environmental NGOs, civic and business organizations, and community groups/ members. 

• Experience establishing successful working relationships with diverse constituencies, including oppositional organizations and community members.

• Experience in conflict resolution.

• Experience on public affairs teams, programs, and initiatives, including developing strategy, and implementing and managing integrated communications programs. 

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, and a willingness to meet the communication needs of others. 

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, leadership, time management, and problem-solving skills. 

• Familiarity with the electric utility industry, electric energy markets, the clean energy industry, and/or environmental advocacy strongly preferred. 

• Public or media relations experience and mindset is preferred. 

• Able to manage and explain complex, competing issues working with others, while maintaining alignment with company project wide goals. 

• Excellent MS Office software