Community Engagement Manager

Job Description | Community Engagement Manager 

About Us: 

East Point Energy is a development firm focused on the origination, construction, and operation of energy storage projects. Our team is currently developing gigawatts of energy storage projects throughout the country, helping to transform the grid into a renewable, resilient, and affordable system for generations to come. East Point is a wholly owned subsidiary of Equinor, a broad international energy company committed to long-term value creation in a low-carbon future. 

East Point’s nimble team is comprised of hard-working, strategic problem solvers who are passionate about sustainability. We are technology and contractor agnostic, allowing us to find the best solution for each project. The firm’s executive team founded East Point in 2018, bringing decades of combined energy development experience and over 1.8 gigawatts of solar, wind, and energy storage projects currently in operation across the United States. Success for East Point is measured by delivering affordable energy storage solutions that benefit the grid, communities, and our environment. 

East Point is committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for a job unless they feel they are fully qualified in every way. We also know that sometimes the best candidates do not check every box. If you are interested in learning more, we would love to hear from you. 

Title: Community Engagement Manager 

The Community Engagement Manager is responsible for helping develop, execute, and manage the public’s interaction with East Point projects; building and executing project-level campaign strategy that effectively leverages media engagement, community relations, and grassroots advocacy to ensure a quality long-term partnership between East Point and the various host communities of our projects. Collaborating across multiple business lines, the Community Engagement Manager will ensure community relationships are fostered and maintained through not just the development phase, but also into construction and ultimately long-term operation. This role reports directly to the VP of Project Development.  

Roles & Responsibilities:  

• Actively collaborate with Project Developers to effectively plan and execute local support campaigns 

• Develop and/or support Project Developers’ development of local support campaigns, including conducting initial community due diligence, identifying and activating project supporters, fostering relationships with critical local stakeholders, building relationships with local media, and creating and maintaining a positive presence for East Point in the communities where we work 

• Support Project Developers to ensure local government officials, key influencers, and stakeholders are well-informed of the direct and indirect benefits of our projects 

• Assist the Project Developers in identifying and leveraging subject matter experts to speak at community and stakeholder meetings 

• Coordinate local events to engage local government officials, civic leaders, community influencers, local businesses, and non-profit groups at the direction and alongside the respective Project Developer 

• Create strong and compelling key messages for projects, ensuring the community is educated and the benefits well-articulated and disseminated, while actively tracking and developing strategy to combat misinformation Streamline processes and create company-wide framework to maintain stakeholder database for projects that enable smooth transitions between project phases  

• Cultivate media relations during development, including creating media engagement strategy, developing relationships with local media, crafting responses to media inquiries, and helping prepare for project-specific media engagements 

• Manage project-level external communications, including updating project websites, establishing a project-level social media presence, and implementing other communication plans to keep local constituencies informed 

• As needed and appropriate, identify and onboard external facing 3rd parties to support projects, including 3rd party PR and community engagement firms 

• Collaborate with the Marketing Manager to develop standardized outreach and education materials, including brochures, fact sheets, and presentations that adhere to East Point brand guidelines 

• Liaise with parent company, as needed, regarding project-related public relations
• Support Project Developers and Director of Policy & Strategy, as needed, on policy tracking and advocacy that impacts local community affairs, including, but not limited to, coordination with regional and federal trade organizations 

• Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned 

Skills: 

• Ability to design and concisely document a detailed PR campaign plan  

• Skill in working with media to build productive relationships and produce positive press  

• Comfort and skill with de-escalating potential confrontations with individuals or groups that are opposed to energy storage project or similar issue-based campaigns 

• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and oral community skills with an ability to communicate across a broad spectrum of technical understanding  

• Proficiency with Microsoft software suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Teams, etc.)  

Characteristics of an ideal candidate: 

• Passion for renewable energy development and the environment 

• Creative problem-solving ability and solutions-oriented mindset 

• Self-starter with a desire to succeed and a focus on creating value 

• Team player and leader, proactive attitude 

• Organized, attention to detail 

• Comfortable with a fast-paced, rapidly changing environment 

• Ability to make informed decisions quickly and a bias for action 

• Integrity and accountability 

Education & Experience: 

• A bachelor’s degree or higher in public relations, communications, political science or a related field  

• Minimum of 5 years of experience working in public affairs, public relations, communications, community organizing, or campaign management  

• Experience designing and executing effective grassroots campaigns, whether political or issue based  

• Experience working in the Mid-Atlantic and/or New England states, preferred 

• Familiarity and experience working with common campaign tactics such as direct mail, radio/newspaper advertising, door-to-door canvassing, and social media advertising 

• Experience in renewable energy industry preferred 

• Experience leading and/or participating in a cross-functional team  

Travel & Time Commitment: 

• Up to 40% of time will be on the road; will vary based on status of projects  

• This is a full-time, exempt salaried position. Standard office hours are from 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM EST. The demands of projects may require work outside of these times.  

Benefits: 

• Health, Dental, & Vision Insurance 

• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Coverage 

• Life Insurance 

• 401(k) & Employer Match 

• Parental Leave 

• Paid Time Off, Sick Leave, Holidays 

• Education, Parking, and Gym Membership Stipends 

Location: East Point Energy office in Charlottesville, VA  

This job description is not inclusive of all requirements of the position. Employees will perform any other duties as may be required by their manager.