Sr Advisor, External Affairs and Tribal Relations - Calgary, Canada - AltaGas

Description

As the Senior Advisor External Affairs and Tribal Relations at AltaGas, you will play a pivotal role in building and maintaining positive relationships with stakeholders in Washington State, with a particular focus on existing operations and emerging ecosystems projects in Whatcom County and the Northwest region, including the ALA Renewable Energy Ferndale Clean Hydrogen project.

You will contribute to enhancing AltaGas' reputation and community engagement efforts while providing backup support to the Manager External Affairs and Tribal Relations as necessary.

• Cultivate and nurture positive relationships with various stakeholders, including Indigenous Groups, community leaders, environmental organizations, and other community members interested in AltaGas' current and future operations.
• Adhere to company principles and best practices in maintaining trusting, respectful, and collaborative relationships while assisting in the execution of engagement plans. Support a visible presence for AltaGas within key communities by representing the company at relevant local community events, and identifying opportunities for community investment.
• Assist in fostering strong connections with local and state government officials and industry contacts to stay informed about local opportunities, challenges, trends, and issues, and keep internal business partners informed of the same.
• Attend local public hearings, workgroups, committee meetings, etc., taking notes and sharing report-outs with internal business partners as requested. Represent the company's interests, through formal comments or presentations, as needed.
• Draft content and presentation materials, with the help of subject matter experts, and coordinate with communications team as needed for approval of messaging and final production of collateral.
• Support internal and partner work groups, committees, etc., by convening Teams meetings, scheduling calls with busy leaders, preparing agendas and taking notes, tracking timelines and deliverables, and coordinating presentations for calls and in-person meetings.
• Support evaluation of the effectiveness of the engagement plans, in terms of strengthening essential community relationships and advancing business objectives.
• Monitor energy, energy transition, and environmental trends in the local and state area, contributing to the development of policy position statements and briefing notes.
• Monitor evolving expectations and best practices regarding tribal consultation in the region, contributing to evolution of company policies and internal learning opportunities to advance the company's goals related to diversity, inclusion, and indigenous equity.
• Collaborate with facility operations and emerging ecosystems project teams to identify non-technical risks and opportunities, including business development opportunities, and elevate them through appropriate internal channels for further evaluation and action. Conduct research and analysis, and prepare reports, briefing notes, and decision records as requested by senior management, providing background and insights on stakeholder issues that may impact AltaGas' operations and projects, and preparing stakeholder-focused justifications for internal business decisions. Support the coordination and implementation of AltaGas' rail and community safety initiatives, and workforce development initiatives in Washington.
• Support the Manager External Affairs and Tribal Relations in negotiating community benefits agreements.
• Step in and act as the Manager External Affairs and Tribal Relations proxy as necessary.
• Represent AltaGas at various industry, government committee, and external associations and conferences as needed.

• Bachelor's Degree in policy, law, public relations, marketing, communications, or related field preferred
• 5+ Years experience in government, tribal, industry, policy, media relations, public relations, or stakeholder relations required
• Knowledge and experience working with tribes and stakeholder groups within the region (Whatcom County, Northwest Washington, and Washington State).
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements governing the operation of export terminals, and the siting of clean energy projects, in Washington State is advantageous.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to engage effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word).
• Proven ability to cultivate and maintain strong relationships with Indigenous, community, industry, and government contacts.
• Demonstrated flexibility, integrity, accountability, and ability to adapt to changing priorities.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks with minimal oversight.
• Eligibility to lobby at the State level in the USA.
• Eligibility to obtain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card from the US Transportation Security Administration and US Coast Guard to gain access to a secure maritime facility.