Job Description

Public Affairs Associate (Community Engagement)

Are you looking to launch your career in Public Affairs? Do you have experience with or interest in public relations, community outreach, or community engagement? If so, come and join our Strategic Communications and Engagement team! As a Public Affairs Associate, you will support the Customer Impacts pillar of Community Engagement through assessing, planning, and implementing construction and operational communications to impacted customers and communities.

What Else Will You be Doing?

• Working with construction and operations teams to schedule, track, and notify customers of projects and emergency repairs in their area
• Providing community organizations and customers with a single point of contact for organization resources and solutions
• Communicating the needs and interests of community organizations and customers to influence and provide input for internal decision-making and planning activities
• Attending project briefings, site visits, and in-the-field customer interactions to support engagement efforts
• Attending and supporting after-hours public meetings, town halls, etc.
• Providing solutions within the organization's resources to meet the needs, requests, and questions of community partners and customers
• Coordinating the design, development, and implementation of community engagement campaigns
• Analyzing Utilities' projects and initiatives for political and public sensitivity to determine stakeholder and public engagement needs
• Developing stakeholder and public process strategies and plans that protect and enhance reputational risks to Colorado Springs Utilities and ensuring successful project execution
• Building and maintaining relationships with internal and external parties on behalf of Colorado Springs Utilities
• Determining and using appropriate tools and tactics for public outreach, including Utilities public meetings, in-person, and electronic town halls and surveys
• Assessing potential risk to public safety and implementing appropriate hazard awareness communications for impacted communities
• Coordinating outreach programs to inform affected communities of planned or emergency construction/operations, including service outages, road closures and detours, and property access

Who You Are

• Demonstrated experience in a public relations, community outreach, community engagement, and/or public affairs capacity
• Bachelor's degree in Public Relations, Communications, or a related field is valued
• Ability to navigate and manage an occasionally large volume of requests and tasks within the same timeline
• Strong proficiency in writing and producing written communications
• Familiarity with customer information systems and geographic information systems is valued
• Comfortability with a variety of direct customer interactions and ability to build relationships with internal teams of varied disciplines
• Possession of a valid, unrestricted driver's license is required - this job requires operating a Colorado Springs Utilities vehicle at times to visit project locations

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

• Exerts up to 20 lbs. of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 lbs. of force frequently, and/or a small amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those required for Sedentary Work. Even though the weight lifted may be only a small amount, a job should be rated Light Work when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree, or when it requires sitting most of the time, but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls and/or when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is small.
• NOTE: The constant stress and strain of maintaining a production rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be and is physically demanding work even though the amount of force exerted is negligible.
• Positions in this class typically require reaching, standing, walking, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.

Our Commitment to Our Employees

Our people are the heart and soul of Colorado Springs Utilities. They keep the lights on, gas flowing, water coming in, and wastewater leaving. We don't just say people are important – we prove it! That’s why we are honored to invest in protecting the health and financial security of our employees and their families through our rich benefits program.

Time Off to Recharge

• Vacation – Start with 13 days annually, increasing to 24 days with tenure
• Personal Leave –3 days per year
• Paid Holidays –12 paid holidays per year
• Sick Leave – 12 days per year for personal or family health needs
• Vacation Buy – Option to purchase up to 40 additional hours annually

Health & Wellness – Benefits elected are effective the first of the following month

• Medical Plans: Three comprehensive options, including a $0 premium High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA) eligibility
• Zero Health: Access to hundreds of medical services at no cost
• Dental & Vision: Two dental plans and one vision plan
• Family Building-Benefits: Support for fertility, preservation, adoption, and surrogacy
• Wellness Program: A voluntary program that rewards you for prioritizing self-care! If you're enrolled in a our medical plan, you and your spouse can earn up to $600 in HRA or HSA contributions by completing healthy activities
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Pre-tax contributions for healthcare and dependent care expenses
• Health Savings Account (HSA): Available with HDHP

Financial & Retirement Security

• Pension Plan: Colorado PERA provides retirement benefits and peace of mind
• Supplemental Retirement Plans: PERAPlus 401(k), MissionSquare Roth IRA, and 457 plans
• Disability Coverage: Short-Term and Long-Term Disability insurance available
• Life Insurance: Employer-paid coverage with optional supplemental plans

Additional Support

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support for mental health, stress, legal, financial, and work-life balance
• Tuition Reimbursement: Up to $5,250 annually to support continued education
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: As a qualifying employer, your student loan payments may be eligible for loan forgiveness