Community Outreach Specialist

~ Alexandria Renew Enterprises is one of the most advanced water resource recovery public utilities in the United States. ~

We clean dirty water to protect our community and the environment. When dirty water flows from your home or business, we get to work turning it into sparkling, clean water.

Position Overview

The Community Outreach Specialist will work with a team to implement a large, complex program for a major water resource recovery utility. In this role, the candidate will provide leadership and assistance in the implementation of a strategic public outreach and communications campaign for external stakeholders from the planning through construction phases of the program.

The successful candidate will have the ability to coordinate with engineers, stakeholders, contractors, and other parties to synthesize information for the greater public. It is critical for the candidate to be a strong communicator, to be detail-oriented and organized, and to be able to influence others to accomplish objectives in this role.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the implementation an overall public outreach strategy for the program.
• Work with program team to understand intent of program and potential impacts during construction.
• Gain a technical understanding of the program and simplify complex topics for non-technical audiences, including preparing quick pointed summaries to engage and educate executives and stakeholders.
• Plan, prepare for, attend, and present at meetings, workshops, and other community events.
• Develop and track metrics and success factors for outreach to report to senior leaders, board members, and others regarding the success of outreach efforts.
• Assist in the development and planning efforts for major events associated with the program.
• Utilize a variety of communication channels to assist in implementing outreach strategy.
• Develop presentations, flyers, and other content to inform the community.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the education, experience, knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in Communications, Public Relations, Education, English or related field desired. A combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Five (5) years’ experience preferred in developing and executing internal and external communication strategies.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and work independently.
• A collaborator who is comfortable working with a diverse set of teams across an organization.
• Excellent analytical, written and oral communications, and presentation skills.
• Exhibits a positive, proactive attitude and possesses drive, energy and ambition.
• Willingness to work after hours and on weekends, as needed, to ensure success of programs and events.
• A drive to optimize results for the organization and its partners.
• The ability to make smart and timely decisions while maintaining a comprehensive awareness of the organization.
• Ability to handle a fast-paced environment, and be flexible and adaptable.
• Demonstrated ability to manage the business aspects of assigned projects, such as expense and revenue tracking and development of measurements and reports.
• Strong organizational skills.
• The ability to educate and influence internally to inspire staff participation in outreach and education activities and events.
• Experience in developing presentations in Microsoft PowerPoint; skilled in WordPress and InDesign, website development, and social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Language Skills:

• Ability to communicate effectively and resolve conflicts both orally and in writing with both internal and external customers.
• Excellent verbal, telephone and written communication skills.

Physical Demands:

• The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• A detailed Physical Demands Analysis is available in Human Resources and a copy will be provided to all incumbents in this position.
• While performing the duties of this job, typical of office work, include lifting up to 10 pounds, and minimal pushing or pulling.

Work Environment:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Environmental conditions necessitate following strict safety guidelines and use of Personal Protective Equipment.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee performs work indoors in a climate-controlled environment, with outdoor trips between buildings required.

Note: The above information on this job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

To Apply

• Please click "Apply" below to upload your cover letter and resume or fax to 703-997-8666.