Community Advocate (m/w/d)

Job Description

National Grid Renewables seeks a Kentucky Community Advocate to lead community relations for renewable energy projects in Kentucky. Responsibilities include building partnerships, hosting events, and managing community engagement strategies. The role requires collaboration across departments and travel within Kentucky (up to 50%). Candidates must reside in Kentucky, preferably in specific project counties. This full-time position may require evening and weekend work.

The Kentucky Community Advocate will lead community relations for all of NG Renewables' Kentucky projects. This will include forming and maintaining partnerships with community stakeholders, having individual meetings with community members, hosting listening sessions, educational events and volunteer opportunities, and sponsoring and tabling at community events. This position will drive project-level giving from development through operations across our Kentucky portfolio. To be successful, this position must collaborate internally with developers, plant personnel, construction, executive management and other departments. The Kentucky Community Advocate will report to the Senior Community Engagement Specialist. This is a full-time position.

Duties

• Understand, deliver and improve upon National Grid Renewables' community outreach strategy for all Kentucky projects.
• Advocate for local communities and ensure that community engagement in Kentucky has a positive impact and is delivered efficiently and within budget.
• Manage relationships and partnerships across the state, including external stakeholders such as local communities, 3rd party organizations and others as applicable.
• Drive support for projects locally and statewide and develop and execute campaigns to combat opposition to renewable energy and/or projects.
• Collaborate with others on the Community Engagement team to provide support, learn from each other, and adopt best practices based on on-the-ground experience.
• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications department to ensure community and charitable projects are recognized internally and externally.
• Work cross-functionally with other departments, including development, permitting, policy, construction, and operations to deliver integrated and high-quality community engagement.
• Monitor Kentucky and national renewable energy news, including opposition activity, competitor community engagement activities, permitting news, and community news.
• Ability to travel within Kentucky up to 50%, with some travel on short notice.
• Occasional travel outside of Kentucky to assist with other projects, visit the corporate office in Minnesota, etc.
• This is NOT a standard Monday-Friday, 8-5 role. Some evenings and weekends will be required to have a presence at community events.

Experience

• MUST be a resident of Kentucky. Preferred residence in one of the following project counties: Taylor, Green, Caldwell, Mason, Hancock, or Hickman.
• Proven collaborator and networking expert, with the ability to build strong relationships internally and externally.
• Experience working with external and internal stakeholders to deliver community-level projects.
• Able to manage and prioritize complex, competing communication issues - maintaining high standards and alignment with National Grid Renewables' strategy
• Understanding of the importance of strategic communications.
• Highly articulate and persuasive communicator.
• Ability to remain calm in stressful/tense situations.
• Skills/Attributes:
  • Strong verbal skills
  • Achievement driven
  • Energetic
  • Able to manage multiple tasks and projects
  • Loyal and committed to the organization
  • Pursuit of personal growth

Preference may be given to candidates with the following:

• Experience with political campaigning and/or building grassroots and community support for a cause.
• Established relationships with Kentucky renewable energy groups, nonprofits, legislators, and/or other influential stakeholders.
• Understanding of the energy/utility sector preferably renewable energy, and relevant internal/external influences (such as governmental, regulatory, NGOs, communities, employee relations, media, agencies, industry bodies).
• Experience in volunteering and other structured employee participation in responsible business activity
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook).

Compensation

This is a contract position, with an hourly rate starting at $50/hour.

All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. National Grid Renewables is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

National Grid Renewables believe fostering diversity, equity and inclusion is everyone's responsibility. Open, honest and respectful ways of working, learning and communicating are the cornerstones of a successful business, and leveraging inclusion and diversity lead to better business results. At National Grid Renewables, we're focused on creating a work environment where our people feel respected and included, and therefore empowered to be themselves.