Senior Communications Specialist - Energy & Decarbonization

Aquent is partnering with a leading organization at the forefront of the energy industry, committed to driving sustainable solutions and enhancing community well-being. This company is dedicated to innovation, investing in cleaner energy technologies, and empowering customers to reduce their environmental footprint. Join a team that values collaboration, impact, and a forward-thinking approach to energy solutions, where your contributions will directly shape the future of energy and community engagement.

Senior Communications Specialist - Energy & Decarbonization

Location: Minneapolis, MN (Onsite)

Position Type: Full-Time Contract (1 year to start)

Pay Rate: $60.00 - $68.00 / hour (commensurate with experience)

Our leading client is seeking a self-starting Senior Communications Specialist to join the Communications, Community Relations, and Marketing team. In this role, you will lead cross-functional internal and external collaboration to proactively tell their story, protect and enhance company reputation, and drive engagement.

You will play a vital role in crafting compelling communications around our client's industry-leading natural gas decarbonization initiatives under the Minnesota Natural Gas Innovation Act (NGIA), cleaner energy technology investments, and customer emission-reduction programs.

• Strategic Communications & Messaging: Develop and execute comprehensive internal and external communication plans-defining key messages, strategies, timing, and channels while leveraging analytics to measure results.
• Content Creation: Produce a wide variety of high-quality communication materials, including press releases, web copy, speeches, executive presentations, articles, white papers, LinkedIn posts, brochures, and intranet content.
• Stakeholder & Community Engagement: Plan and manage public engagement events, lead outreach notifications, organize logistics, and represent the company at neighborhood, HOA, and community meetings or booth exhibitions.
• Thought Leadership: Lead thought leadership efforts focusing on decarbonization and clean energy technologies through white papers, conference presentations, and professional publications.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Regulatory, NGIA implementation, Energy Sales, Government Affairs, and creative teams (graphics, marketing, social media) to maintain message alignment.
• Crisis & Emergency Communications: Serve on the emergency response communications team on a rotational basis, providing occasionally after-hours or weekend coverage during crisis responses.

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Communications, Marketing, Journalism, or a related field.
• Experience: 3 to 5+ years of strategic corporate communications experience.
• Strategic Execution: Proven expertise in developing and executing end-to-end strategic internal and external communication plans.
• Content Mastery: Exceptional oral and written communication skills with demonstrated ability to translate complex topics into clear, engaging content for diverse audiences.
• Project Management: Strong track record of prioritizing and managing complex projects simultaneously under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Prior experience in the Energy, Natural Gas, or Utility sector.
• Familiarity with cleaner energy technologies, natural gas decarbonization, and industry terminology.
• Ability to read, interpret, and discuss regulatory filings and public policy documents.
• Experience navigating matrixed corporate organizations and collaborating with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Hands-on experience with web content maintenance, regional social media management, and innovative stakeholder engagement strategies.

• Position is based onsite in Minneapolis, MN
• Occasional rotational after-hours/weekend support required for emergency response communications.