Director, Emergency Outreach and Public Safety

Xcel Energy•Denver, CO

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Provides visionary and strategic leadership while directing the Colorado emergency outreach and engagement team along with a cross-functional matrix team across Corporate Communications, Customer Care, Key Accounts, State Affairs, Community Relations, Strategic Outreach and Advocacy, Distribution, Gas, Transmission, and Risk to develop, design, and implement strategic plans for emergency response coordination and stakeholder engagement. Partners closely with the Outreach and Advocacy team to align emergency preparedness initiatives with broader community engagement strategies and energy equity goals. Responsible for defining, developing, and maintaining proactive outreach and communication strategies with key account customers, emergency services, major healthcare organizations, and critical facilities before, during, and after Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) and other emergency events. Leads proactive pre-event outreach efforts including assisting hospitals, healthcare facilities, emergency services, and key commercial accounts with emergency preparedness planning, backup power assessments, and continuity strategies. Includes mapping critical customers and facilities, developing emergency preparedness models, and coordinating with state, county, and municipal emergency management agencies. Partners with operations and the Outreach and Advocacy team to ensure proactive communication, advance shutoff notification, and restoration coordination for vulnerable customers, underserved communities, and essential services.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in liberal arts, business, communications, public relations, emergency management, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum of 7 years of utility experience and/or emergency management and/or stakeholder outreach experience is required.
Strong project management experience and ability to deliver results.
Regulatory and state policy knowledge and experience with communications to varied groups, including senior leadership, government agencies, healthcare partners, and community advocacy organizations.
Excellent written and verbal communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
Proven track record of working collaboratively across departments including outreach and advocacy functions, and with external stakeholders on preparedness initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree preferred.
Experience with proactive emergency preparedness planning and facility readiness assessments preferred.
Experience coordinating with healthcare organizations, emergency services, and key commercial accounts preferred.
Experience partnering with outreach, advocacy, or community engagement teams on stakeholder initiatives preferred.

Responsibilities

Emergency Outreach & Engagement: Leads Colorado operating company emergency outreach and engagement efforts. Works across Corporate Communications, Colorado Operating Company, Emergency Management, Safety, Distribution, Transmission, Gas, Risk, and the Outreach and Advocacy team to provide oversight and accountability for strategic outreach to key account customers, emergency services, and major healthcare organizations.
Develops and maintains relationships with hospitals, dialysis centers, skilled nursing facilities, and other critical medical facilities to ensure coordinated communication and support before and during PSPS events.
Partners with the Outreach and Advocacy team to ensure emergency preparedness messaging reaches diverse and underserved communities.
Leads proactive pre-event outreach to assist area facilities with emergency preparedness planning, including backup power assessments, generator readiness reviews, and business continuity planning.
Updates critical customer and facility mapping in partnership with state and local emergency management offices, ensuring accurate outreach lists and notification protocols.
Incident Command System (ICS) Liaison Officer (LOFR): Serves as the primary Liaison Officer (LOFR) within the company's internal Incident Command Structure during Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) and other emergency activations.
Maintains deep, working expertise in the company's PSPS Playbook, including LOFR roles, responsibilities, authorities, and decision-support functions.
Coordinates pre-event planning sessions with key account managers, healthcare organizations, emergency services (fire, police, hospitals), and the Outreach and Advocacy team to ensure readiness before potential shutoff events.
Acts as the central coordination point between Incident Command, key stakeholders, government agencies, community advocacy partners, and external partners to ensure consistent information flow, alignment, and execution throughout pre-event preparation, incident response, restoration, and recovery phases.
Key Account & Healthcare Organization Coordination: Partners with Key Accounts team, Outreach and Advocacy team, and operations to ensure the accuracy of the medical device registry, critical customer database, and healthcare facility asset information.
Establishes and maintains direct communication channels with major healthcare organizations including hospitals, emergency rooms, dialysis centers, and facilities with life-sustaining equipment.
Collaborates with Outreach and Advocacy to identify and support vulnerable populations and underserved communities that may be disproportionately impacted by PSPS events.
Leads proactive outreach to assist facilities with emergency preparedness planning, including conducting backup power readiness assessments, facilitating tabletop exercises, and helping develop facility-specific PSPS response plans.
Coordinates proactive outreach and notification protocols for PSPS events, ensuring key accounts and healthcare partners receive advance notice, real-time updates, and restoration timelines.
Ensures best practices are shared through internal and external training programs and preparedness workshops.
Emergency Communications & Stakeholder Outreach: Responsible for leading all media and stakeholder communications efforts before, during, and after Public Safety Power Shutoffs, extreme weather events, and other critical emergency situations.
Partners with the Outreach and Advocacy team to ensure emergency communications align with community engagement strategies and reach diverse stakeholder groups.
Develops and executes proactive pre-event communication campaigns to alert key customers, healthcare facilities, and emergency services of potential shutoff conditions and preparedness steps.
Serves as lead spokesperson for emergency events affecting key customers and communities.
Coordinates directly with emergency services (fire departments, law enforcement, emergency medical services) on pre-event coordination and aligned messaging.
Implements and optimizes grassroots and grasstops stakeholder communications in partnership with Outreach and Advocacy, leveraging technology solutions to enhance notification speed and reach to vulnerable customers, healthcare facilities, and essential service providers.
Emergency Preparedness Policy & Regulatory Support: Supports emergency preparedness and PSPS-related state policy and regulatory filings for submittal to Colorado's regulatory commission.
Partners with the Outreach and Advocacy team to ensure emergency preparedness programs address energy equity considerations and regulatory requirements for vulnerable population protection.
Develops and maintains proactive outreach programs and preparedness protocols that meet or exceed regulatory requirements for customer notification and vulnerable population protection.
Designs and delivers pre-event preparedness resources, training, and planning assistance for key accounts, healthcare partners, community organizations, and advocacy groups.
Provides program updates for executive leadership and external stakeholders including healthcare industry partners, emergency management agencies, and community advocacy organizations.
Meets regularly with internal key departments including Outreach and Advocacy to ensure alignment on outreach strategies, budgets, and cost recovery.