Senior Communications Specialist

Job Summary:

The primary purpose of the Sr. Communications Specialist is to manage operational customer communications across all SouthStar Energy (SSE) markets, ensuring regulatory, legal and operational compliance. The Sr. Communications Specialist is responsible for content development and document management to include creating, editing, and maintaining a large library of correspondence across multiple markets; utilizing the document management system to control the lifecycle of operational correspondence to include document creation, testing, production implementation, retention, and tracking; facilitating and maintaining operational and marketing bill messaging; governance and quality control including content approvals, version control, and periodic auditing; cross-functional collaboration to include working with System Operations and Project Management teams to evaluate business and system change impacts to operational communications, make recommendations, and initiate required actions; provide correspondence recommendations for ad hoc initiatives and issues resolutions; working with Marketing to facilitate monthly marketing customer communications via billing statements, contact center voice response system, and required correspondence; and maintaining alignment and change control between print and paperless operational correspondence; providing support to Customer Operations, Back Office and Consumer Relations teams through correspondence support and research; partnering with Regulatory and Legal leadership to ensure compliance with varying regulatory rules across multiple markets; and responding to research and analysis requests; working with 3rd party vendors responsible for producing operational correspondence; providing regulatory-required enrollment verification services; and providing translation service; working with corporate communications to coordinate regulatory-required affiliated utility safety communications to customers; and other duties as required or assigned.   

Job Responsibilities 

Functional Expertise:

• Develop, revise and maintain operational customer communications ensuring supporting materials remain consistent with the operation, and ensuring regulatory and legal compliance.
• Evaluate business and system change impacts to operational customer communications and make recommendations.
• Own the governance process for operational communications including content approvals, version control, and periodic audits.
• Utilize the document management system to control the lifecycle of operational correspondence to include testing, production implementation, retention and tracking.
• Maintain alignment and change control between print and paperless operational correspondence.
• Evaluate and verify accuracy of existing documentation across internal business groups and functional areas of multiple vendors and resolve discrepancies with respective business owners.
• Manage multiple vendors in all jurisdictions in the areas of correspondence management, letter fulfillment and management, and translations.

Business Acumen:

• Demonstrate the ability to develop and revise operational correspondence in compliance with regulatory and legal requirements, with a strong focus on customer experience.
• Support business and system enhancement projects for all markets. This includes reviewing and providing feedback on business requirements, test scenarios, documentation, scripts and training materials.
• Understand document management solutions that support digital transformation.
• Maintain knowledge of regulatory requirements and changes across all markets.
• Understand the deregulated energy industry.

Engagement:

• Proactively communicate issues, concerns, status or questions to all stakeholders as required in a timely manner.
• Provide liaison between Customer Operations, Business Owners, and Vendors to evaluate existing or implement new operational communications, processes, procedures or regulatory requirements.   
• Effectively communicate at all levels and across all departments of the organization, with internal business owners and external vendor representatives, to maintain and update business communications and other associated documentation.   
• Lead the internal Letter Committee to ensure operational customer communications and scripting meet operational, marketing, legal and regulatory requirements.     

Driving Results: 

• Maintain accountability for individual performance and objectives. 
• Provide analytical support as needed to identify and recommend process improvement opportunities.
• Manage multiple/diverse priorities in a deadline driven environment.              
• Operate as a self-starter, work independently, and proactively seek diverse views.
• Work with business owners and vendors to review solutions to business problems.
• Collaborate with business owners and vendors to develop/implement new ideas and processes to reduce inefficiencies.
• Propose AI opportunities to enhance auditing, efficiency and accuracy.

Qualifications

Education, Certifications/Licenses: 

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree 

Preferred:

• Degree in English, Communications, Paralegal Studies, or significant experience with formal writing and customer communications.
• Certification in MS Office, with advanced experience with MS Word
• Six Sigma Certification is a plus

Related Work Experience:

Required:

• 5+ years of experience in consumer services or business to consumer related industry.
• 3-5 years of proven experience in developing customer-facing or client communications.
• Proven experience with document management systems.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and AI applications with strong computer literacy.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills. 
• Strong attention to detail. 

Preferred:

• Background in retail energy or utility operations, or other corporate operations. 
• Experience in project, policy, and process documentation.
• Experience with vendor management.

Specific Skills & Knowledge: 

Required:

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to coordinate and manage multiple tasks with sensitive timelines.
• Ability to understand and translate complex operational detail into clear communications.
• Ability to communicate professionally and positively across all levels of the internal enterprise, and with external vendor partners. 
• Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to schedule and facilitate meetings with clear objectives.
• Ability to conduct research and analysis to identify root causes and possible solutions.
• Strong relationship management skills.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, specifically MS Word.

Preferred:

• Operational knowledge of deregulated energy markets in multiple jurisdictions.

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements: 

• This position works in an office environment.
• This position requires the employee to be in the office 4 days a week, working remotely 1 day per week.
• This position may require occasional travel (0-10%).
  • The incumbent may be required to travel on occasion.
  • Trips may require air travel and/or overnight stay away from home for one or more nights.

Disclaimer:

This information describes the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this job.  The description is not designed to be a comprehensive inventory of duties, responsibilities and qualifications required in the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to qualified disabled individuals for performance of essential duties and responsibilities.