Cust & Community Mgmt Speclst

Rhode Island Energy; Cumberland (RI); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Rhode Island Energy is seeking an experienced Customer & Community Manager to build and sustain relationships with major accounts, community leaders, and municipal partners. You will translate customer needs into actionable strategies, support regulatory and policy discussions, and help RI Energy strengthen its reputation in Rhode Island.

This role requires strong communication, leadership, and the ability to coordinate cross-functional teams across operations, customer service, and community

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or related work experience on a year-for-year basis with 5+ years in community/public relations and/or energy/utility industry.
• Strong oral and written communications skills are essential.
• Demonstrated leadership capability and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proficiency with computer systems, including customer/billing platforms.
• Energetic, collaborative, and skilled in negotiation and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership with federal, state, and local officials and stakeholders to manage community issues.
• Identify emerging issues and develop solutions with RI Energy personnel and community representatives.
• Advocate for the voice of the customer across RI Energy’s functions to improve customer satisfaction and business alignment.
• Manage corporate citizenship programs such as sponsorships and United Way support.
• Serve as a primary RI Energy contact for public officials, business and community leaders, and special interest groups.
• Participate as a community leader on nonprofit boards and engage in public presentations as required.
• Act as key account manager for selected major commercial/industrial customers and state agencies.
• Attend meetings, trade events, and applicable council sessions and coordinate cross-functional communications around infrastructure upgrades.

Skills

Oral and written communication

Leadership

Multitasking

Customer/billing systems

Negotiation

Stakeholder relationships

Education

Bachelor's degree or related work experience

Job description

Rhode Island Energy provides essential energy services to over 770,000 customers across Rhode Island through the delivery of electricity or natural gas. Our team is dedicated to helping Rhode Island customers and communities thrive while supporting the transition to a cleaner energy future. Rhode Island Energy is part of the PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL) family of companies addressing energy challenges head‑on by building smarter, more resilient, and more dynamic power grids and advancing sustainable energy solutions. PPL is a positive force in the cities and towns where we do business, providing support for programs and organizations that empower the success of future generations by helping to build and maintain strong, diverse communities today.

Overview

The Customer & Community Manager (CCM) is an experienced, seasoned and effective representative of RI Energy in the community. The CCM develops and maintains relationships with major accounts, key stakeholders, community and municipal leaders, economic development and other major associations with a strategic focus to enhance RI Energy’s reputation in the community. The role leverages relationships to create third party advocates for RI Energy in the regulatory, policy, and political arenas. Entities with which the CCM interact with to influence policy include strategic customers, elected officials, town administrators, Chambers of Commerce, economic development agencies, community based organizations, local development councils, and business associations. The CCM has a thorough knowledge of RI Energy operations and issues, and provides public and community relations input to operations, customer service, and other RI Energy staff. At times, this involves providing leadership on cross‑functional company teams to help solve problems and improve processes to ensure that RI Energy has an overall positive impact in the community.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership at all levels of the company, and with key stakeholders, to manage issues in communities. Develop and maintain solid working relationships with federal, state and local elected officials and their staffs, providing them with information to enable positive outcomes for RI Energy, and helping them to resolve constituent issues that involve RI Energy.
• Identify emerging issues that could reflect negatively on RI Energy, work with company personnel and community representatives on these issues and provide leadership to develop and implement solutions.
• Advocate for the "voice of the customer" and mobilize RI Energy’s functional areas—Customer, Operations, etc.—to provide timely and appropriate responses to identified customer or community needs to increase business‑to‑business alignment and customer satisfaction.
• Manage a wide range of corporate citizenship programs such as sponsorships, support of United Way, and similar programs in which RI Energy has a corporate interest.
• Serve as a principal RI Energy contact for public officials, business leaders, community leaders, civic organizations, and special interest groups on a wide variety of corporate issues.
• Be a community leader and an active participant on strategically chosen nonprofit boards.
• Serve as the key account manager for selected major commercial/industrial customers, universities, hospitals, and state agencies as assigned.
• Attend meetings and activities, inclusive of business, trade and, as required, City/Town/Village Council sessions outside of normal business hours when necessary and make public presentations as required.
• Support Operation’s stakeholder management group, along with identified key distribution communications in advance of major infrastructure upgrades in order to manage community and business owner expectations and demonstrate superior customer service.

Serve as a member of the company's on‑call rotation for emergencies and after‑hours state and municipal inquiries.

Emergency Storm Role & After‑Hours Duties

• Assigned an emergency storm role. This is a special assignment that comes into play during storms and other emergencies when the company needs to restore power or respond to other issues affecting customer service. This role may necessitate the need to work after‑hours, outside of your normal schedule.
• The company reserves the right to determine if this position will be assigned to work on‑site, remotely, or a combination of both. Assigned work location may change. In the case of remote work, physical presence in the office/on‑site may be required to engage in face‑to‑face interaction and coordination of work among direct reports and co‑workers.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Complies with all policies and standards.

Qualifications

Education Level

Bachelor's degree or related work experience on a year‑for‑year basis and 5+ years’ experience in community/public relations and/or energy/utility industry.

Required Experience

• 5+ years relevant experience in community/public relations and/or energy/utility industry.
• Strong oral and written communications skills.
• Demonstrated leadership capability.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proficiency in computer skills, including ability to work with customer/billing systems.
• Demonstrates an energetic and enthusiastic manner, collaboration and negotiation skills, and the ability to bring value to stakeholder relationships.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten years of relevant business experience.
• Strong knowledge of state and local government. Extensive community experience.
• Known, credible presence among community leaders in the region.
• Broad base of knowledge of the utility business.
• Completely comfortable communicating publicly and via other media channels.