Job Description

Description: Strategy Manager - Rural Community Engagement & Local Government Relations

Are you ready to utilize your relationship building skills to support connectivity in rural communities across BC?

Join our team
We work with all levels of government to advance connectivity across Western Canada. We are looking for a Strategy Manager - Rural Community Engagement and Local Government Relations who is passionate about community engagement, infrastructure, and rural economic development. This role will support rural connectivity and local government engagement strategy across BC (primarily) and Alberta (occasionally). This position will drive strong relationships between community stakeholders, local governments, and internal business units to support the roll out of high-speed connectivity across Western Canada.

Our team delivers on a world-class customer experience by expanding our fibre-optic infrastructure directly to homes and businesses. This portfolio is on the cutting edge of innovation in the telecommunications space where our company is actively engaged with communities to identify opportunities to expand broadband technology and services to areas otherwise unreachable. This is a fast-growing portfolio and one of the most strategic programs.

Here's the impact you'll make and what we'll accomplish together:
With a passion for supporting rural connectivity, you will lead engagement with communities and leaders in British Columbia (primary area of focus is Northern BC, with opportunity to support Alberta) to support improved connectivity and collaborate with multiple stakeholders across to support the unique needs of communities. As part of the team you will work with business units across to build and maintain respectful relationships with local governments and rural communities in alignment with social purpose commitments and in support of our customers first brand promise.

You are a great fit if you are comfortable operating in ambiguous environments and creating structure and process, while also possessing the ability to deliver on strategy. The right fit for our team builds relationships easily and has a proven track record of collaborating with cross functional team members of varying seniority to align outcomes with our strategic goals. The role will support the development of communications material and stakeholder engagement programs, lead external engagement processes, and build out the story of the overall investment in Western Canada.

Here's how:

• Build and maintain open, honest and respectful long-term relationships with local governments and communities leaders in British Columbia and Alberta that support a predictable and positive experience internally and externally.
• Known for your curious mind, and approach to problem solving, you'll continually challenge the status quo by experimenting with new approaches for how we can support connectivity and economic growth, leveraging our world-class infrastructure.
• Solidify yourself internally as the trusted face of engagement with communities in Northern British Columbia/Alberta, and a known, collaborative, creative, problem-solver.
• Lead and partner with cross functional teams to support success of connectivity projects, including coordinating with external vendors, network planning, engineering and construction teams
• Develop communication materials, tools and templates to ensure powerful communication
• Balance numerous priorities while adapting and anticipating changes
• Create project plans and apply project management methodology to programs and initiatives, including leveraging systems and tools (i.e. Google, Microsoft, survey tools, data analysis tools) to support build execution and RGU generation.

Qualifications

• You're the missing piece of the puzzle:
• Experience in issues management, media relations, public relations agency and/or government relations;
• Outstanding skills in drafting change management/communication plans, bulletins, presentations, speeches, and other documents
• Sound judgment to navigate challenging situations;
• Ability to work within tight deadlines and with close attention to detail, to ensure consistent, accurate messaging through all channels.;
• Adaptability and flexibility, including ability to manage competing deadline pressures, ambiguity and change;
• Ability to develop messages that effectively tell the organization's story to a variety of audiences;
• Exceptional project management and time management skills;
• Excellent problem solving and analytical thinking/innovation;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate and negotiate with people at all levels.

Required Education and Experience

• 5+ years of experience engagement with local governments and rural communities in British Columbia or Alberta
• Understanding of products & services
• An understanding of telecommunications network infrastructure, deployment and operations
• Undergraduate degree and strong communication, presentation and writing skills
• Location: Northern BC (Primarily work from home, with occasional work related travel required)

Must have skills:
1. Very comfortable with external communications strong stakeholder management skills. Candidates with consulting background, public affairs/relations (local provincial level) usually do well in this role
2. 5-7 years Previous telecommunication/ construction// utility companies (BC Hydro, Ledcore) (mostly fiber optics moving into 5G)

Nice to have skills:
1. Highly collaborative environment will need to be comfortable giving and receiving and giving feedback
2. Strong writing/reporting skills