Strategic External Affairs Lead - Policy & Community Growth

American Electric Power; Elkhart (IN); On-site; USD 116,000 - 151,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base Salary

Annual Bonus

401K

AEP Pension

Benefits package

Job summary

American Electric Power is seeking an External Affairs Manager to oversee local governmental affairs, media communications liaison, community relations and regional economic development. You will serve as the primary local community contact and work across business units to advocate positions and build relationships.

The role requires strong leadership, strategic outreach, and the ability to travel to multiple Indiana locations.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated communications and presentation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
• Must be able to travel to various locations for extended periods and work late into the evenings (~25%).
• Must possess demonstrated ability to successfully build strategic internal and external relationships, possess political acumen, and display strong initiative to manage resources, projects and issues across business units, committees and task forces.
• Demonstrated successful leadership.
• Must be able to see information on computer screen and use computer keyboard.
• Must be able to hear spoken words via telephone, cell phone or during individual or group meetings.

Responsibilities

• Provide strong, enabling leadership, serving as team lead in the development of company strategies and policies necessary to build effective community relations and economic development programs.
• Serve as local legislative contact and liaison working with respective business units to advocate corporate positions and influence public policy.
• Strategically build, maintain and manage key environmental, economic development and community contacts and relationships.
• Manage, coordinate and facilitate solutions to emerging strategic community and business development issues, e.g. franchises, quality of service, ROW, permits, ordinances/resolutions, taxes, siting, commission complaints, environmental and other regulatory issues.
• Manage, coordinate and support regional/local economic development activities including community preparedness, strategic recruitment and business retention.
• Provide support to Distribution and Transmission in outage situations, serving as the primary community and public emergency management contact as per the OPCO's ICs Plan.
• Serve as AEP's local grassroots facilitator; support legislative and regulatory initiatives of key importance to operating company and AEP's business and public policy needs and effectively advocate company positions. Maintain strong relationships with local executive management team, local distribution and transmission managers, corporate communications representatives, and regulatory and governmental affairs representatives.
• Manage local level contributions and memberships. Assist in the developing, organizing and implementing corporate policy and strategy for overall effective representation by educating legislators, their staff and the government as to the goals, objectives and needs of the Corporation.
• Must demonstrate the highest standards of ethical behavior and support the Company's Corporate Compliance Policies.

Skills

Communication skills

Public speaking

Leadership

Travel readiness

Relationship building

Initiative

Technical reading

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, Engineering, Public Policy, Communications or related field

Master's degree desirable

Job description

American Electric Power is seeking an External Affairs Manager to oversee local governmental affairs, media communications liaison, community relations and regional economic development. You will serve as the primary local community contact and work across business units to advocate positions and build relationships.

The role requires strong leadership, strategic outreach, and the ability to travel to multiple Indiana locations.