Public Affairs Associate (Community Engagement)

Colorado Springs Utilities•Colorado Springs, CO

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Are you looking to launch your career in Public Affairs? Do you have experience with or interest in public relations, community outreach, or community engagement? If so, come and join our Strategic Communications and Engagement team! As a Public Affairs Associate, you will support the Customer Impacts pillar of Community Engagement through assessing, planning, and implementing construction and operational communications to impacted customers and communities.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience in a public relations, community outreach, community engagement, and/or public affairs capacity
Ability to navigate and manage an occasionally large volume of requests and tasks within the same timeline
Strong proficiency in writing and producing written communications
Comfortability with a variety of direct customer interactions and ability to build relationships with internal teams of varied disciplines
Possession of a valid, unrestricted driver's license is required - this job requires operating a Colorado Springs Utilities vehicle at times to visit project locations

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Communications, or a related field is valued
Familiarity with customer information systems and geographic information systems is valued

Responsibilities

Working with construction and operations teams to schedule, track, and notify customers of projects and emergency repairs in their area
Providing community organizations and customers with a single point of contact for organization resources and solutions
Communicating the needs and interests of community organizations and customers to influence and provide input for internal decision-making and planning activities
Attending project briefings, site visits, and in-the-field customer interactions to support engagement efforts
Attending and supporting after-hours public meetings, town halls, etc.
Providing solutions within the organization's resources to meet the needs, requests, and questions of community partners and customers
Coordinating the design, development, and implementation of community engagement campaigns
Analyzing Utilities' projects and initiatives for political and public sensitivity to determine stakeholder and public engagement needs
Developing stakeholder and public process strategies and plans that protect and enhance reputational risks to Colorado Springs Utilities and ensuring successful project execution
Building and maintaining relationships with internal and external parties on behalf of Colorado Springs Utilities
Determining and using appropriate tools and tactics for public outreach, including Utilities public meetings, in-person, and electronic town halls and surveys
Assessing potential risk to public safety and implementing appropriate hazard awareness communications for impacted communities
Coordinating outreach programs to inform affected communities of planned or emergency construction/operations, including service outages, road closures and detours, and property access

Benefits

Vacation – Start with 13 days annually, increasing to 24 days with tenure
Personal Leave –3 days per year
Paid Holidays –12 paid holidays per year
Sick Leave – 12 days per year for personal or family health needs
Vacation Buy – Option to purchase up to 40 additional hours annually
Medical Plans: Three comprehensive options, including a $0 premium High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA) eligibility
Zero Health: Access to hundreds of medical services at no cost
Dental & Vision: Two dental plans and one vision plan
Family Building-Benefits: Support for fertility, preservation, adoption, and surrogacy
Wellness Program: A voluntary program that rewards you for prioritizing self-care! If you're enrolled in a our medical plan, you and your spouse can earn up to $600 in HRA or HSA contributions by completing healthy activities
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Pre-tax contributions for healthcare and dependent care expenses
Health Savings Account (HSA): Available with HDHP
Pension Plan: Colorado PERA provides retirement benefits and peace of mind
Supplemental Retirement Plans: PERAPlus 401(k), MissionSquare Roth IRA, and 457 plans
Disability Coverage: Short-Term and Long-Term Disability insurance available
Life Insurance: Employer-paid coverage with optional supplemental plans
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support for mental health, stress, legal, financial, and work-life balance
Tuition Reimbursement: Up to $5,250 annually to support continued education
Public Service Loan Forgiveness: As a qualifying employer, your student loan payments may be eligible for loan forgiveness