Director, External Communications

Requisition ID: 107329

Share Our Purpose. Be Yourself. Feel Valued.

People are the heart of our business. As an American Water employee, you will be offered a competitive salary and health benefits package, along with opportunities to develop, grow, and evolve your career. Our benefits packages focus on key areas such as health & wellness, emotional & well-being, and savings for current & future goals.

We are Beautifully Different . We strongly believe having diversity across our company makes us more successful and helps us provide essential services to our customers. We are stronger because we embrace different ideas, viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. American Water is the best choice for your next role! Click here for more information on our inclusion, diversity, and equity journey.

About American Water

American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the United States. With a history dating back to 1886, We Keep Life Flowing? by providing safe, clean, reliable and affordable drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 regulated jurisdictions and 18 military installations. American Water’s 6,500 talented professionals leverage their significant expertise and the company’s national size and scale to achieve excellent outcomes for the benefit of customers, employees, investors and other stakeholders.

As one of the fastest growing utilities in the U.S., American Water expects to invest $30 to $34 billion in infrastructure repairs and replacement, system resiliency and regulated acquisitions over the next 10 years. The company has a long-standing history of executing its core operations, aligned with sustainable best practices, through its commitments to safety, affordability, customer service, protecting the environment, an inclusive workforce and strengthening communities.

American Water has been recognized on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year, ranked 18th on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies 2023 List, earned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security SAFETY Act designation and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Sense? Excellence Award, among additional state, local and national recognitions.

For more information, visit amwater.com and join American Water on LinkedIn , Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .

American Water has an immediate opening for a Director, of Communications! If you are Communications professional with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, APPLY TODAY for immediate consideration!

Primary Role

• The scope of this role encompasses external communications and stakeholder engagement primarily supporting and working with corporate and state teams across the company’s national footprint.
• The role develops and guides the application of corporate and state content to advocate and tell American Water’s story, using a variety of communication mediums. Engages with corporate and state leaders, development and communications personnel to help ensure a consistent approach to communications campaigns and messaging excellence.
• The role will provide overarching campaign development and support for referendums operating and reporting to the Senior Director, External Communications and American Water’s Public Relations Strategic Communications firm of record.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead a “One American Water” approach to aligning corporate and state teams on their campaign, advocacy and communications needs.
• Provide executive-level communications and strategic communications counsel and support, finding new and fresh opportunities to share American Water news and updates outside of and across the business.
• Develop original content to propel the corporate brand narrative, including, but not limited to, proactive messaging, brand building efforts, media pitch content, Op-Eds, and informational one-pagers.
• Develop and incorporate initiatives that serve as a link between federal/state BD and Government Affairs (GA) and their impact on enterprise-wide topics by collaborating on communications tools.
• Represent the Communications team in a wide range of high-impact discussions, including with cross-functional partners (BD, GA, EA, CX/CS, Operations, Engineering and Regulatory among others.
• Monitor external business developments, identifying connections between business activities and industry trends
• Perform research and assess, evaluate and aggregate metrics and analytical communications data as a tool to apply to successful campaigns and messaging.
• Develop third-party advocacy plans and campaigns.
• Possess a strong understanding of the media industry; understand the traditional and emerging press, and harness appropriate digital communications platforms for the benefit of customers and communities.

Knowledge/Skills

• Creative thinker with an exceptional ability to write and communicate complex ideas simply and meaningfully to audiences of diverse backgrounds
• Analytical skills to solve problems and find the best way to convey a message.
• Proven ability to manage and complete projects and campaigns in a timely, cost-effective manner.
• Excellent interpersonal and organization skills, including the ability to effectively manage multiple priorities and maintain effective business relationships with executive leaders, state leaders and BD leaders.
• Ability to work as part of a team and act quickly with minimal supervision.
• Excellent and efficient working knowledge across Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe Creative Suite.
• Comfortable creating and delivering persuasive business development, advocacy and growth messages through a variety of platforms.
• Has a thorough knowledge of business development and growth strategies/campaigns as well as strategic communications, maximizing and leveraging the power of existing digital platforms.
• Extensive experience in developing, implementing, managing and measuring all related tactics, activities and advocacy campaigns in support of effective integrated communication strategies across multiple functional units at American Water.
• Experience leveraging and maximizing social media platforms and assets to support the company and increase social media presence.

Experience/Education

• Communications professional with a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience is required.
• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Public Affairs, Communications, or Public Relations is required.
• Advanced degree a plus.
• Experience working in a collaborative environment with executive leadership and a team of people/project leaders at the corporate and state subsidiary levels.

Travel Requirements

• At minimum, once per quarter.

Certifications & Licenses

• Active state Driver's License required with the ability to pass a motor vehicle report.

Competencies

Prioritizes & Role Models Safety

Self-Awareness

Develops Talent

Plans, Aligns, & Directs

Drives Engagement

Decision Quality

Join American Water... We Keep Life Flowing ?

American Water is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and prohibits employment discrimination for employees and applicants based on his or her age, race, color, pregnancy, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, marital status, citizenship, or because they are an individual with a disability, protected veteran or other status protected by federal, state, and local laws.