Senior Associate, Community Engagement

invenergyllc; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Invenergy is seeking a Senior Associate, Community Affairs in the Chicago area. You will lead local outreach, serve as the key relationship contact for county/municipal officials, taxing bodies, chambers, and EDOs, and support project development across regions.

The role requires extensive travel (>50%), collaboration with cross-functional teams, and the ability to position Invenergy as a responsible corporate citizen in local communities. Hybrid work with in-office and remote days.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5+ years of experience in infrastructure, real estate development, public affairs, government, or related fields.
• Willingness and ability to travel >50% of the time; valid driver's license.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contact for local outreach with county/municipal officials, taxing bodies, chambers, and EDOs.
• Represent projects and Invenergy in meetings with officials and stakeholders.
• Explain benefits of projects to host communities and navigate approval processes.
• Support development teams and coordinate with Communications and Impact teams on programs.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Public affairs

Communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Invenergy is North America's largest privately held developer, owner, and operator of power infrastructure. With 25 years of trusted execution, we deliver reliable, affordable energy through a diverse portfolio that includes natural gas, solar, land-based wind, energy storage, transmission, and domestic manufacturing. Headquartered in Chicago, we develop, own, and operate large scale projects that power communities and support the energy future.

Invenergy follows a hybrid schedule, working in office Monday through Thursday and remotely on Fridays if work permits.

This position will be open for application for at least 3 calendar days from the posting date. This position will remain open for application based on business need, which may be before or after the 3-day posting window.

Job Description

Position Overview

As Senior Associate, Community Affairs, you will lead local outreach and serve as a key relationship contact for county/municipal officials, local taxing bodies, chambers, and Economic Development Organizations where Invenergy has a development or operational presence. An experienced and independently operating professional, the Senior Associate will manage complex community affairs assignments for assigned projects and regions, meaningfully contribute to the design and execution of Invenergy's community relations programs, and help position Invenergy as a good corporate citizen in local communities. This role may also support and mentor junior members of the Community Affairs team.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary point of contact for local outreach and relationship management with county/municipal officials, local taxing bodies, chambers, and Economic Development Organizations for assigned projects and regions.
• Represent projects and Invenergy in meetings with county/municipal officials, local taxing bodies, landowners, and other local and state stakeholders.
• Understand and effectively communicate the benefits of operational projects and projects in development to host community members.
• Support Invenergy's Development team in navigating county and municipal approval processes required for project development.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of structured community relations programs for assigned projects and regions, ensuring alignment with company-wide strategies.
• Collaborate with Invenergy's Communications and Impact teams to ensure community relations activities align with company priorities and partnerships.
• Communicate effectively with internal and external audiences about Invenergy's presence, industry benefits, and project-specific updates, escalating complex or sensitive matters to the Manager as needed.
• Monitor local project opposition; proactively develop relationships with key community members and educate stakeholders to neutralize or mitigate the spread of opposition.
• Coordinate with local counties and government groups; maintain close coordination with Invenergy's Government Affairs team to support outreach to local, state, and federal officials.
• Summarize and present key statistics about the benefits of operational projects and projects in development to external stakeholders.
• Serve as a local contact for key Invenergy stakeholders across assigned regions, maintaining relationship continuity across projects, technologies, and geographies.
• Coordinate with Invenergy Asset Management, Operations, and Development teams to identify key stakeholders and advance goals within those departments.
• May support the mentorship and development of junior Community Affairs team members (Analysts, Senior Analysts).

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree.
• 5+ years of experience in fields including infrastructure or real estate development, public affairs, communications, government, politics, law, engineering, environment, sustainability, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience with local political and stakeholder engagement, preferably in rural areas.
• Experience working with county/municipal officials, local taxing bodies, chambers, and/or Economic Development Organizations.
• Must be able to travel more than 50% of the time; valid driver's license required and willingness to operate personal and/or rented vehicles for travel to project locations, many of which are not accessible by public transit.
• Eligible to work in the United States without the need for employer visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Preferred Qualifications

• Comfortable and experienced in presenting information to a wide variety of audiences and in a wide variety of settings, including one-on-one meetings, public events, and in media settings.
• Familiarity with the energy industry, including renewable energy project development, real estate development, or transmission and power engineering.
• Strong organizational, networking, leadership, and time management skills.
• Ability to write effective, concise reports.
• Ability to manage multiple complex tasks simultaneously and in a timely manner, using sound