Community outreach specialist Jobs in Tacoma, WA

Job Description

Responsible for designing and implementing a local integrated customer outreach plan to achieve appropriate customer involvement and adoption of PSE products and services such as energy efficiency, demand response, bill assistance, renewable energy, and other PSE programs. Works to engage with customers facing barriers to participation through direct customer education and strategic partnerships at the local level to reach customers who can most benefit from this approach. Engages with customers to reduce energy costs, meet sustainability goals, and prepare for emergencies while supporting PSE’s clean energy future. Leads the implementation of customer and community outreach during storms, public safety power shutoff, and other emergencies. Strong preference to applicants who have experience working with tribal communities.

Upholds the safety compliance standards inherent in PSE’s operating and/or field procedures related to work responsibilities. Promotes and supports a culture of total safety. Demonstrates commitment to conduct business honestly, ethically, and consistent with our core values and Code of Conduct. Ensures duties are performed in accordance with all regulatory compliance obligations.

This job is considered “safety sensitive” as defined in RCW 49.44.240 and is subject to pre-employment drug screening that includes screening for the presence of marijuana and marijuana metabolites.

Job Responsibilities

• Creates partnerships with tribal communities to understand their clean energy goals and potential interest in PSE’s programs to support these goals.
• Works to understand customers and communities with barriers to participation and designs approaches to reach them with information on programs that can benefit them. Partners with customer insights, program, marketing, and events teams to design outreach strategies tailored to these customers (low income, tribal, seniors, small and medium businesses etc.).
• Building relationships with tribal community partners and tribal business owners. Interacts directly with customers, including small and medium business owners, tribal communities, residential customers facing barriers and others.
• Develops and maintains knowledge on a variety of complex programs and their interaction with other programs as well as how to bundle them most effectively for customers.
• Plans and leads various program education presentations, workshops, and tabling’s. Increases participation in existing products and services and raises awareness of the need for customer emergency preparedness.
• Builds trust and strategic relationships within the community through consistent in-person outreach to create two-way dialogue between the community and PSE.
• Manages contractual relationships for select community partnerships.
• Works with marketing and events teams to support on-the-ground outreach elements for program campaigns. Ensures coordinated customer outreach approach across multiple departments.
• Identifies obstacles to customer participation and proposes potential solutions.
• Negotiates and engages with multiple PSE entities to obtain consensus on best approach to overcome barriers to customer participation.
• Develops local direct-to-customer outreach plans for assigned communities for all appropriate PSE products and services in partnership with internal partners.
• Designs residential and/or small business program-specific outreach plans for PSE’s entire service area to be implemented by regional outreach colleagues.
• Operates a motor vehicle a minimum of six (6) hours a week to travel to commercial and community locations or facilities.
• During emergency events, supports corporate crisis response efforts at a local level to provide customers with information on PSE’s emergency response. Carries out PSE's corporate messaging on natural gas/electric safety and emergency preparedness to customers.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, social work, or other related field; or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Seven (7) years of experience in external relationship management/customer outreach.
• Experience in customer outreach/community relations to include engaging in complex issues.
• Demonstrated experience in the design and execution of customer outreach plans.
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Proven track record of innovation and creative thinking.
• Strong project management skills to include “hands-on” activities (e.g., giving workshops, staffing event tables, signing customers up for programs, etc.) and managing projects with cross-functional teams in an ever-changing and fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated familiarity with the needs of a community and advocating on its behalf.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage multiple priorities and irregular schedule commitments.
• Successful track record developing relationships with external partners and communities representing diverse interests.
• Ability to think strategically and collaborate with others.
• Ability to connect with customers in person within assigned service area on a regular basis.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends on occasion as needed.
• Current Washington State Driver’s License.

Desired Qualifications

• Bilingual or fluent written and verbal communication in Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin or Korean desired, but not required.
• Knowledge and familiarity with local community, including those who face barriers to participate.
• Knowledge and familiarity with tribal communities.
• Understanding of utility business model.
• Knowledge of energy efficiency, renewable energy, corporate responsibility, and sustainability.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.