Senior Community Engagement Specialist – Energy Projects

Colorado Springs Utilities is seeking a Senior Community Engagement Specialist for energy projects, based in Colorado Springs, CO. The role involves customer outreach, engagement strategy development, and managing public interactions related to energy initiatives. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree and over 7 years of experience in community engagement. Responsibilities include facilitating meetings, mentoring team members, and providing strategic counsel while participating in a 24/7 on-call emergency response team.
Senior Community Engagement Specialist – Energy Projects

Job Type: Business Operations

Pay Range $106,893 to $125,756

Location Colorado Springs, CO

Date First Posted 3/24/26

Applications are being accepted through: 4/3/26
• If no date is displayed, applications are being accepted on an ongoing basis; however, this job posting may close at any time after a minimum of 5 days of being posted.

Senior Community Engagement Specialist – Energy Projects

The Community Engagement team is searching for a Senior Community Engagement Specialist to enable customer outreach for energy-related initiatives, construction activities and capital projects. The scope of this role is primarily focused on energy-related projects and issues, but the team is dynamic and works across issues to support each other when needed.

How will you make an impact?
• Astutely navigate the complexity of the energy industry and the layers of regulatory and permitting requirements for energy projects
• Use your in-depth knowledge and experience to define community engagement strategy, create measurable objectives, monitor performance, and train and mentor other team members
• Create and implement engagement strategies based on the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) Spectrum of Public Participation
• Pursue innovative methods for engaging customers on important issues and projects
• Manage in-person customer and construction crew interactions in a wide variety of conditions **
• Provide community engagement consultation to other departments and leadership; provide strategic counsel to staff on policy decisions, procedures, and operations
• Anticipate and plan for risk
• Lead and facilitate public meetings and community presentations, to include in-person, hybrid and virtual forums
• Adapt engagement strategies to the unique needs of different audiences and projects
• De-escalate customer conflicts, including one-on-one discussions with residential and commercial customers, and interactions with construction contractors, internal construction and operational crews
• Provide timely and accurate customer notifications for energy-related construction projects
• Protect the organization's brand by embracing transparency, accessibility, flexibility and accountability
• Support crisis response
• Participate in a 24/7 on-call emergency response team on a rotating basis

Who You Are:
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, Communications, or a closely related field
• Possess 7+ years of experience in planning, implementing and evaluating customer engagement strategies
• Can negotiate the dynamism of the energy industry as well as the demands of representing a community-owned utility
• Can demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Possess strong writing skills with the ability to translate complex topics in a way that makes them easy to understand and relatable to affected audiences
• Ability to navigate a large volume of projects, requests and tasks within the same timeline
• Detail focused and a commitment to meeting deadlines
• Comfortable with software tools and platforms to support customer outreach, effective communication and collaboration
• Highly relational with demonstrated experience building and strengthening relationships with internal staff and affected communities
• Proven ability to provide strategic engagement counsel to individual contributors, managers, executives and board members
• Bilingual in English/Spanish preferred, but not required for consideration
• *NOTE: As this position is a combination of field work and office work, the selected candidate will spend time working inside and spend time outdoors transporting and carrying equipment to and from public meetings, visiting construction sites, hiking/climbing/walking to locations (some remote) and may be impacted by various weather conditions.

A valid, unrestricted driver's license is required for this position.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORKING CONDITIONS:
• Exerts up to 20 lbs. of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 lbs. of force frequently, and/or a small amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those required for Sedentary Work. Even though the weight lifted may be only a small amount, a job should be rated Light Work when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree or when it requires sitting most of the time, but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls and/or when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is small. NOTE: The constant stress and strain of maintaining a production rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be and is physically demanding work even though the amount of force exerted is negligible.
• Positions in this class typically require reaching, standing, walking, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions.

Who We Are: Colorado Springs Utilities is the largest community owned, not-for-profit, four-service utility in the nation. For 100 years, we have provided Colorado Springs with safe, reliable and competitively-priced electric, natural gas, water and wastewater services. We care about our community's well-being, support local business and have an interest in all things that help make Colorado Springs a great place to live, work and play

Be a part of a unique, customer-owned and operated four-service utility. With our rare distinction of providing four utility services – natural gas, electricity, water, and wastewater treatment – we offer a varied, fast-paced work culture teeming with potential.

Colorado Springs Utilities infuses corporate responsibility and safety into daily business operations with the foundation of decision-making focused on our community owners, employees, and environment. As an employee, you will have an opportunity to contribute ideas and solutions in an engaging, dynamic team environment.

Our Commitment to Our Employees…

Our people are the heart and soul of Colorado Springs Utilities. They keep the lights on, gas flowing, water coming in, and wastewater leaving. We don't just say people are important – we prove it! That’s why we are honored to invest in protecting the health and financial security of our employees and their families through our rich benefits program.

Time Off to Recharge
• Vacation – Start with 13 days annually, increasing to 24 days with tenure
• Personal Leave –3 days per year
• Paid Holidays –12 paid holidays per year
• Sick Leave – 12 days per year for personal or family health needs
• Vacation Buy – Option to purchase up to 40 additional hours annually

Health & Wellness – Benefits elected are effective the first of the following month
• Medical Plans: Three comprehensive options, including a $0 premium High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA) eligibility
• Zero Health: Access to hundreds of medical services at no cost
• Dental & Vision: Two dental plans and one vision plan
• Family Building-Benefits: Support for fertility, preservation, adoption, and surrogacy
• Wellness Program: A voluntary program that rewards you for prioritizing self-care! If you're enrolled in a our medical plan, you and your spouse can earn up to $600 in HRA or HSA contributions by completing healthy activities
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Pre-tax contributions for healthcare and dependent care expenses
• Health Savings Account (HSA): Available with HDHP

Financial & Retirement Security
• Pension Plan: Colorado PERA provides retirement benefits and peace of mind
• Supplemental Retirement Plans: PERAPlus 401(k), MissionSquare Roth IRA, and 457 plans
• Disability Coverage: Short-Term and Long-Term Disability insurance available
• Life Insurance: Employer-paid coverage with optional supplemental plans
• Long-Term Care Insurance: Available for purchase to support extended care needs

Additional Support
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support for mental health, stress, legal, financial, and work-life balance
• Tuition Reimbursement: Up to $5,250 annually to support continued education
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: As a qualifying employer, your student loan payments may be eligible for loan forgiveness

ATTENTION :
• All positions will be posted for a minimum of 5 calendar days.
• Starting pay will be determined within the posted pay range based on the experience, education, and training of the successful candidate; if there is a single pay rate posted, the job starts at that rate.
• Colorado Springs Utilities does not sponsor work visas of any kind, including H-1B, TN, or F-1 student visas (with or without OPT or STEM work authorization), or any other employment-based visas. All eligible applicants must be authorized to work in the United States, and work authorization must not be based on employer sponsorship of a work visa.

Colorado Springs Utilities is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Colorado Springs Utilities is committed to the principles of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity in accord with Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act, 38 U.S.C. § 4212, as amended (VEVRAA), and § 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (§ 503). In addition, no person shall be unlawfully discriminated against because of race, color, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation), age, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic information, marital status, or any other basis protected under state or federal law. Human Resources shall assure Colorado Springs Utilities’ benefits, classification, compensation, employee development, employee relations, and employment programs, conform to current legal and regulatory requirements and the provisions of Colorado Springs Utilities’ Affirmative Action Plan in accordance with VEVRAA and § 503.

Accessibility Accommodations . If you are an individual with a disability or a disabled veteran who is unable to use our online tools to search and apply for jobs, you may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting us at accessibility@csu.org or by calling 719-668-7500. This option is reserved for individuals who are unable to use or require assistance with the online tools as a result of a disability and is not intended for other purposes.

E-Verify and Right to Work Notice . Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. Colorado Springs Utilities participates in E-Verify. For more information on your rights and responsibilities as an applicant, please visit: http://coloradospringsutilities.jobs/applicants-rights-and-responsibilities/ . If you have a legal right to work in the United States, there are laws to protect you against discrimination in the workplace. You should know that no employer can deny you a job or fire you because of your national origin. Unless mandated by law or government contract, employers cannot require you to be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident or refuse any legally acceptable documents. If any of these things have happened to you, you may have a valid charge of discrimination that can be filed with the OSC. Contact the OSC for assistance in your own language. Call 1-800-255-7688. TDD for the hearing impaired is 1-800-237-2515. In the Washington, D.C., area, please call 202-616-5594, TDD 202-616-5525 Or write to: U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel NYA 950 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Washington, DC 20530.

Have a question? If you have a question about a position or need assistance from a recruiter, email us at csurecruiting@csu.org or call 719-668-7500.

Job Type: Business Operations