Sr. Stakeholder Engagement Manager (East)

RWE Americas; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

RWE Americas LLC in Washington, DC is seeking a Stakeholder Engagement Senior Manager for the East Region. The role develops and executes regional community engagement plans, educates local stakeholders, and coordinates with internal teams to secure a social license to operate for energy projects in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

The position requires 5+ years in advocacy or community organizing, strong leadership, and experience with government relations and CRM tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, political science or other relevant areas.
• Minimum 5 years advocacy experience for energy/infrastructure development projects, political or issue-based campaign management, or community organizing.
• Experience working within a large organization and collaboration with multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience in renewable and/or gas generation energy and infrastructure development preferred.
• Knowledge of state/local government structure and energy permitting is preferred.
• Direct reports management experience is a plus.
• Strong leadership and communication skills with ability to meet targets and deadlines.
• Office-based role in Washington, DC with travel up to 60% to other offices and field locations.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and support stakeholder and community engagement strategy across East Region projects.
• Collaborate with development, construction, and operations teams to integrate community engagement into project plans.
• Conduct social risk assessments and stakeholder mapping to address opposition and build local support.
• Create and implement community engagement plans for development, construction, and operations.
• Maintain CRM database for local stakeholders at each project site and recruit attendees for public events.
• Plan and attend in-person community events such as site tours, open houses, and local meetings.
• Provide input to Communications on project marketing needs and materials.
• Manage external vendors for social media, digital marketing, and grassroots campaigns.

Skills

Advocacy experience

Stakeholder engagement

Cross-functional collaboration

Public speaking / presentations

Strategic planning

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, political science or other relevant areas

Tools

Salesforce

Microsoft Office

CRM systems

Job description

RWE Americas, LLC

To start as soon as possible, full time, permanent

Functional area: Regulation / Risk Management

Remuneration: Exempt

The Stakeholder Engagement Senior Manager – East Region works with internal Development, Operations, Project Execution, and other relevant teams to identify and mitigate social risks to achieve a social license to operate for RWE Americas’ energy generation projects in the East Region (Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states). This position will be responsible for helping to develop and executing the regional community engagement strategy in the East, in coordination with the Sr. Director, Stakeholder Engagement. In coordination with a regionally matrixed Corporated Affairs team, this position will be responsible for creating and implementing community engagement plans, educating local stakeholders, organizing public events and recruiting attendees, building relationships with project supporters, managing external vendors, and representing RWE in communities that host our projects. This position reports to the Sr. Director of Stakeholder Engagement.

Role Responsibilities:

• Lead, manage, and support stakeholder and community engagement strategy, outreach, and activities across RWE’s portfolio of operating and development projects in the East Region (Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states)
• Collaborate with energy project development, construction, and operations teams to integrate community engagement and public education into project plans in order to achieve a “social license to operate” for RWE’s projects
• Conduct Social Risk and Community Assessment research and stakeholder mapping exercises to analyze relative likelihood of organized opposition and identify strategies to ensure local approval of development projects
• Create and implement community engagement plans for development, construction, and operational projects
• Support development and operations teams with maintaining a contact or Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database for local stakeholders at each assigned RWE project in the East Region
• Plan and attend in-person community events, including site tours, open houses, landowner dinners, school or community group presentations, and local fairs or festivals
• Provide input to Communications on project-specific marketing needs, such as project websites, newsletters, fact sheets, and other communications materials
• Manage community relations purchases, invoices, and external consultants supporting social media, digital marketing, media relations, grassroots and grasstops organizing, local public affairs or other community engagement campaign activities
• Work with project development teams to set up local offices and, when necessary, recruit local hires as community liaisons
• Meet with project stakeholders, engage with local government officials and decision makers, track community concerns, and report on organized opposition around development projects
• Design social investment plans that help RWE achieve its corporate goals while meeting the particular needs of local communities
• Enhance relationships and networks with senior internal/external partners who are not familiar with the subject matter often requiring persuasion. Adapt style to differing audiences and advise as an SME on difficult matters
• Devise solutions based on limited information and precedent and adapt existing approaches to resolve issues. Use evaluation, judgment, and interpretation to select right course of action. Work is done independently and is reviewed at critical points. Complete knowledge and full understanding of area of specialization, principles and practices within a professional discipline. Assess unusual circumstances and use sophisticated analytical and problem solving techniques to identify cause. Resolve a wide range of issues in creative ways and suggest variations in approach

Job Requirements and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, political science or other relevant areas
• Minimum 5 years advocacy experience for energy/infrastructure development projects, political or issue-based campaign management, or community organizing
• Previous experience working within a large organization & collaboration with multiple internal and external stakeholders
• Experience working in renewable and/or gas generation energy and infrastructure development, rural communities, community development, agriculture, environmental management, organizing, or local government is strongly preferred
• Knowledge of the structure and function of state and local government including experience with energy permitting and regulatory issues is preferred
• Previous experience managing direct reports is a plus
• Strong leadership and communication skills, and ability to effectively manage to meet targets and deadlines
• Strong organization and time-management skills, with ability to coordinate, lead, and complete multiple tasks and deliverables
• Demonstrated ability to achieve deliverables while working in ambiguity and provide direct and transparent feedback to peers and leadership
• Demonstrated ability to manage work over a broad geographic area and clearly prioritize competing demands on time and resources to achieve deliverables
• Ability to multi-task, while working independently and as part of a team
• Motivated self-starter, goal-oriented, and strong problem-solving abilities
• Proven ability to empathize, build relationships, and effectively communicate with people from a diverse set of backgrounds
• Strong interpersonal skills, with ability to manage customer relationships
• Ability to interpret local energy laws, regulations, and ordinances and analyze their impacts
• Excellent proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Teams
• Proficiency in Salesforce preferred
• Responds well to direction, is easy to challenge and develop, and is coachable
• Is detail-oriented, has strong business acumen, and a sound understanding of business concepts
• This position is an office-based role in Washingotn, DC, with some travel (up to 60%) to other RWE offices and field locations, largely in rural communities
• Comfortable with overnight stays in remote areas
• Must be able to drive, sit, walk, or stand for long durations of time and carry up to 50 lbs.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. RWE Americas is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.

Pay range: The annual base salary range for this position in Washington D.C. is $140,000 - $170,000. The listed salary range represents our good faith estimate for this position and represents the range for new hire salaries across all U.S locations. Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only. RWE considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s education & work experience, training & certifications, and key skills as well as market and business considerations at the time of the offer.

Benefits offered: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, 401(k) match, Flexible Spending Accounts, EAP, Education Assistance, Parental Leave, Paid time off, and Holidays. Eligible employees also participate in short-term incentives, in addition to salary.

We look forward to meeting you. Of course, you can find us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Xing, too.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status.

RWE Americas, a subsidiary of RWE, is a US-based energy company that is helping to meet the growing demand for energy across the United States. Backed by RWE’s 125-year global legacy of managing diverse power assets, RWE Americas operates approximately 13 GW of power projects across 27 states. With a talented workforce of 2,000 employees, RWE Americas develops, constructs and operates wind, solar and battery storage projects that safely deliver affordable, reliable electricity to our customers. Committed to responsible development, RWE Americas invests in local and rural communities, creating jobs and partnering with stakeholders to support and strengthen the places where we live and work. Learn more about how RWE Americas is generating impact at americas.rwe.com.

At RWE Americas, we foster a culture defined by our Essential Behaviors – Have Courage, Create Impact and Actively Collaborate. We encourage bold thinking and continuous learning, and we value ownership, resilience and inclusion in everything we do. When you join us, you become part of a team that supports your development, respects your contributions and celebrates shared success. This is a place where you can grow your career and make a meaningful difference.