Project Outreach Specialist-Staff

American Electric Power•New Albany, OH

3d•$116,255 - $151,132•Onsite

About The Position

The Project Outreach Specialist - Staff is an experienced individual contributor responsible for supporting and executing public affairs, stakeholder engagement, and outreach activities for AEP's electric transmission projects across the enterprise. This role develops and implements project-specific outreach strategies that help advance successful project siting, permitting, and delivery. The position serves as an external-facing representative for AEP, its operating companies, Transource, and joint ventures by engaging with landowners, community leaders, elected officials, and other stakeholders affected by transmission infrastructure projects. Working closely with project teams, this role supports stakeholder engagement efforts, identifies and addresses emerging issues, and helps foster productive relationships that support project success. The position partners with Siting, Project Management, Engineering, Right of Way, Corporate Communications, Legal, and External Affairs to ensure outreach activities are effectively integrated into overall project execution.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in journalism, business, marketing, customer service, advertising, communications, public relations or public affairs, or related field.
Minimum five years’ experience in Utilities, Corporate Communications, Customer Service, Marketing, Media Relations, Journalism, or related field.
Ability to manage multiple projects and assignments simultaneously.
Strong verbal, written, interpersonal, and public presentation skills.
Ability to work independently while exercising sound judgment and discretion.
Comfortable interacting with stakeholders in potentially sensitive situations.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with infrastructure, utility, energy, or transmission projects.
Experience engaging with community stakeholders, elected officials, or public agencies.
Experience supporting public meetings, open houses, or community engagement initiatives.
Familiarity with utility siting, regulatory processes, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
Experience coordinating consultants, contractors, or external resources.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute public, governmental, and community outreach plans for electric transmission infrastructure projects.
Build relationships with landowners, community leaders, elected officials, and other stakeholders affected by transmission projects.
Support identification of stakeholder concerns, local issues, and potential project risks, communicating insights to project teams.
Assist in the development of project messaging and outreach materials tailored to local community interests and concerns.
Represent AEP and its affiliates in meetings, open houses, stakeholder briefings, and other public engagement activities.
Educate stakeholders about proposed transmission projects, project needs, routing considerations, and development timelines.
Facilitate two-way communication between project teams and external stakeholders to support informed decision-making.
Respond to stakeholder questions and concerns with professionalism, responsiveness, and sound judgment.
Partner with Siting, Project Management, Engineering, Right of Way, Corporate Communications, Legal, and External Affairs to support project objectives.
Provide field support and stakeholder insights to help inform routing, permitting, and project development activities.
Coordinate outreach activities to align project milestones, schedules, and regulatory requirements.
Maintain project records, stakeholder databases, and outreach documentation.
Coordinate activities of outreach consultants and contractors supporting project engagement efforts.
Develop and review outreach materials and deliverables to ensure consistency with project objectives and company messaging.
Support implementation of system-wide outreach tools and communication platforms, including AEPTransmission.com.
Share best practices and lessons learned with peers and project teams.