Director, Community Engagement

Sol Systems is seeking a Director of Community Engagement for our Utility-Scale Development team to help craft, develop, execute, and manage Company’s public support-building campaigns for projects in our PJM, MISO and ERCOT portfolio. This will include media relations, communications, community relations, and grassroots advocacy. The Community Engagement Manager may also help manage Sol Systems’ strategic partnerships, organizational memberships, and coalition memberships at the local, state and regional levels.

The right candidate will be a hands-on, hard-working team player who can jump in and support projects from a variety of angles. The Community Engagement Manager position requires excellent communication and writing skills as well as the ability to work well under pressure, multitask, and the flexibility to shift priorities on the go. Our ideal candidate has demonstrated work experience crafting and executing community-engaging issue-based or political grassroots campaign plans that involve a multitude of internal and external stakeholders. A passion for renewable energy is a must.

Sol Systems is a leading solar energy firm based in Washington, DC, dedicated to building a more sustainable future. Founded in 2008, the company deploys renewable energy infrastructure across the United States, with a specific focus on ensuring that these projects have a positive economic impact on the communities in which they operate. The company has financed or developed over $2 billion of solar energy assets to date. We work with some of the largest corporations in the world to achieve a carbon-free and sustainable future. Sol has been founder-lead throughout its 15 years of operations, and is backed by KKR, one of the largest private equity firms in the world.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of regional solar community relations representatives and local site reps.
• Create, maintain and own Community Relations Playbook
• Develop and lead local support campaigns, including developing and executing strategies for identifying local solar energy supporters, activating those individuals to engage locally, building relationships with the project community with the local media, articulating compelling key messages about our projects, and maintaining a positive presence for Sol Systems in the communities where we work. Maintaining and building strong contact database for projects.
• Cultivate media relations, including developing relationships with media reporting on Sol Systems or its projects, developing responses to media inquiries, developing and distributing local press releases, preparing Sol Systems spokespeople for media speaking opportunities.
• Coordinate with Marketing/Communication team to manage external communications, including helping to maintain and update project- specific websites, and managing project Facebook strategies, including content-development and tracking.
• Own the messaging surrounding the project, including developing compelling messaging and positioning statements for local projects.
• Drive teamwork and coordinating with counterparts on the Sol Systems development team to effectively plan and execute local support campaigns.

A successful candidate will possess the following skills and attributes:

• A bachelor’s degree or higher in public relations, communications, political science, or a related field
• Minimum of 4 years of experience working in public affairs, public relations, communications, community organizing, or campaign management. 
• Experience designing and executing effective grassroots campaigns, whether political or issue based. Experience working in the renewable field is preferred. 
• Demonstrable ability to design and concisely document a detailed campaign plan
• Demonstrated experience working both as a lead and as support on cross-departmental teams
• Familiarity and experience working with common campaign tactics such as direct mail, radio/newspaper advertising, door-to-door canvassing, GOTV efforts, and social media advertising
• Facility and skill in working with media to build productive relationships and produce positive press
• Comfort and skill engaging with different types of people in rural parts of the U.S., including local elected officials, community leaders, and members of the public
• Comfort and skill with de-escalating potential confrontations with individuals or groups that are opposed to wind energy or similar issue-based campaign
• Experience building and executing effective social media campaigns that drive engagement
• Ability to lead collaborative efforts with peers and colleagues and earn buy-in from team members
• Experience managing field organizers or in-county support staff
• Exceptional planning and organizational skills
• Exceptional interpersonal and written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work proactively and productively with limited supervision
• Strong passion for renewable energy
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Design Suite, and familiarity with web-based content management systems (i.e. WordPress, Drupal, Perch, etc.)
• Exemplary standards of honor, ethics, quality, communication, and productivity
• Professional appearance and manner
• High attention to detail
• Up to 40% travel to project sites required focused mostly on projects

Location & Hours: This is a full-time role and will be based in our Washington, DC office. Remote employment will be considered.  

Commitment & Compensation: Compensation will be commensurate with experience. In addition, Sol Systems provides health insurance, retirement benefits, partial gym reimbursement, education benefits, parental leave, paid vacation, sick and federal holidays, and the opportunity to work in a unique and dynamic environment.

To Apply: Please submit a resume, cover letter and salary requirements.

Deadline: We hope to hire for these positions immediately and will review applicants on a rolling basis.

Sol Systems is an equal-opportunity employer, and does not discriminate based on gender, race, ethnicity, orientation, creed, or other traits. Sol Systems supports and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply.