Senior Advisor, Government Affairs - NJ

First Energy • NJ, NJ

82d • $182,000 - $214,000

About The Position

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Company, a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. The Senior Advisor, New Jersey External Affairs, will be a key member of FirstEnergy's External Affairs group, working to advance the interests of the company with state and local legislators, regulators, mayors, governors and other non-governmental stakeholders influencing state and local policy development in the state and across FirstEnergy's service territory. This position will be responsible for autonomously managing the in-state external affairs team, a multi-issue and multi-jurisdictional policy portfolio, and serving as a subject matter expert and primary representative of the company with relevant state and local policymakers and regulators. The Senior Advisor of New Jersey External Affairs, manages an in-state team of state government, regulatory, and local and community external affairs professionals who continuously monitor and analyze state legislative and regulatory activity for its impact on business operations, maintain robust relationships with state regulators, state and local elected, appointed, and community leaders, and manage relationships with state and local external consultants, lobbyists, trade associations and industry coalitions to advance the company's policy and regulatory objectives. This position reports to the Vice President, External Affairs, with a dotted reporting line into the FirstEnergy New Jersey State President. It will be an onsite role reporting in the Holmdel, NJ office. The salary range for this position is a base of $182,000-$214,000. Additional incentives will be discussed during the offer process.

Requirements

• Four-year college degree required, with advanced studies or a graduate degree in public policy, law, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years' experience working in a state or local legislative office, in a legislative affairs or policy role within a state agency or Governor's office, for a regulatory agency, or in an external affairs role, with a mix of government and private sector experience preferred.
• Fluency with state and local political and legislative and regulatory processes, as well as experience with grassroots and coalition management.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to relate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to build, facilitate and participate in collaboration between diverse groups.
• Ability to effectively interpret and address needs of diverse constituents.
• Ability to integrate data effectively and work diplomatically with a broad range of individuals, including senior management and government officials.
• Flexibility to travel across the service territory footprint and attend morning and evening events.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills, with attention to detail.
• Self-starter who takes initiative and follows through on tasks to completion; ability to work independently.
• Demonstrated ability to articulate and synthesize complex issues and present information effectively to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work well under pressure, set and adapt to continually changing workload priorities, and effectively manage multiple tasks with minimal supervision.
• Ability to independently identify and analyze problems/issues, assess risks, create and evaluate alternative solutions, and recommend a course of action.
• Ability to maintain security and confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Experience in the energy/utility industry combined with a strong knowledge of regulated industries.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee FirstEnergy's engagement in state and local legislative, regulatory, and community affairs.
• Lead a collaborative team of state and government, regulatory and local external affairs professionals responsible for our engagement with elected, appointed, and grasstops/grassroots in-state stakeholders.
• Identify policy priorities through internal stakeholder engagement.
• Manage a multi-issue policy portfolio, including independently analyzing relevant legislative and regulatory activity across various jurisdictions and developing company positioning.
• Build content for advocacy campaigns while managing strategic deployment of outside consultants, lobbyists and coalition partners.
• Develop and maintain relationships with state and local officials, as well as their staff, to build receptivity to company policy goals.
• Represent the company with state trade associations and coalitions to drive broader alignment with advancing the company objectives.
• Develop and execute strategic political giving plans in consultation with leadership and represent the company at fundraisers, conventions and related political events.
• Oversee grassroots political engagement by Business Councils and other property-level associates.
• Inform senior leadership and/or develop executive communications on state and local policy matters.
• Educate field, legal, and operations leaders on legislative/regulatory changes that impact business activity and provide guidance as they implement compliance strategies.
• Identify and prepare executives for potential political sensitivities or proactive engagement opportunities arising during the course of public appearances or other business activities.
• Collaborate with cross-company functions to ensure message alignment on policy issues to inform communications and business positioning.
• Identify, shape and/or create opportunities at public events to educate policymakers and regulators, staff and influencers about FirstEnergy to bolster company reputational and political capital.
• Develop or oversee the creation of content for internal and external communications related to state and local policy developments.
• Represent the company at fundraising events and other community/non-governmental partner events.

Benefits

• Competitive pay plus incentive compensation.
• Company-sponsored pension plan.
• 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution.
• Choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs.
• Skills development training with tuition reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Utilities
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees