Senior Communications and Engagement Manager

Sonoma Clean Power; Santa Rosa (CA); On-site; USD 121,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

Sonoma Clean Power seeks a Senior Communications and Engagement Manager to lead day-to-day communications, PR, editorial work, and community engagement across SCP’s service area. The role partners with the Director of PR & Marketing to set priorities, craft narratives, and oversee external communications teams and major publications.

The position requires a proven writer/editor with strong leadership, research, and relationship-building skills and a passion for clean energy, policy, and public

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, English, public relations, public policy, research, marketing, or a related field.
• Seven or more years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, journalism, public relations, editorial leadership, research communications, social media, or a related field.
• Experience must include communications planning, long-form writing and editing, and leadership of complex initiatives.
• Experience leading a major publication, organizational social media program, or external public relations team is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage an integrated communications calendar linking priorities, campaigns, publications, PR, social media, sponsorships, and events.
• Lead SCP’s organic social media strategy and program, including planning, standards, publishing, and evaluation.
• Supervise staff, agencies, writers, designers, translators, and other contributors.

Skills

Writing & editing

Editorial leadership

Public relations

Community engagement

Strategic communications

Media relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications or related field

Tools

Microsoft 365

CMS platforms

Job description

SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT MANAGER$120,900 - $193,750 Annually

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

The Senior Communications and Engagement Manager leads Sonoma Clean Power’s day-today communications, public relations, editorial, organic social media, and community engagement activities.

The Senior Manager works closely with the Director, PR & Marketing to develop communications priorities, organizational narratives, editorial direction, and responses to emerging issues. The position leads major organizational communications initiatives and publications, coordinates SCP’s external public relations team, manages organic social media, and may directly supervise other members of the PR & Marketing team, as assigned by the Director.

The Senior Manager serves as a visible SCP leader in Sonoma and Mendocino counties and manages key components of community sponsorships, memberships, partnerships, and offsite engagement. The position builds relationships with community organizations, local governments, businesses, media, and other partners and represents SCP at selected events, meetings, presentations, and professional gatherings.

The Senior Manager partners with the Campaign Manager on campaign messaging, editorial content, and communications planning and with the Events Manager on communications and engagement for events.

The position requires an accomplished and externally published writer and editor with strong leadership, research, editorial, and relationship-building skills and an interest in clean energy, public policy, legislative and regulatory affairs, advocacy, and community issues.

REPORTING AND SUPERVISION

The Senior Communications and Engagement Manager reports to the Director of Public Relations and Marketing.

The Senior Manager directs the day-to-day work of SCP’s external public relations team and may oversee staff, assigned consultants, contractors, vendors, interns, and temporary personnel.

The Senior Manager exercises independent judgment within established strategy, priorities, plans, and budgets and escalates significant changes in direction, sensitive matters, crisis and reputational issues, and major resource concerns to the Director.

The FLSA classification of this position is Exempt.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

These job functions, in general terms, describe the type and level of work performed as well as the responsibilities of employees hired for this position. Management reserves the right to add, modify, change, or rescind work assignments of any position and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

The Senior Communications and Engagement Manager will:

• Work closely with the Director to develop communications priorities, organizational narratives, editorial direction, community engagement approaches, and responses to emerging issues and lead their implementation.
• Develop and manage an integrated communications calendar that connects organizational priorities, campaigns, publications, public relations, organic social media, executive communications, sponsorships, and events.
• Serve as a senior communications advisor to team members, and departments across SCP to identify communications needs, opportunities, audiences, risks, and effective approaches.
• Research and translate complex technical, scientific, legislative, regulatory, financial, and program information into clear, accurate, accessible, and compelling communications.
• Establish and uphold editorial standards for organizational voice, accuracy, accessibility, plain language, fact-checking, and review.
• In close collaboration with the Director, lead SCP’s annual report and other major publications, including impact reports, research reports, case studies, and publiceducation materials, from concept and research through publication, amplification, and evaluation.
• Develop articles, speeches, executive communications, award submissions, and thoughtleadership content that elevates SCP’s expertise, research, programs, employees, partnerships, and public impact.
• Work with SCP’s advocacy, program, and governmental-affairs professionals to communicate policy priorities and explain their significance to customers, communities, media, and other public audiences.
• Lead the communications foundation for integrated marketing campaigns, including research, messaging, supporting evidence, customer-facing language, editorial content, organic social media, public relations, and community engagement, in coordination with the Campaign Manager.
• Lead SCP’s organic social media strategy and program, including editorial planning, content standards, publishing, community management, issues monitoring, and performance evaluation.
• Lead SCP’s day-to-day public relations function; direct the external public relations team; review press materials; coordinate media inquiries and interviews; cultivate media relationships; and identify proactive media, speaking, and executive-positioning opportunities.
• Advise the Director on emerging issues, public sentiment, misinformation, communications risks, and reputational considerations and serve as a spokesperson when designated.
• Manage key components of SCP’s community sponsorships, community investments, memberships, and partnerships, including evaluation, recommendations, relationship development, deliverables, renewals, and reporting.
• Build productive relationships with community organizations, local governments, businesses, media membership organizations, and other partners and represent SCP at selected meetings, presentations, events, and professional gatherings.
• Lead communications and engagement for priority off-site events, including audience strategy, messaging, partner coordination, staff preparation, public relations, organic social media, follow-up, and evaluation.
• Collaborate with the Director, Campaign Manager, and Events Manager to identify and develop opportunities for SCP events, convenings, or thought-leadership platforms.
• Supervise and develop staff, including setting priorities, assigning and reviewing work, providing editorial direction, coaching performance, and supporting professional growth.
• Supervise staff and direct the work of agencies, consultants, writers, designers, translators, and other contributors.
• Build effective relationships with executives, public officials, community leaders, media, partners, internal staff, and members of the public.
• Have the ability and understanding to adhere to SCP’s Personnel Rules and Policies.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Exceptional research, interviewing, writing, editing, and narrative-development skills, including the ability to produce publication-quality long-form content.
• Ability to learn complex subjects quickly, engage technical and policy professionals, and translate specialized information for public audiences.
• Strong knowledge of strategic communications, journalism, public relations, organic social media, executive communications, and community engagement.
• Knowledge of integrated communications planning across earned, paid, owned, digital, community, and event-based channels.
• Interest in and ability to communicate public policy, legislative, regulatory, advocacy, clean-energy, utility, and community issues.
• Knowledge of media relations, social media management, issues monitoring, crisis communications, accessibility, language access, analytics, and performance evaluation.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, develop sound recommendations, manage competing priorities, and recognize when consultation or escalation is required.
• Ability to communicate persuasively and manage sensitive issues with composure, discretion, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365, social media management and analytics platforms, content-management systems, and work-management tools is highly desired.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Any combination of education, training, and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities may be qualifying. A typical way to obtain them would be:

Education

A bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, English, public relations, public policy, research, marketing, or a related field. Directly relevant experience may be substituted for education based on the extent and applicability of the experience.

Experience

Seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible experience in strategic communications, journalism, public relations, editorial leadership, research communications, social media, community engagement, or a related field.

Experience must include communications planning, original research or reporting, sophisticated long-form writing and editing, leadership of complex communications initiatives, and at least two (2) years of direct staff supervision or comparable leadership of communications professionals, consultants, or agencies.

Experience leading a major publication, organizational social media program, or external public relations team is strongly preferred. Experience communicating clean-energy, public-policy, legislative, regulatory, utility, or advocacy issues is also preferred.

Professional spoken and written English is required; professional proficiency in Spanish is preferred.

WORK SCHEDULE AND LOCATION

This is a full-time, exempt position based at SCP’s offices and after 6 months of employment, may be eligible for a hybrid schedule in accordance with SCP policies and operational needs.

The schedule may include occasional early mornings, evenings, and weekends. Regular travel throughout SCP’s service area in Sonoma and Mendocino counties is required.

Ability to travel reliably to the office and off-site meetings, events, and other work-related locations as needed.

PHYSICAL AND WORKING CONDITIONS

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

Environment: Primarily an office environment with regular computer use. Employees participate in meetings, presentations, community activities, and off-site events, interact with staff and external stakeholders, and must be able to communicate effectively, review detailed materials, and move throughout office and event spaces, including standing for portions of events.

Physical: While performing the duties of this class, employees are regularly required to sit, walk, and stand; talk or hear, in person and by telephone; reach with hands and arms. Employees are occasionally required to walk, sit and stand for prolonged periods; stoop, bend, kneel, and twist;and may lift up to 25 pounds. Employees must be able to communicate in person, in writing, and by telephone.

Vision: See in the normal visual range with or without correction; vision sufficient to read computer screens and printed documents; and operate assigned equipment.

Hearing: Hear in the normal audio range with or without correction.

Mental: While performing the duties of this class, the employee is regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and interpret data, information and documents; analyze and solve problems; observe and interpret situations; learn and apply new information or skills;perform highly detailed work; work on multiple concurrent tasks; work with frequent interruptions;work under intensive deadlines; interact with SCP management, Board, staff, vendors, the public, and others encountered during the course of work.

SCP actively works to provide an inclusive work environment, where people of different ethnicities, national origins, native languages, races, skin colors, sexes, genders, sexual orientations, ages, physical abilities, genetics, politics, religion, financial wealth, and education feel welcome, safe, and invited to fully participate at every level. SCP further seeks to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable society through our actions, our communication, our policies, and our investments. SCP expects all its employees to contribute to these goals.

SONOMA CLEAN POWER IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO)/

AND AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) EMPLOYER