Job Description

Requisition ID: 108717 

 

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 $40 to $42 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 WaterSense® 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 .

 

 

 

Primary Role

The External Affairs Specialist plays a vital role in advancing West Virginia American Water’s mission by serving as a visible and engaged representative of the company in the communities we serve. This position is responsible for leading community outreach efforts, managing social media engagement, triaging customer service inquiries, and supporting strategic communications initiatives. The Specialist will work closely with the state External Affairs (EA) team and corporate partners to ensure consistent messaging, responsive communication, and meaningful community impact. Some holiday and weekend hours are required.

Key Accountabilities

• Community Engagement & Outreach 
  Leads efforts to build and sustain strong relationships with community organizations, local leaders, and customers. Represents the company at public events, forums, and outreach activities to promote awareness of customer assistance programs and other community initiatives. Chairs the Community Investment Committee, overseeing funding decisions and partnerships that align with the company’s mission and values. 

 

• Social Media Strategy & Customer Interaction 
  Manages WVAW’s social media presence in coordination with corporate and state External Affairs teams. Develops and executes content strategies, monitors engagement, and responds to customer inquiries via inbox messages and comments. Triages customer service-related questions received through social media and other EA channels to the appropriate internal teams, ensuring timely and accurate resolution.

 

• Strategic Communications & Media Relations
  Supports the development and implementation of proactive communications strategies that align with business goals. Serves as a backup to the External Affairs Manager for media relations and press responses. Assists in drafting media materials, coordinating press events, and responding to critical incidents with clear, timely messaging.

 

• Integrated Communications Planning
  Collaborates with internal communications, customer communications, and corporate teams to ensure consistent messaging across all platforms. Contributes to the development of strategic communications plans, including key awareness campaigns and brand-building initiatives. Ensures alignment and integration of messaging across state and corporate levels.

 

• Local Government & Stakeholder Relations
  While not a primary focus, supports the facilitation of relationships with local elected officials and regulatory stakeholders through community engagement and outreach. Ensures the company is well-positioned and aligned with key local influencers and decision-makers.

 

• Monitoring & Insights
  Tracks internal and external developments that may impact the company’s reputation or operations. Identifies opportunities and risks, and provides insights to inform communications strategies and stakeholder engagement.

Knowledge/Skills

• Demonstrates a strong understanding of strategic communications, particularly in community engagement, social media management, and customer outreach.
• Knowledgeable about community-based organizations, local stakeholders, and grassroots initiatives, with the ability to build and sustain meaningful relationships across diverse communities.
• Proficient in managing social media platforms, including content creation, audience engagement, and customer/constituent inquiries.
• Skilled in developing clear, consistent messaging across multiple channels, including digital, print, and in-person communications.
• Understands the dynamics of customer service operations and can effectively route inquiries to appropriate internal teams for resolution.
• Familiar with corporate social responsibility principles and community investment strategies, including grantmaking and partnership development.
• Possesses strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences including customers, community leaders, and internal stakeholders.
• Capable of supporting media relations activities, including drafting press materials and coordinating responses during critical incidents.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and produce high-quality communications materials under pressure.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and comfortable working with databases and digital tools to support outreach and reporting.
• Understands the importance of compliance with disclosure requirements for publicly traded companies and can distinguish between material and non-material information.
• Collaborative and team-oriented, with experience working across departments and with partners to ensure alignment and integration of communications efforts.

Experience/Education

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public relations, English, advertising or related field preferred, or demonstrated experience commensurate with the requirements of the position.
• Three to five years of experience in public relations, media relations, media reporting, marketing and community relations in a fast-paced corporate, government and/or agency environment.

Certifications & Licenses

Valid drivers’ license.

Work Environment

Occasional weekend, evening and holiday work.

Competencies

Champions safety

Customer obsessed

Cultivates innovation

Nimble learning

Drives Results

Collaborates

 

 

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.

Job Tags

Work at office, Local area, Afternoon shift,

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