JOB TITLE: Senior Engagement Manager

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

Applicants are required to submit a combined cover letter and resume in one document. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Interested parties should submit their cover letter and resume to rebecca.sexton@westernpowerpool.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. 

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

In addition to a competitive salary range of $140,000 to $170,000, WPP employees enjoy outstanding benefits including medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability insurance, an insurance premium contribution, a flexible spending account contribution, 401k contribution, personal leave, and educational reimbursement.

The WPP office is in Portland, Oregon. This position allows a remote or hybrid work schedule. For background on the WPP please see: https://www.westernpowerpool.org/

JOB SUMMARY:

The Senior Engagement Manager works closely with the Director of Strategic Engagement and Communications and serves as a member of the Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP) Team. This position manages and facilitates the Program Review Committee (PRC) and leads stakeholder and public engagement processes for the WRAP. The position is also responsible for WRAP program communications. This role will also manage limited non-WRAP-related regional stakeholder engagement.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead stakeholder engagement processes for the WRAP, including direct engagement with a range of internal and external stakeholders (e.g., state agencies, public utility commissions, non-profits, and upper-level corporate executives)
• Develop and drive a well-defined plan for engaging with local, regional, and state stakeholders to achieve successful program outcomes that support WPP business objectives
• Work with WPP staff and Program Operator staff on documentation necessary for the stakeholder process. This includes development of outreach tools, tactics and materials.
• Work with stakeholders, Resource Adequacy Participants Committee (RAPC), and WPP to design and implement public comment and public engagement processes
• Lead WRAP communications, including contributing toward communications strategies and planning and developing material and content
• Work collaboratively with WPP’s program managers and operational teams, such as Communications, Legal, Accounting, and Finance
• As needed, represent WPP in external events, deliver presentations and help educate Participants and stakeholders on the broader benefits of WRAP.

Committee Management

• Facilitate and manage the Program Review Committee
• Facilitate and manage Participant engagement processes including developing and maintaining positive working relationships with personnel from all levels of the Participant organizations (technical, support, and top executive level)
• Facilitate and support Nominating Committee, including onboarding new Board Directors.
• Coordinate with Committee of State Representatives (COSR) and COSR staff. Act as WRAP liaison to COSR. 

Strategy Development

• Gain and maintain a deep understanding of WRAP, including providing valuable insights and feedback on program strategy/policy, and build strong working relationships with Participants and stakeholders.
• Translate highly technical information into accessible written and verbal communication to highlight the value of WRAP participation and encourage stakeholders and Participants to support and engage with key programs and initiatives.

Ongoing

• Maintain regular and predictable attendance.
• Perform related duties and responsibilities as required.
• Comply with WPP policies

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:

Full-time, permanent position

Education Level: Bachelor's degree (B. S., B. A.) in business administration, communications, program or project management, STEM, or a related field from a college or university.

Experience: Typically requires seven (7) to ten (10) years’ experience working on multi-year, multi-million-dollar budget regional projects with a wide diversity of stakeholders. The candidate should have experience working toward strict project deadlines; understanding the regional impacts of projects with a large geographical footprint; and leading stakeholder engagement process involving direct communications with upper-level executives, interaction with the public and broader stakeholders, and working directly with technical personnel (analysts, engineers, operators, etc.).

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
• Complex problem-solving skills
• Well-developed judgment and decision-making skills
• Project management skills
• Active listening skills
• Ability to understand technical information quickly
• Ability to work with a broad range of stakeholders and Participants, including upper-level executives, technical resources, and other staff.
• Ability to understand highly complex and interrelated subject matter and communicate effectively about it.

Personal Characteristics:

• Ability to work in the best interests of the customers of the WPP
• Ability to help set the strategic goals and objectives of the organization based on customer needs and align the day-to-day work with those goals and objectives. 
• Ability to demonstrate problem sensitivity, which is the ability to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong.
• Ability to work with a broad range of customers and stakeholders
• Ability to understand highly complex and interrelated subject matter and communicate effectively about it
• Ability to positively influence others to encourage appropriate actions without formal authority.
• Able to navigate and understand a complex environment with the flexibility to change course quickly with a positive attitude.

Language Skills:

• Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the business community.
• Ability to write speeches and articles for publication that conform to prescribed style and format.
• Ability to effectively prepare presentations for top management, public groups, and/or boards of directors.
• Must be proficient in reading, writing and speaking English.

Mathematical Skills:

• Ability to apply advanced mathematical concepts such as exponents, logarithms, quadratic equations, and permutations.
• Ability to understand and communicate effectively about complex modeling and mathematic topics, analyses, and techniques.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

Complexity:

• This position requires the ability to build knowledge of WPP reliability programs, reliability metrics and modeling, power generation, transmission, finance and trading, market structure, and their impact on the WPP, its customers, business relationships and stakeholders.
• The incumbent will build relationships with customer staff, external entities, including, but not limited to other utilities, regulatory agencies, research centers, and governmental entities.
• Additionally, building a knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations relating to the power industry is required.

Decision Making:

• This incumbent relies on experience, personal relationships, and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Decisions impact the WRAP and may involve multiple difficult or critical problems.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods working on a computer.