OPPORTUNITIES

Summary of Position:

The Vice President of Strategic Engagement & External Affairs serves as a member of the Cooperative’s executive leadership team and provides strategic direction and executive oversight for marketing, communications, broadband sales, member & customer engagement, economic development, public relations, government affairs, and external partnerships. This position is responsible for advancing the Cooperative’s strategic growth by strengthening member relationships, enhancing the Cooperative’s brand and reputation, driving broadband adoption, supporting economic development initiatives, and cultivating productive relationships with elected officials, community leaders, business partners, and industry organizations.

Working collaboratively across all departments, this executive develops and executes strategies that promote organizational growth, advocate for the Cooperative’s interests, communicate the Cooperative’s mission and values, and ensure members and communities remain at the center of every decision. The Vice President serves as a trusted advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and executive leadership team while representing the Cooperative throughout the communities it serves.

Core Competencies:

Work effectively as an employee of Paulding Putnam and maintain good job behavior.

• Must be supportive of Cooperative business concepts and principles.
• Must be of high integrity, dependable and professional.
• Punctual and conscientious about work hours and perform overtime when requested.  Communicate with supervisor when unable to work at the appointed time.
• Accept responsibility for the duties of your position.  Work diligently toward complete accurate work assignments.
• Develop the necessary skills and knowledge to perform the duties of the position.  Attend meetings and seminars as directed.
• Continually develop and recommend more efficient and effective ways of carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the position.
• Review and abide by established policies and procedures of the Cooperative.
• Must have a high regard for the safety of themselves and others.  Promote safety in every activity and attend scheduled safety meetings as directed.  Become familiar with and abide by the Paulding Putnam safety rules and procedures.
• Must have the desire to work as part of a team and contribute to the high morale in the organization.  Promote teamwork through communication and cooperation.  Treat co-workers in a professional manner and consider the opinions and personal needs of others.
• Accept and adapt positively to changes in your position and within the Cooperative.  Develop a commitment to accept ongoing change.
• Be a positive influence within and outside the Cooperative.
• Support the Cooperative’s mission by staying current with information to cultivate and positively project the Cooperative’s philosophy.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for the Cooperative’s marketing, communications, broadband sales, member services, public relations, government affairs, economic development, community engagement, and strategic partnerships.
• Serve as a member of the executive leadership team, contributing to organizational strategy, policy development, budgeting, enterprise risk management, and long-term planning.
• Advise the Chief Executive Officer and Board of Trustees on strategic initiatives, public policy, member trends, economic development opportunities, and external issues affecting the Cooperative.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive Strategic Engagement and External Affairs strategy that advances the Cooperative’s mission, vision, and strategic objectives.
• Lead the Cooperative’s external growth strategy by aligning marketing, sales, communications, government affairs, economic development, strategic partnerships, and member engagement to strengthen the Cooperative’s long-term position and create value for members.
• Develop and implement strategic marketing initiatives that strengthen the Cooperative’s brand, increase member engagement, and drive broadband subscriber growth and service adoption.
• Direct broadband sales strategies, customer acquisition initiatives, business development efforts, and customer retention programs to achieve organizational growth objectives.
• Oversee all internal and external communications, ensuring consistent, transparent, and effective messaging that reflects the Cooperative’s mission, values, and strategic priorities.
• Lead public relations, media relations, and crisis communications efforts while protecting and enhancing the Cooperative’s reputation.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with elected officials, regulatory agencies, statewide and national associations, community leaders, and strategic stakeholders.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory activities impacting the Cooperative and develop advocacy strategies that support the interests of the Cooperative and its members.
• Lead economic development initiatives that attract new business investment, support business retention and expansion, encourage regional growth, and strengthen the communities served by the Cooperative.
• Develop executive-level relationships with key commercial, industrial, governmental, and institutional customers while supporting major account growth and strategic infrastructure projects.
• Identify, evaluate, and pursue strategic partnerships, grant opportunities, public-private collaborations, and new business initiatives that support the Cooperative’s long-term sustainability.
• Champion an exceptional member experience by establishing service standards, evaluating member satisfaction, and continuously improving member-facing programs and services.
• Represent the Cooperative before industry associations, community organizations, economic development groups, governmental agencies, legislative bodies, and other external organizations.
• Establish departmental goals, budgets, key performance indicators, and operational priorities while ensuring accountability and continuous improvement across all assigned departments.
• Recruit, develop, mentor, and evaluate departmental leaders while fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and servant leadership.
• Analyze market conditions, member feedback, competitive trends, legislative developments, and emerging technologies to identify opportunities and inform executive decision-making.
• Collaborate with executive leadership across Engineering & Operations, Technology & Network Operations, Finance, Human Resources, and other departments to ensure organizational alignment and successful execution of strategic initiatives.
• Foster a culture of innovation by identifying emerging technologies, services, and engagement strategies that improve member value, organizational effectiveness, and long-term competitiveness.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, Cooperative policies, and industry best practices within all areas of responsibility.
• Promote and uphold the Cooperative’s mission, values, strategic vision, and commitment to exceptional service in every interaction with members, employees, and stakeholders.
• Perform all other duties and strategic initiatives as assigned by the Chief Executive Officer.
• Manage and evaluate the current managed services contract with other cooperatives within the Marketing and Communications department.

Reporting Relationships:

Reports to:

CEO

Supervises and directs the work of:

Marketing & Communications Manager, Member Services Manager, Broadband Services Coordinator, Business Development & Key Accounts Coordinator

External relationships:

Vendors, Statewide’s, members, and non-members

Specifications:

Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma or equivalent certificate
• Bachelor’s degree in communications. (Preferred)
• At least ten years’ related work experience.

Skills and Abilities:

• Attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
• Must be able to communicate well both verbally and in writing. Effectively convey and share information and ideas with others.  Listen carefully and understand various viewpoints. Present ideas clearly and concisely and understand relevant details in presented information.
• Must be able to operate computers and various software programs proficiently.
• Works together with others and helps others to work cooperatively to accomplish goals/objectives.
• Must be able to determine priorities, organize work schedules and direct people effectively.
• Must be able to provide effective leadership, motivate and develop the skills of those supervised.
• Must be able to handle pressure of meeting multiple deadlines.

Additional Expectations:

• Maintain confidentiality regarding Paulding Putnam proprietary information and other department information.
• Competent with the architecture and maintenance of complex service provider enterprise networks and data centers.
• Competent in business security, continuity and disaster recovery best practices.
• Competency in risk management as related to position.
• Competent with position-specific software and applications.
• Competent with position-specific equipment.