Company Summary Statement : Rhode Island Energy provides essential energy services to over 770,000 customers across Rhode Island through the delivery of electricity or natural gas. Our team is dedicated to helping Rhode Island customers and communities thrive while supporting the transition to a cleaner energy future. Rhode Island Energy is part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies addressing energy challenges head-on by building smarter, more resilient, and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. PPL is a positive force in the cities and towns where we do business, providing support for programs and organizations that empower the success of future generations by helping to build and maintain strong, diverse communities today. Overview:
The Customer & Community Management Specialist (CCMS) is an experienced, seasoned and effective representative of RI Energy in the community. The CCMS develops and maintains relationships with major accounts, key stakeholders, community and municipal leaders, economic development and other major associations with a strategic focus to enhance RI Energy's reputation in the community. The role leverages relationships to create third party advocates for RI Energy in the regulatory, policy, and political arenas. Entities with which the CCMS interact with to influence policy include strategic customers, elected officials, town administrators, Chambers of Commerce, economic development agencies, community-based organizations, local development councils, and business associations. The CCMS has a thorough knowledge of RI Energy operations and issues, and provides public and community relations input to operations, customer service, and other RI Energy staff. At times, this involves providing leadership on cross-functional company teams to help solve problems and improve processes to ensure that RI Energy has an overall positive impact in the community.
Responsibilities:
- Provide strategic leadership at all levels of the company, and with key stakeholders, to manage issues in communities. Develop and maintain solid working relationships with federal, state and local elected officials and their staffs, providing them with information to enable positive outcomes for RI Energy, and helping them to resolve constituent issues that involve RI Energy.
- Identify emerging issues that could reflect negatively on RI Energy, work with company personnel and community representatives on these issues and provide leadership to develop and implement solutions.
- Advocate for the "voice of the customer" and mobilize RI Energy’s functional areas - Customer, Operations, etc. - to provide timely and appropriate responses to identified customer or community needs to increase business to business alignment and customer satisfaction.
- Manage a wide range of corporate citizenship programs such as sponsorships, support of United Way, and similar programs in which RI Energy has a corporate interest.
- Serve as a principal RI Energy contact for public officials, business leaders, community leaders, civic organizations, and special interest groups on a wide variety of corporate issues.
- Be a community leader and an active participant on strategically chosen nonprofit boards
- Serve as the key account manager for selected major commercial/industrial customers, universities, hospitals, and state agencies as assigned.
- Attend meetings and activities, inclusive of business, trade and, as required, City/Town/Village Council sessions outside of normal business hours when necessary and make public presentations as required.
- Support Operation’s (electric and gas) stakeholder management group, along with identified key distribution communications in advance of major infrastructure upgrades in order to manage community and business owner expectations and demonstrate superior customer service.
- Serve as a member of the company's on-call rotation for emergencies and after-hours state and municipal inquiries.
- Assigned an emergency storm role. This is a special assignment that comes into play during storms and other emergencies when the company needs to restore power or respond to other issues affecting customer service. This role may necessitate the need to work after-hours, outside of your normal schedule.
- The company reserves the right to determine if this position will be assigned to work on-site, remotely, or a combination of both. Assigned work location may change. In the case of remote work, physical presence in the office/on-site may be required to engage in face-to-face interaction and coordination of work among direct reports and co-workers
Performs other duties as assigned
Complies with all policies and standards Qualifications:
Required education
Bachelor's degree or related work experience on a year-for-year basis.
Required experience
7+ years relevant experience in community/public relations and/or energy/utility industry.
Strong oral and written communications skills.
Demonstrated leadership capability.
Ability to manage multiple priorities.
Proficiency in computer skills, including ability to work with customer/billing systems.
Demonstrates an energetic and enthusiastic manner, collaboration and negotiation skills, and the ability to bring value to stakeholder relationships.
Preferred qualifications
Ten years of relevant business experience.
Strong knowledge of state and local government. Extensive community experience.
Known, credible presence among community leaders in region.
Broad base of knowledge of the utility business.
Completely comfortable communicating publicly and via other media channels.
#RIE
#INDRIE
