Vice President Communications and Community Relations

Southside Electric Cooperative • Crewe, VA

1d

About The Position

Southside Electric Cooperative is seeking a strategic, experienced communications leader who understands the electric utility industry and knows how to build trust before, during, and after the moments that matter most. At Southside Electric Cooperative, communication is more than messaging. It is how we earn confidence, support our members, strengthen our communities, and provide clear, accurate information when people are counting on us most. We are looking for a Vice President of Communications and Community Relations who can serve as SEC's chief storyteller and spokesperson while providing strategic leadership to SEC. This is a senior leadership opportunity for someone who has worked in the utility industry and understands the responsibility, urgency, and public trust that come with providing essential electric service. The right person will know how to communicate through outages, storms, high-impact events, regulatory expectations, member concerns, media questions, and community conversations with confidence, clarity, and sound judgment.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in marketing, journalism, public relations, communications, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of utility-related work experience in a leadership communications role.
• At least 5 years of management experience directing a comprehensive marketing, communications, or public relations department or function.
• Demonstrated experience serving as a spokesperson and leading communications through crisis, emergency, or other high-impact situations.
• Exceptional written, verbal, public speaking, media relations, and storytelling skills.
• Strong executive judgment, emotional intelligence, and the ability to communicate calmly and effectively under pressure.
• The ability to build trust and positive relationships with members, employees, board members, community leaders, media, and industry peers.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with cooperative principles, outage communications, emergency response, regulatory considerations, member relations, and community-facing utility work will be especially valuable.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Communications & Community Relations team while building a culture of accountability, collaboration, performance, and continuous improvement.
• Lead SEC's internal and external communications strategy with messaging that is timely, accurate, transparent, member-focused, and aligned with our mission, vision, and values.
• Strengthen internal communications and employee understanding by helping leaders communicate organizational priorities, changes, decisions, and expectations clearly and consistently.
• Serve as SEC's primary spokesperson and communications advisor, representing the cooperative in media interviews, public forums, community settings, and high-pressure situations in alignment with CEO guidance.
• Lead crisis and emergency communications during outages, storms, and other significant events, providing clear, trusted information while supporting SEC's safety-first culture and the well-being of employees, members, and communities.
• Lead SEC's organizational storytelling, proactively and creatively communicating SEC's value, purpose, people, accomplishments, challenges and impact in ways that strengthen understanding and connection with members and communities.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team on communications, reputation, public perception, emerging issues, and community relationships.
• Partner with executive and departmental leaders to develop clear, coordinated communication around significant organizational initiatives, complex issues, and decisions affecting employees, members, and communities.
• Plan and oversee major member and public events, including Annual Meeting and Member Advisory meetings.
• Proactively identify emerging issues, public perceptions, communication risks and opportunities that could affect SEC's reputation, member trust, or community relationships and advise Executive Leadership Team accordingly.
• Use data, performance measures, and trend analysis to guide decisions, evaluate communication effectiveness, and support business intelligence efforts.

Benefits

• All hires are subject to a pre-employment background check to include local, state, and federal criminal history; employment history; employment references; education verification; driver's record history; and, where applicable: license verification; safety history (linemen); and FMCSA query for positions requiring a CDL.
• We are a zero-tolerance drug-free workplace.
• All hires must take a pre-employment drug & alcohol test and have a pre-employment physical.
• All employees of Southside Electric Cooperative are subject to random drug tests at any time.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive