Director of Community Engagement - East Haven, United States - Avports LLC

Description

Job Description

Position: Director of Community Engagement

Location: Tweed-New Haven Airport

Reports to: CEO HVN

Organizational Overview:

Avports, Tweed New Haven Airport Authority and the New HVN have formed a unique comprehensive public private partnership focused on improving the Tweed New Haven Airport, the passenger experience, economic and environmental impact, and community relations/engagement within the cities of New Haven and East Haven as well as the overall catchment area of HVN.

Position Overview:

The Director of Community Engagement is a high-energy operative with dynamic leadership abilities which enable the individual to build coalitions and partnerships to address a diverse array of challenges and take advantage of opportunities on behalf of the airport, its governing authority, and its operators. The Director works to build social capital by fostering person-to-person and people-to-place relationships, encouraging civic engagement, and enhancing HVN's relationships within local and neighboring communities. This position has responsibility for outreach functions including neighbor engagement, community partnerships, communications, outreach, and community mobilization that lead to a stronger engagement and partnership with key stakeholders. The position will be responsible for developing a plan to accomplish broader community awareness and engagement, as well as execution on those strategies. The position requires previous leadership in community engagement, marketing and communications, strong public speaking and writing skills, event management and ability to influence and cultivate community leadership.

The Director enhances the positive public image of HVN by managing all areas of external and internal stakeholder community. The position works closely with the PR, marketing, and social media teams to maximize exposure in the local, regional, and national market by promoting and securing media coverage through the practice of establishing, maintaining, and further strengthening community involvement opportunities.

The Director will focus on community relations in New Haven, East Haven and Connecticut. This full-time position will be based in Connecticut and will report to the CEO of The New HVN LLC.

Position Responsibilities

Creates positive profile and brand awareness through local and regional partnerships on all aspects of HVN revenue, development, operational and ESG streams to ensure the airport meets its strategic objectives as outlined in its annual plan.

• In-conjunction with the leadership team, develop a community relations plan for HVN that underpins the annual goals of the airport and the long-term objectives of the stakeholders.

• Guide the strategic community relations plan for West terminal operations and East terminal development. To ensure that HVN is professionally positioned in all the key market segments across the stakeholders.

• Ensure that all community relations resources are deployed to create an adequate return on investment and that all projects support each other as part of an integrated plan.

• Present a transparent view of the communication approach to ensure that key leadership and managers are fully aware and conversant with the planning direction and priorities of the live marketing/community relations and communication activities.

• Liaise with Avports' communications agencies (as well as those of stakeholder partners) to carry out Community/Public Relations activities as requested by HVN and Avports.

• Embrace innovation and recognize that our internal team will be a major source of new ideas that we will encourage and nurture.

• Engage in administrational task to support the direction of the CEO/stakeholder leadership (particularly during the development phase.)

• Work in conjunction with the CEO to develop an annual community action plan with supporting communication, collateral, and PR actions to gain the maximum exposure for HVN and these initiatives.

• Coordinate and follows up with all operating departments on community initiatives to ensure their timely delivery.

• Administrate the Community action plan and finalize the requested monthly updates with measurable outcomes.

• Maintain a current and accurate electronic photo library within the airport marketing department and with Avports, including updates for the HVN website.

• Attend relevant functions, events or receptions with a view to positively promoting our properties' events or products.

• Prepare monthly and ad-hoc reports on the effectiveness of all marketing/stakeholder communication disciplines.

• Ensure that all projects, expenses etc. are in accordance with the budget, which shall be submitted to and approved in advance of the commitment by the CEO.

• Identify recommend and act upon any potential marketing opportunities that create a positive market profile or potential revenue stream for HVN.

• Serve as point person for sustainability communication for HVN, effectively partnering with the airport sustainability management, communications, and business teams, significantly amplifying the corporate sustainability story across the region.

• Serve as hub for policy subject matter, providing messaging, monitoring, and reporting support for crisis and issues management, in partnership with stakeholders.

• Oversee media monitoring and analysis and provide regular summaries for Executive Team and other leaders to improve understanding of key industry news and trends and how they translate to HVN's reputation and impact of its product brand communications on corporate perception.

• Serve as liaison to the external communications team in the region, effectively partnering with colleagues to build, execute and continually refine external communications plan.

• Build support for the airport and its stakeholders by designing and managing a CT based development and outreach strategy; Work with the CEO and PR/GR team to build philanthropic networks and support throughout southern CT.

• Manage the HVN efforts in line with development, outreach, and cultivation initiatives; develop a diverse, equitable and inclusive committee and keep the members engaged through regular meetings and communication.

• Assists in procurement of sponsors for events and activities.

• Carries out other additional duties from time to time as delegated.

• Is a "Brand Ambassador" at all times and ensures brand integrity and clarity are always maintained.

• Models the Company's culture, vision, mission, and core values.

Qualifications

• Education: BS/ BA degree or equivalent in Business; Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, or equivalent with relevant experience in the industry.

• Prior community outreach, organizing, and/or other forms of constituent building experience (small and or large scale) preferred.

• Knowledge of community development issues, and experience working in diverse communities to develop long term sustainable change.

• Minimum of 3-5 years of progressive and successful communication and community relations experience, including solid experience in sustainability communications.

• Familiarity with the Southern Connecticut shoreline communities is desirable.

• Creativity, initiative, follow-through, and excellent organizational skills are required.

• Superior writing skills, strong analytical, negotiation, organization, prioritization, and presentation skills; general business management knowledge

• Collaborative, team-player, comfortable in fast-paced environment

• Highly organized, with demonstrated ability to multi-task effectively, be flexible to changing needs, and resilient under pressure.

• Proven ability to drive change, challenge the status-quo, and creatively deliver results within a global organization.

• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel & PowerPoint, and preferably media and social media monitoring tools, and proven ability to leverage this knowledge to develop and effectively communicate presentations to various audience groups.

Managerial Responsibilities:

• Model inclusive behavior and consistently adhere to HVN's culture.

• Incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion values and initiatives into the division's work; and

• Work with staff to develop initiatives aimed at movement-building and expanding our partnership with diverse clients, stakeholders, and partners.

While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the duties involved in this position, the company reserves the right to add, remove or alter duties when business need dictates.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN RETURN:

• Full-Time Salary Position

• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits

• 401K with company match

• Access to opportunities to expand your skill set and share your knowledge with others across the organization.

• Company culture of promotions from within, with a start-up atmosphere allowing for varied and rapid career development, if desired

Avports is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle to feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; and smell. The employee is occasionally required to sit. The employee must intermittently lift and/or move more than 5 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

The salary for this role is commensurate with experience.