Outreach Lead

Position: Outreach Lead 

Reports to: Senior Manager, Communications and Customer Service

Compensation*: Competitive starting salary $103,400 - $133,200; commensurate with skills and experience. Full Pay Range: $103,400 -$163,200

Employment Classification: Exempt, Full Time

Anticipated Start Date: As soon as possible, position is open until filled 

Office Location: Portland Metro Area, Oregon, USA 

BACKGROUND

About Energy Trust of Oregon

Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable energy development. We serve Oregon customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista, and SW Washington customers of NW Natural. Year over year Energy Trust is recognized as one of the 100 Best Nonprofits to Work For in Oregon.

Our Vision

Clean, affordable energy for everyone.

Our Commitment to Diversity

We recognize the lack of diversity in our industry, and we actively seek to address it with our hiring and retention practices as well as our values. We believe every person and their lived experience is integral to building a vibrant culture and delivering effective services to all customers we serve. We are committed to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion, and we encourage candidates with diverse backgrounds and experience to apply.

Our Location

Energy Trust provides for a range of work location options, including remote, hybrid and in-office work. We are open to candidates who live throughout Oregon and Washington. The Outreach Lead is expected to report to the Portland office on a quarterly basis, at minimum, and will lead a combination of virtual, hybrid and in-person meetings. 

Regular travel across the Energy Trust service area, where outreach managers are based, is expected, as well as direct outreach. This position will represent Energy Trust in public settings, meetings and events across the Energy Trust service area during and outside standard work hours. 
  

What We’re Looking For:

The Outreach Lead directs the design and implementation of outreach and community engagement activities delivered within the Communications and Customer Service group for Energy Trust of Oregon. This position reports to the Sr. Manager Communications and Customer Service and manages a team of outreach staff that are regionally based and maintains a regular schedule of outreach activities in their designated region to ensure a high level of awareness and engagement of Energy Trust programs, services and impact among community members and leaders, customers, contractors, cities, counties and stakeholders with a particular focus on communities of color, and serving rural, environmental justice and small business interests.  

The Outreach Lead assumes management of critical projects that advance the work of the outreach team and require strategy, facilitation, coordination, budget and contracting and planning. This individual works with energy program and governmental relation staff to ensure coordination and efficient use of resources and best practices. They guide the organization’s decision-making related to systems and tools for conducting outreach within communities and ensuring coordination. They are a strategic communicator and public spokesperson for Energy Trust.     
  

The individual in this position is skilled at outreach and community engagement and navigating customer and community needs. The successful candidate will bring significant experience in team management, outreach tactics and approaches and an understanding of the customers we seek to serve. They will have strong knowledge of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and services in Oregon.

What You’ll Do:

• Supervise CCS outreach managers and serve as a strategic guide and coach/advisor to enable them to be successful and achieve goals. Work with outreach managers to ensure adjustment of resources and priorities across the group in response to emerging needs and changes in capacity. Provide training and support to establish a flexible group able to meet needs and effectively manage capacity.
• Oversee the management of critical functional areas within a group that leads, guides, and supports stakeholder, community, customer and contractor engagement for Energy Trust through partnership development, team of regional and community outreach points of contact, outreach coordination, insights gathering, outreach systems and tools, event participation, and relationship development.
• Leads planning, strategy development, implementation, measurement, tracking and reporting on outreach team activities. 
• Maintains deep knowledge of programs and services available to customers of all types and identifies opportunities with the team to provide both general and specific information about Energy Trust’s role, programs and services to a broad range of individuals and organizations.
• Focuses activities to ensure outreach team contributes to program and organizational goals and achieves customer, community and diversity, equity and inclusion objectives and metrics. Prioritizes outreach activities on environmental justice communities. 
• Elevates regional and community needs to assist Energy Trust staff and leadership in delivery of programs. Initiates forums led by outreach team to gather insights to inform program design or capture stakeholder input.    
• Serves as a relationship manager for key contacts engaged in designing and leading community outreach efforts. Represents Energy Trust to stakeholders including utilities, serves as media spokesperson, serves on state and regional committees, boards and other forums. Presents at regional and industry conferences.
• Ensures streamlined coordination across Energy Trust staff and contactors, and other organizations representing energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and services. Puts into practice processes, systems and tools that result in coordination of outreach activities; utilizes customer relationship management system and other tracking tools for documenting and reporting on outreach activities.   
• Identifies opportunities for program staff and senior leadership to join outreach managers and learn from customers, communities and stakeholders about community needs and Energy trust programs and services.
• Advises and collaborates with government relations team to ensure municipal governments, tribal communities and community stakeholders can access Energy Trust programs, expertise and information to support their energy-related goals.
• Oversee development of annual budget for team and approve expenses aligned with guidelines throughout the year.
• Ensures resolution of escalated customer or stakeholder concerns or issues related to outreach services. May serve as account manager for certain segments of customers.   
• Engages in events to support team’s outreach activities and assess training and other opportunities for improvements. 
• Identifies and offers guidance on communication needs such as fact sheets, photography, case studies, newsletter articles, or other documentation pertinent to outreach. 
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned. 
• Performs all functions of the job in a safe manner.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

• Hire and supervise outreach team staff, support staff and interns. 
• Hire and direct the work of external contractors, suppliers and/or vendors. 
• Has authority to make work assignments to other staff in the organization as needed, in coordination with their supervisors or through work agreements, to fulfill commitments.

What You’ll Need:

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, community relations, communications, government, management or equivalent professional experience working in a community or outreach role. 
• 8-10 years of experience in outreach and community engagement functions; significant experience managing activities with a focus on serving environmental justice communities.  
• 6 years of experience hiring and supervising a team, and conducting team management activities, including long-term planning and budgeting.
• Demonstrated skill in engaging people from a variety of diverse backgrounds, facilitating teamwork, and negotiating solutions among parties with divergent needs and interests.
• Strong community connections in Oregon and Southwest Washington and knowledge of utility, community, energy programs and services, structures and processes. 
• Knowledge of energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and services in Oregon and SW Washington.

• Organizational development or other experience to foster teamwork within a group.
• Expertise leading teams, establishing strong working relationships across business functions, developing budgets and business plans.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, strong presentation skills and ability to match information to audience. 
• Experience organizing and clearly presenting complex information to public, community and stakeholder audiences.
• Experience serving as a spokesperson for an organization. 
• Ability to work independently and with a team. 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite, especially MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint. Experience using SharePoint and CRM systems preferred.
• Must be a proactive professional who can be flexible and responsive to changing needs and opportunities. 
• Valid driver’s license in the State of Oregon; position entails travel within Oregon and SW Washington.

The above information is designed to outline the major functions and position requirements of this job. It does not identify all tasks that may be expected, nor address the performance standards that must be maintained.

What You’ll Get:

• Health/dental/vision insurance
• Employer sponsored and paid life/disability
• 401(k) with a company contribution of 6% of your salary after 90 days of employment
• TriMet pass
• Access to health and dependent FSA/HSA accounts
• Generous paid vacation, holidays and sick days
• Paid volunteer hours
• Employee assistance program
• Career advancement opportunities
• Great colleagues and culture
• Flexibility to work from home and/or an office space at the Portland, OR location  
• Work from home laptop provided
• Read more about our benefits here
• Outreach Managers will receive stipends and reimbursement to support travel and outreach responsibilities 

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: 

Please submit a cover letter and resume on Energy Trust’s website www.energytrust.org/About/careers.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that candidates from certain demographics are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification—for example, women and People of Color. At Energy Trust we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace—if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this or other roles. 

Energy Trust of Oregon is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, medical condition, genetic information, mental and physical disability, political affiliation, union membership, status as a parent, military or veteran status or other non-merit based factors. We will provide reasonable accommodations throughout the application, interviewing and employment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, contact us. Energy Trust of Oregon is an E-Verify employer. This policy is applicable to all phases of the employment relationship, including hiring, transfers, promotions, training, terminations, working conditions, compensation, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment.

Energy Trust is committed to pay equity. Energy Trust is committed to fair employment practices and non-discrimination, including pay equity for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class (race, sex, veteran status, disability, age, color, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation) in the payment of wages or screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. We determine salary by completing a review of your application materials to evaluate your related education, experience and training.

*Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, and certifications in the pay equity assessment to determine equitable salary placement. Candidates should expect compensation offers within the starting compensation range. The full pay range is included to show the earnings potential for this position with sustained high performance.   

www.energytrust.org