Public Relations & External Affairs Strategist

Homer Electric Association (HEA) is a member-owned electric utility serving the central and southern areas of the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. We are excited to be recruiting for a Public Relations & External Affairs Strategist to join the team. We truly believe in the cooperative values of integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community and a successful candidate will have an opportunity to directly impact these values.

The Public Relations & External Affairs Strategist will create, promote, and implement the public relations strategies of the Cooperative through legislative, regulatory, employee and media contacts aligning with the interests of the Cooperative and our members. They will also plan and coordinate HEA events including annual and area meetings and other local outreach efforts. While not required for this position, a paralegal or related background, specifically in the areas of oil & gas, land use, environmental, utility and/or regulatory would be highly desirable.

This position will work in the Homer or Kenai HEA office locations. This will be a salaried (exempt) position and be required to serve as the secondary public information officer that would include overnight call shifts to oversee crisis communications, such as power outages.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, coordinate, and maintain statewide external contacts and relationships. Attending regional and national industry meetings or seminars as directed, stay professionally attuned to legal and legislative issues, trends or changes that might affect the success of the Cooperative.
• Remain informed and briefed on relevant activities which impact the Cooperative. Lead in both internal and external communication activities as appropriate. Participate in the creation of applicable alerts and other materials for use by the cooperative.
• Participate in community liaison activities for the Cooperative by coordinating, attending, and speaking at meetings of state, local Chambers of Commerce, and various community councils.
• Create, coordinate the cooperative messaging to shape and direct the public policy agenda through awareness and advocacy on issues important to the electric utilities; inform members and guide resolutions process in partnership with other Railbelt utilities as directed by the Chief Strategy Officer.
• Research, prepare, respond or release information to a wide variety of inquiries from employees, public, members, agencies, affiliate organizations, and the media on a variety of topics such as outages, rates, legislation, industry standards, regulatory affairs, projects, tours, and demonstrations. This may include acting as a secondary public information officer, and/or working overnight shifts to oversee crisis communication including power outages.
• Direct the coordination of annual membership meetings, Board of Director elections, area meetings, oversee the Scholarship Committee, community outreach meetings and other special events which require travel and extended work hours.
• Responsible for leveraging social media platforms, hard copy, and web-based platforms for advancing HEA's branding goals. Directs the development of internal and external newsletters, website updates, digital marketing, social media campaigns and the distribution of media.

EDUCATION, LICENSE & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor's degree in public relations, digital marketing, business administration, office services, paralegal services or related field required.
• Five (5) years related experience in utility marketing, public relations and/or paralegal services required.
• In lieu of the degree requirement, an additional eight years of applicable experience may replace the degree requirement. This may include public relations or paralegal experience.
• Must submit a valid Alaska Driver's license and maintain a good driving record.

REQUIRED SKILLS & ABILITIES:

• Ability to demonstrate competency with Microsoft computer programs including Outlook, Word, and Excel. Access, PowerPoint, Visio, and Publisher. Familiarity with AI creator platforms, Photoshop and other design-based software experience are also preferred.
• Must possess a positive and confidential approach to dealing with issues, utility personnel and the public.

HEA is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer; Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled.

We invite you to join our team of professionals at Homer Electric Association. Come explore the extraordinary offers with work/life balance, competitive pay, and excellent benefits. Our employees enjoy a rewarding career with opportunities for growth and development. To learn more about Homer Electric Association, please visit us at www.homerelectric.com