Public Relations Manager - Kansas, Communications

ONE Gas; Overland Park (KS); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision packages

Paid Time Off

401(K) matched up to 6%

Profit Sharing

Paid Parental Leave

Life Insurance (basic)

Education Assistance and Tuition Reim.

Job summary

ONE Gas, Inc. in Kansas is seeking a Public Relations Manager to lead the state's communications program and serve as the official company spokesperson.

The role focuses on building trust and advancing the company’s reputation through proactive plans and stakeholder engagement. In this position you will craft clear messaging for technical and regulatory topics, develop strategies for reputation management, and secure earned media while supporting outages, service issues, and community relations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 8–10 years of relevant professional experience in communications.

Responsibilities

• Identify reputation-building opportunities and potential risks with aligned strategies.
• Draft clear messaging on complex operational, technical, and regulatory topics.
• Develop and execute communications plans supporting reputation and priorities.
• Provide strategic counsel to internal stakeholders on issues and outcomes.
• Lead media engagement as spokesperson and secure earned media opportunities.
• Monitor media coverage and stakeholder sentiment to identify risks and opportunities.
• Support crisis communications planning, response, and recovery activities.
• Coordinate multiple initiatives and meet deadlines with approvals.
• Travel as required to company offices and field locations.

Skills

Media relations

Crisis communications

Spokesperson

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic communications

Written and verbal comms

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Job Description

The Public Relations Manager serves as the communications lead for Kansas and is responsible for building trust and advancing the company's reputation across the state. The role serves as the company spokesperson and provides communications counsel, develops proactive communications plans, secures earned media and supports operational communication needs such as service issues and outages, regulatory filings and community stakeholder engagement.

Job Description

The Public Relations Manager serves as the communications lead for Kansas and is responsible for building trust and advancing the company's reputation across the state. The role serves as the company spokesperson and provides communications counsel, develops proactive communications plans, secures earned media and supports operational communication needs such as service issues and outages, regulatory filings and community stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Identify reputation-building opportunities and potential risks, recommending appropriate communication strategies and stakeholder engagement that align with business objectives.
• Draft clear, accurate, and audience-focused messaging that simplifies complex operational, technical, and regulatory topics.
• Develop, collaborate and execute communications plans supporting reputation management, brand trust and business priorities.
• Provide strategic communications counsel to internal stakeholders, anticipating potential unintended consequences.
• Effectively maintain multiple communications initiatives simultaneously, prioritizing work while gaining approvals to meet deadlines.
• Serve as a company spokesperson and lead media engagement on company operations and priorities, securing earned media opportunities that reinforce key messages.
• Monitor news coverage, public sentiment, stakeholder feedback, and industry trends to identify risks and opportunities.
• Identify emerging issues and proactively recommend communications strategies before stakeholder, customer or media topics escalates.
• Support crisis communications planning, preparedness, response (including traditional and social media) and recovery activities.
• Regular and reliable attendance is required in performance of job.
• Employee may be required to perform additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education Requirements

• Bachelor's degree preferred; or an equivalent combination of education and additional work experience. (Typical, one and a half to two years of relevant experience is equivalent to one year of formal education.)
• In addition to education, this role typically calls for eight to ten years of relevant professional experience. (Minimum of seven years’ relevant experience are required).

Experience

• Demonstrated Ability to identify the communications narrative, develop clear messaging and write and edit materials that translate complex operational, technical, regulatory and business issues into audience-focused communications.
• Knowledge of media relations principles, reputation management, social media platforms, issues management and strategic communications planning.
• Knowledge of stakeholder engagement practices and the factors that influence public perception and trust.
• Experience serving as a spokesperson, building media relationships, securing earned media opportunities and identifying proactive story ideas that support organizational objectives.
• Experience providing strategic communications counsel and recommendations to business leaders on complex operational, regulatory or reputational issues.
• Experience monitoring media coverage, stakeholder sentiment and emerging issues and recommending appropriate communications strategies.
• Proven ability to developing news releases, talking points, media relations plans other communications materials.
• Strong proficiency developing and executing communications strategies to reach targeted audiences and/or enhance company reputation.
• Proven ability to research, develop and deliver formal presentations.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective working relationships, communicate effectively and influence outcomes across a variety of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, coordinate cross-functional stakeholders and meet deadlines.
• Experience interacting, advising, and communicating effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to read and write fluently in English.

Licenses and Certifications

• Applicable driver's license. Requires travel to other company offices and field locations.

Additional Requirements

• Communicate and/or exchange information; conduct oral presentations.
• Mobility to travel in and around office and outdoor environments and to a variety of work sites.
• Able to operate tools and equipment required.

Visual ability sufficient to perform job duties.

This job description is meant as a guideline for employees of ONE Gas, Inc. It is not a definitive or exhaustive description and consequently may not include all tasks or functions related to the position. This document does not create, and is not part of, an employment contract. Please note the position may change to meet the changing requirements of the business. Employees may be assigned duties either, in addition to or instead of, those set out in this document and the position is subject to further changes at management’s discretion.

About Us

ONE Gas provides natural gas distribution services to more than 2.3 million customers in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Headquartered in Tulsa, Okla., its divisions include Kansas Gas Service, the largest natural gas distributor in Kansas; Oklahoma Natural Gas, the largest in the state; and Texas Gas Service, the third largest in the state in terms of customers.

Its largest natural gas distribution markets by customer count are Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla.; Kansas City, Wichita and Topeka, Kan.; and Austin and El Paso, Texas. ONE Gas serves residential, commercial, industrial, transportation and wholesale customers in all three states.

Inclusion & Diversity is a core value at ONE Gas. We know that every employee makes a difference and contributes to our success through their unique talents and abilities. We also acknowledge that we can accomplish great things by listening and learning from each other.

ONE Gas has great benefits! Here are just a few:

• Medical/Dental/Vision packages that fit your family's needs.
• Paid Time Off
• 401(K) plan that is 100% matched up to 6%.
• Profit Sharing contributions may also be made under the 401(k) Plan.
• Paid Parental Leave.
• Basic and Optional Employee Term Life Insurance.
• Education Assistance and Tuition Reimbursement.

The job description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties, or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of One Gas. Where positions are covered by a collective bargaining unit agreement, the terms and conditions of the agreement will apply.

ONE Gas, Inc., and its divisions will provide equal employment opportunity for qualified persons without regard to sex, race, religion, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, military status or genetic information or any other federal, state or local protected class.