Senior Policy and Government Affairs Specialist

Company: Creative Alignments
Location: Boston
Posted on: May 16, 2022

Job Description:

Job DescriptionWho We Are: With 19 networks in 13 major cities, Vicinity Energy is North America's largest provider of district energy solutions, offering energy investment, infrastructure and management to municipal, commercial and institutional customers with mission-critical energy needs. Our 450+ skilled engineers, operators and energy experts have a singular dedication to our customers' success and a relentless focus on delivering efficient energy, resilient management and operation of cooling and heating networks, the production of green energy and carbon footprint reductions for the customers and communities in which we serve.Who You Are:Are you looking for an exciting opportunity in clean energy? Do you want to be part of the solution to climate change? If so, a career at Vicinity Energy could be for you! Vicinity Energy is North America's largest provider of district energy solutions, offering low carbon energy to most of the iconic buildings you see in the skylines of Boston, Cambridge, Philadelphia, Baltimore and many other cities in the US. As a member of the communities we serve, all of us at Vicinity understand the critical role we play in reducing the impacts of climate change and being a leader in decarbonization. We are committed to net zero and eliminating our reliance on fossil fuels, but we need the best and the brightest minds on our team to help us reach our goal, not only for us as a company, but for our customers, our communities, and our planet. We seek a bright, motivated individual to join our organization as Senior Policy and Government Affairs Specialist, supporting the company's strategic growth and sustainability objectives. The successful candidate will be responsible for monitoring the legislative and policy landscape impacting our business and supporting the formulation and execution of our government affairs strategy to influence public policy. Ideally, the Senior Policy and Government Affairs Specialist will have some background in clean energy but, above all, must be able to quickly become a subject matter expert on policies affecting district energy and climate. The ideal candidate thrives in a collaborative environment and is a strong independent worker who is adept at completing tasks on time. This is a high visibility, externally facing position. The Senior Policy and Government Affairs Specialist will engage with public officials and climate advocacy groups, prepare comments and presentations pertaining to regulatory and legislative policies, and participate in public policy forums and work groups. Responsibilities will also include actively engaging with consultants and lobbyists working with Vicinity Energy, supporting Vicinity's relationships with trade groups and organizations, and managing an active calendar of legislative milestones. As a member of Vicinity's Customer Organization reporting to the Director of Government Affairs, the Senior Policy and Government Affairs Specialist's role and responsibilities will be tightly aligned with our growth, account management and business development activities. This individual will work with our internal teams of technical experts to tell our story to public officials in an understandable and effective way, paving the way for Vicinity to expand its footprint and be the national leader in urban decarbonization. The primary focus of this position will be to support Vicinity's business in Boston and Cambridge. However, growth opportunities in other districts are possible. The Senior Policy and Government Affairs Specialist will identify the critical issues and opportunities in Boston and Cambridge, collaboratively develop a strategic engagement plan, and leverage internal and external resources to help execute. The right candidate will be a team player and will need to engage across departments (executive, sales, operations, marketing, communications, etc.) to ensure alignment of priorities to Vicinity's strategic objectives. The role will report directly to the Director of Government Affairs and work very closely with the Chief Sustainability Officer and the Chief Customer Officer. Responsibilities:Positioning:

• Analyze the political landscape and determine which policies could be advantageous to Vicinity and which trends might negatively impact the company; leverage this information to drive and influence our government affairs strategy
• Develop a deep understanding of Vicinity's products, services, customer objectives and value proposition in order to identify legislative or regulatory changes that could impact our organization both negatively and positively
• Develop an engagement plan for state and local government relations with clear goals and objectives; advance the goals by monitoring legislation, working closely with relevant industry organizations and groups, and advocating on behalf of Vicinity Energy
• Engage with Vicinity's leadership team to set legislative goals and create policy proposals
• Draft public comments, letters to public officials, and other public documents
• Understand activities of business line representatives and ensure a coordinated and aligned approach to key stakeholder engagement
• Drive Vicinity Energy's policy priorities around energy issues in Boston and Cambridge, and clearly communicate positions to internal and external stakeholders Research:
  • Perform research and closely monitor legislative and regulatory environment
  • Identify key stakeholders in each market and develop engagement plans for each individual or organization Communications:
    • Engage with marketing and communications team to guide internal and external communication with stakeholders and media; ensure continuity and consistency of our messaging across the organization on major policy issues
    • Support with the development and implementation of strategic communications around thought leadership themes, advancing the objectives of Vicinity Energy at industry meetings and events
    • Present to senior leadership on priorities and progress Engagement:
      • Engage with government officials, policy makers, and other stakeholder groups to convey our legislative goals with compelling messages
      • Rally grassroots support and engage with local communities
      • Evaluate current and new industry organization memberships, sponsorships and other participation opportunities on an ongoing basis Thought Leadership:
        • Represent Vicinity Energy as key spokesperson at external events
        • Develop speaking opportunities for Senior Leadership Team and other internal subject matter experts at relevant industry meetings
        • Serve as a subject matter expert for media, engaging with marketing and communications to ensure messaging is aligned and will resonate with our key audiences
        • Create and maintain a speakers bureau of subject matter experts to support policy initiatives Requirements:
          • Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration, Environmental Policy, Business, or related field
          • 3+ years of experience in the public policy field. Experience in government, energy, or environmental public policy is a plus.
          • A passion for clean energy and effecting change
          • Superior writing ability
          • Strong interpersonal skills and likable, outgoing personality
          • An ability to engage effectively with government, community, and business leaders on his/her own and with other company executives and representatives
          • Effective at working cross-culturally and with people of all ages and backgrounds
          • Superior listening and public speaking skills
          • Strong skills for applied research of public policy issues and regulations without assistance, including the ability to navigate legislative and regulatory material and history
          • Comfort acting as company spokesperson with relevant industry and government organizations
          • Well organized with an ability to prioritize time and resources effectively, meeting all critical deadlines
          • Persuasive communicator with an ability to articulate positions clearly and influence and guide outcomes and the performance of others
          • Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, including cloud-based sharing, and CRM platforms
          • Ability to use variety of video/telecommunications platforms and their features (e.g. MS Teams, Zoom, Webex) Vicinity is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and we believe that creativity, innovation, and successful teams are diverse. We strongly encourage candidates to apply, even if all requirements of this job description are not met. While we offer this as a list of desired qualifications, we also know that the perfect candidate may not check every box. If this role sounds right for you, connect with us!Vicinity North America is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Keywords: Creative Alignments, Boston , Senior Policy and Government Affairs Specialist, Government & Protective Services , Boston, Massachusetts