Community Relations Manager

About the position

The Community Relations Manager is a leader with experience successfully developing and executing community engagement strategies, building positive and lasting relationships with communities. In this role, the Community Relations Manager will implement outreach strategies that align with project development milestones, build key stakeholder relationships in local communities, and will implement long-term programs designed to represent Lightsource bp favorably and make positive contributions to communities that are home to our solar projects across the United States – from early-stage development and permitting, through the operational life of the projects. As such, the position will work closely with Lightsource bp’s Development, Construction, and Asset Management teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute strategic community engagement and communications plans during development, construction, through operations.
• Effectively manage multiple projects across a multi-state territory.
• Consistently implement philanthropic programs in host communities.
• Provide risk assessment reports for early-stage projects in our pipeline to ensure high value, sustainable projects in our pipeline.
• Partner with the Development team to develop and execute strategic community engagement and communications plans.
• Research project locations and conduct a community risk analysis to assess risk of opposition and overall project fit, recommend mitigation strategies.
• Identify key stakeholders in the community for relationship building and advocacy of the project.
• Coordinate with the development team and any third-party consultants on community outreach strategies, with an objective of achieving project success and promoting our brand and reputation.
• Be a primary point of contact for communities in which we develop, construct, and/or operate a solar project.
• Identify sponsorship/donation opportunities to increase our community outreach efforts during all phases of the project.
• Develop communication material/newsletters to update the community on our solar projects.
• Ensure project-specific community engagement strategies align with company’s community giving practices.
• Work with the Marketing & Communications team on the development of collateral materials for community and landowner communications.
• Manage special projects as needed.
• Enhance our Community Relations strategies with the expansion of stakeholder management tools and databases.
• Track community relations success metrics using database tools and platforms.
• Be a key strategic business partner in developing our pipeline with data and intel gathered about community sentiment, key stakeholders, and the political realities of the communities we site our projects in.

Requirements

• A general understanding of the energy industry.
• An expertise in the layers of local government, the power ecosystem of communities, and small-town politics.
• Microsoft Office fluency (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint) including Teams.
• Proficiency in using CRMs, stakeholder management platforms, or similar databases required.
• Bachelor’s degree in public relations, political science, public administration or related field could be helpful, but any degree will do with demonstrated experience and knowledge.
• Demonstrated success in building strong community relationships and grassroots advocacy.
• Strong presentation/public speaking, writing, and communication skills.
• Great interpersonal skills with the ability to gain buy-in.
• Ability to travel 40% for site visits, community information events and meetings with local officials, community leaders, and landowners.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation: Up to $125,000 annually plus a discretionary 15% annual bonus.
• Health, dental, prescription, and vision care for US team members starts on your first day of employment.
• Retention bonuses.
• 11 paid holidays.
• Four weeks of vacation and three weeks of sick leave annually.
• 401(k) plan, with a 3% nonelective employer contribution.
• Hybrid working environment.
• Monthly personal phone bill reimbursement of up to $100 and a monthly commuter benefit of up to $150/month.