Communications and Community Relations Manager

Position Purpose:

The Veolia North America Manager, Communications and Community Relations is responsible for promoting, protecting and explaining Veolia’s public image in the communities where we live and work. This position oversees external communications with news media (both digital and traditional), community members, local organizations, elected officials and government bodies for contract operations in the region.

The person in this role raises awareness and approval of Veolia to help the company accomplish key goals: Maintaining a positive image among the general public, showing our value and reputation to potential future clients, recruiting and retaining employees, and improving customer satisfaction for our clients. This person identifies and executes media campaigns, events, partnerships and other efforts to show how Veolia is a trusted, innovative, reliable and responsible industry leader.

Performing this role well requires strong interpersonal skills to work across functions and build internal and external relationships. The person in this position is expected to serve as a public spokesperson, an advisor to senior leadership, a creative storyteller, and a liaison with stakeholders outside the company.

This position is responsible for local and regional initiatives in sync with Veolia’s national and global messaging. At the local level, the person in this role communicates directly with communities and stakeholders, promoting our efforts to achieve ecological transformation through media outreach, community events, educational STEM programs and other direct initiatives. This person also finds ways to localize Veolia’s larger initiatives so they are relevant in our markets, and promotes the best of Veolia’s local operations so they can be considered as part of national campaigns as well.

This position is also responsible for all local-level messaging and social media about day-to-day Veolia operations, including responding to customer queries and public concerns as well as unplanned incidents such as water main breaks, system malfunctions or water quality concerns. The person in this role is required to be on call outside of normal business hours, will occasionally be required to work at night or on weekends, and may travel approximately 25% of the time.

Primary Duties/Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement communications, community relations and external stakeholder plans with strong emphasis on local projects and initiatives that align with national and global key themes.
• Act as chief writer and/or editor for all local communications, including articles, press releases, editorials, technical papers, speeches/presentations and customer communications.
• Manage local website, social media and digital networks, providing consistently fresh, engaging and relevant content.
• Provide communications counsel and direction to local management. Assists professionals across the local business with writing and presentation preparation.
• Consistently engage with customers via social media to inform and ease negative sentiments during emergencies and planned infrastructure work through collaboration with local operations.
• Support Business Development by creating and leading a communications plan to lay the groundwork for increasing positive sentiments during contract negotiations.
• Identify opportunities and partnerships for community engagement to promote the brand and position Veolia in a positive light prior to contract vote and approval
• Create and lead opportunities for employees to grow and connect with leadership and gain recognition for their service to Veolia
• Develop and implement rich and meaningful internal communications to support local business and corporate programs and initiatives.
• Celebrate employees and their contributions through various company platforms and activities (award programs, newsletters, social media, storytelling, participation in company activities, e.g.)
• Identify partnerships with organizations whose visions align with Veolia’s environmental commitments, including local school and community outreach programs.
• Manage local company’s charitable giving program and ensure alignment with corporate goals and policy.
• Craft and tell relevant and compelling stories for news media and social media.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with local journalists, influential community and civic organizations and elected and municipal officials.
• Identify potential risks and factors that could affect the Veolia brand before they happen and develop a strategic reactive communications plan
• Develop and post timely messages and visual content to website, social and traditional media when emergencies arise.
• Respond to emergencies on-site and in-person when appropriate.
• Provide backup support for other business operations as required.
• Collaborate with the communications and marketing team to optimize content across channels.
• Assist in arranging and coordinating internal corporate events.

Education/Experience/Background:

• Bachelor's degree required, with a strong preference for a major in communications, public relations, journalism, English or a related field 
• Minimum work experience of 5-7 years in communications, public relations and/or journalism 
• Working knowledge of the water services or utility industry is a strong plus. 
• Experience with key tasks in this position, including professional writing, media relations, public speaking, event organization, internal communications, digital content creation and community relations.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Development of comprehensive communications programs that support local, national and global business objectives and initiatives. 
• Exceptional writing and speaking skills with the ability to construct compelling stories that promote the company’s objectives, brand and its employees. 
• Data analysis skills with the ability to identify trends (particularly customer feedback) and facilitate action plans. 
• Strong relationship-building skills with customers, employees, journalists, and other key stakeholders. 
• Thorough knowledge of traditional and digital advertising, social media strategy and tactics, and visual and web content. 
• Knowledge of communication technologies including web, print, graphics and AV production. 
• Demonstrated success in event planning and promotion. 
• Works well under pressure and consistently meets tight deadlines 
• Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment. 
• Ability to work with and engage management and employees of all levels. 
• Ability to deliver targeted results to specification at cost and on schedule. 
• Good balance of technical/task and people/team leadership skills and orientation. 
• Excellent negotiating, networking, and interpersonal skills. 
• Ability to effectively manage external agencies and vendors. 
• Fluency in Spanish is a strong plus.

Required Certification/Licenses/Training:

• Valid drivers license and ability to travel throughout the US.

Veolia's comprehensive benefits package includes paid time off policies, as well as health, dental and vision insurance. In addition, employees are also entitled to participate in an employer sponsored 401(k) plan, to save for retirement. Pay and benefits for employees represented by a union are outlined in their collective bargaining agreement.