Communications Consult Sr – Communications Consult Principal

### Job Summary

**Please note this is a Hybrid position and will be required to report to the office 3 days per week.**

Utilizes experience and knowledge of communication strategies and tactics to provide general support and guidance in all areas of public relations/corporate communications for assigned business units/operating companies. Develops communication strategies for internal and external initiatives, working with communications staff to drive strategic performance-based communications. Balances internal, external, and strategic interests to meet the objectives of the company and the business units/operating companies. Creates, communicates, administers, and implements communications-related programs, policies, and procedures. Exhibits proficiency in a broad range of communications activities. Works effectively across all levels of the organization and possesses thorough knowledge of company history and business direction to initiate best practices in organizational internal and external communications. Communicates effectively both verbally and in writing to present ideas clearly and develops and delivers presentations to appropriate audiences. Committed to innovation and continuous improvement and able to teach and learn new skills. Dedicated to meeting expectations and requirements of internal clients and establishes and maintains effective relationships with them. Principal elements include media relations, employee and customer communication, community and educational programs, special communications, projects, and events.

### Job Description

**Please note this is a Hybrid position and will be required to report to the office 3 days per week.**

#### COMMUNICATIONS CONSULT SR

**Essential Job Functions:**

– Participates and assists in the development and administration of complex communications assignments.
– Provides a range of communications support (media relations, community relations, internal communications, public relations, social media, script writing, video editing, etc.) to assigned operating companies.
– Provides support to corporate branding and advertising efforts through familiarity and support of corporate identity standards in printed and electronic communications and counsel to Line of Business and enterprise clients.
– Supports special events, open houses, promotional display programs, and other services for marketing and customer communications purposes.

**Minimum Requirements:**

**Education:**
– Bachelor’s degree in journalism, advertising, communications, public relations, or equivalent in education and/or experience. Demonstrated oral and written communications skills.

**Work Experience:**
– Two years of experience as a Communications Representative or seven years of equivalent experience in a corporate/agency/nonprofit newspaper or broadcast news environment.

**Other Requirements:**
– Physical demand level is Sedentary.

**Core Competencies:**
– Exceptional written/verbal communication skills tailored to print, web, video, and other platforms.
– Customer focus (strong awareness of customer habits, needs, and questions).
– Creativity/continuous improvement (for readability, accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and usefulness of customer communications).
– Teamwork/collaboration (ability to collaborate with a wide variety of internal clients and external marketing communications vendors).
– Understanding the business and competition (for tracking and understanding the progress of deregulation throughout the service territory, and targeting communication for optimal impact on customers, while weighing external codes of conduct and internal business strategies).

**Corporate:**
– Develop project communications materials (fact sheets, FAQs, talking points, timelines, etc.).
– Create/approve content for OPCo internal/external web pages.
– Develop advertising concepts/copy for corporate and customized OPCo ads.
– Plan/execute community relations strategy & activities.
– Supervise communication projects.
– Respond to routine media inquiries.
– Draft video scripts.
– Conduct interviews and write news stories for internal print and electronic media.
– Research and write news releases.

**Operating Company:**
– Support communication efforts of the operating company.
– Develop ideas and write/produce videos for news items and stories.
– Provide support for internal and external websites.
– Provide local media response and after-hours media duty in rotation with other staff.
– Take photos.
– Support customer outreach initiatives including providing content for external events, presentations, etc. (PowerPoint presentations, speeches).
– Write video scripts, shoot, and edit videos.
– Plan events as needed.
– Coordinate speakers bureau.
– Develop and respond to social and media posts.
– Participate in educational outreach programs.
– Support storm restoration communication.

#### COMMUNICATIONS CONSULT PRIN

**Essential Job Functions:**

– Writes, develops, and administrates complex communications assignments.
– Leads communications support to assigned business unit or operating company. This includes media relations, community relations, internal communications, public relations, social media, script writing, video editing, etc.
– Coordinates corporate branding and local advertising efforts; manages the application of corporate identity standards in printed and electronic communications. Counsel Line of Business and enterprise clients on the standards.
– Coordinates or participates in special events, open houses, promotional display programs, and other services to support internal, external, and community relations activities and to support marketing and customer communications efforts.
– Works effectively across all levels of the organization and uses knowledge of company history and business direction to deliver best practices in organizational internal and external communications. Meets expectations and requirements of internal clients, establishing working relationships with them. Principal elements include media relations, employee and customer communication, community and educational programs, special communications, projects, and events.

**Minimum Requirements:**

**Education:**
– Bachelor’s degree in journalism, advertising, communications, public relations, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred but not required.

**Work Experience:**
– Five (5) years of experience as a Communications Consult Sr or eight (8) years of equivalent experience in a corporate/agency/nonprofit newspaper or broadcast news environment.

**Other Requirements:**
– Physical demand level is Sedentary.
– Exhibits strong proficiency in the broad range of communications skills and activities.
– Communicates effectively both verbally and in writing to present ideas clearly and develops and delivers effective presentations.
– Committed to innovation and continuous improvement and able to teach and learn new skills.
– Create/approve content for Corporate or OPCo internal/external web pages.
– Reviews advertising concepts/copy for corporate and customized OPCo ads.
– Directs community relations strategy & activities.
– Responds to complex media inquiries.
– Writes video scripts when expertise is needed.
– Ability to conduct interviews and write news stories for internal print and electronic media.
– Researches and writes news releases.
– Drives communication efforts of business unit or operating company which includes delivering storm restoration communications.
– Develops ideas and writes video scripts, shoots, and edits videos for news items and stories.
– Provides support for internal and external websites.
– Provides local media response and after-hours media duty in rotation with other staff (OPCOs).
– Supports customer outreach initiatives including providing content for external events, presentations, etc.
– Leads speaker’s bureau.
– Develops and responds to social and media posts.

### Compensation Data

**Compensation Grade:**
SP20-007

**Compensation Range:**
$83,413.00 – $104,267.50 USD

It is hereby reaffirmed that it is the policy of American Electric Power (AEP) to provide Equal Employment Opportunity in all aspects of the employer-employee relationship including recruiting, hiring, upgrading and promotion, conditions and privileges of employment, company-sponsored training programs, educational assistance, social and recreational programs, compensation, benefits, transfers, discipline, layoffs, and termination of employment to all employees and applicants without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, veteran or military status, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. When required by law, we must record certain information to be made part of an Affirmative Action Plan. Applicants for employment may also be invited to participate in the Affirmative Action Program by self-identifying their Race or Ethnic Identity.

Learn more here