Regional External Affairs Consultant - Ohio

Overview

First Energy 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.

There are 2 open positions with First Energy Ohio, a subsidiary of First Energy Corp.

Position 1 is a Regional External Affairs Consultant (REAC) onsite/in-office position supporting Erie, Huron, Lorain, Ottawa, Sandusky and parts of Seneca Counties.
Position 2 will be responsible for Cuyahoga and Geauga Counties. The consultants will liaise with local elected officials, EMA, and emergency responders across the service territory. The Regional External Affairs Consultant grows and sustains strategic networks and relationships with key elected officials, community leaders and stakeholders. The consultant proactively informs and updates public officials about service-related issues—ranging from customer impacts and power outages to transmission and distribution capital projects.

• Building trusting, supportive relationships with all First Energy departments operating within the assigned territory
• Will work in support of projects relating to First Energy Transmission and other internal stakeholders
• Acting as the key company representative while working with all customers and constituents to ensure the highest level of customer service and satisfaction
• Managing local public relations activities in concert with company communication strategies, including information on programs, outage status reporting and restoration updates, reliability and construction projects, rate cases, etc.
• Partner with the First Energy Foundation and Communications on company public relations activities, including strategic charitable contributions, reliability issues and projects
• Committing resources to satisfy the business needs of the public and constituents on issues consistent with company business strategies
• Attending evening council meetings and events to provide updates on Company initiatives for the communities we serve
• Ensuring that all company strategies are advanced through the appropriate constituencies
• Providing input, competitive intelligence and feedback on local perspectives pertaining to company performance and company strategies
• In partnership with State and Federal Affairs, and the company’s Regulatory groups leverage key contact relationships with federal, state, community and local officials to successfully manage and advance political and regulatory strategies in concert with the company's Rates, Regulatory Affairs and Economic Development groups
• Acting as a proactive and responsive resource within the region to lead communications to our strategic partners and customers throughout the year and particularly during outage and storm related events, identifying and resolving problems before they become major issues
• Actively seeking and sharing knowledge of industry trends, competitors, etc., that affect First Energy
• Providing updates to public officials on outages, road closures and critical facilities during the storm response process within the Incident Command System
• Modeling First Energy's core values of Integrity, Safety, Accountability, Performance Excellence, and Stewardship

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Engineering, Marketing, Communications, Political Science, Public Relations or comparable field with 10 years of related work experience is preferred
• In lieu of a bachelor’s degree, 12 years of related work experience is required. Related work experience includes positions in public relations, marketing, communications, and customer relations with emphasis on demonstrated problem solving skills and customer service
• Exceptional relationship management, leadership and teamwork skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to function with minimum direction using a broad range of discretion to meet strategic objectives
• Outstanding public relations skills to ensure cooperation from public officials and civic organizations on matters vital to the company
• Able to attend meetings and events before and after…