VP, Member Relations & External Affairs

1. Actively participates with the Senior Leadership Team to develop, refine, and implement the strategic plan, while promoting strong, Cooperative-wide collaboration and requiring the same of all management within the division.
2. Leads strategy and implementation of programs instituted to serve GreyStone Members and maintain positive relationships, including those providing call center and walk-in services to handle inquiries, claims, and complaints from new and existing members (e.g., connect or disconnect accounts, arrange for billing, make special billing arrangements, submit inquiries, power outage calls, etc.)
3. Analyzes feasibility of offering new products, services, and programs to Members and makes recommendations to the CAO, CEO and the Board of Directors as required.
4. Coordinates development, implementation, and monitoring of the Cooperative’s Strategic Plan.
5. Provides inspirational leadership and direction and ensures the continued development and management of a professional and efficient organization via mentoring, coaching, and training.
6. Leads and directs the Member Services Department and all ancillary products and programs including home security, surge protection, and natural gas marketing.
7. Guides planning, coordination, and direction of Public Relations and Communications strategy, including the Cooperative’s advertising, Member newsletters, and bill inserts.
8. Responsible for planning, coordination, and control of department activities within the Member Relations and External Affairs division, including developing strategies to gain market share, improve system load shape, and improve profitability in each market segment.
9. Leads the review, coordination, and implementation of changes to the Cooperative’s bylaws, service rules and regulations, and board policy updates to ensure the organization’s compliance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
10. Acts as liaison and advisor to GreyStone Power Foundation, Inc., attending monthly board meetings and administering board fundraising efforts through Operation Round-Up.
11. Coordinates Nominating and Credentials and Election committees during the Board election process – in collaboration with Legal.
12. Plans and oversees the Annual Member’s meeting.
13. Assists with development of retail rates for all rate classes, especially those involving customer choice loads.
14. Develops and reviews promotional materials and advertising and identifies target markets for direct solicitation.
15. Develops and manages division budget components for the Member Relations and External Affairs division.
16. Builds a cohesive, team-oriented division that focuses on meeting the needs of the Cooperative.
17. Represents the company in civic and professional associations and acts as an ambassador to the local community to promote positive relationships and strong partnership for the benefit of the organization.
18. Develops, nurtures, and encourages relationships with federal, state, and local officials that will foster solid two-way communication and lend strength to positions held by the Cooperative.
19. Acts in a position of trust and maintains confidential information.
20. Performs other duties and projects as assigned by the Chief Administrative Officer.

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field required.
• Master’s in business administration (MBA) or related field preferred.
• Ten years progressive managerial experience in the electric utility field preferred.
• Experience in corporate planning, organizational development, and communications.
• Specialized education and training may be considered in lieu of or as equivalent to a portion of the experience requirements.
• Requires a valid Georgia driver's license.
• Satisfactorily pass GreyStone's pre-employment physical examination, drug screen, criminal and credit background check.

   

  Critical Thinking Skills

• Energetic, forward-thinking, and creative with high ethical standards.
• Has skills necessary to establish and maintain effective working relationships with people and organizations, demonstrating a strong commitment to the professional development of staff.
• Experienced team builder and leader that will ethically and effectively represent GreyStone in a professional manner at all times, promoting a culture that reflects the company’s values.
• Ability to set clear priorities, delegate, and guide investment in people and systems.
• Keen analytic, organization, and problem-solving skills which support and enable sound decision making.
• Ability to work well in high-pressure situations while maintaining composure and objectivity.
• Ability to identify potential issues or constraints, develop methodologies and approaches to resolve, and select among alternative courses of action quickly and accurately.
• Ability to assimilate complex information and data from various sources and consider, adjust, or modify to meet the constraints of the need.
• Ability to effectively comprehend and clarify concerns and issues expressed by stakeholders.

Financial Management Skills

• Ability to understand financial statements and assess divisional impacts to expenses and the bottom line.
• Ability to understand and monitor variances in actual results to plan.

Technology and Communication Skills

• Proficient command of Office Productivity Suite, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel skills to prepare business correspondence, reports, and presentations with speed and accuracy.
• Skill in writing grammatically correct routine business correspondence such as letters, emails, meeting minutes, and other documents as required.
• Ability to make oral group presentations to persuade others to accept a specific opinion, action and/or provide information or explain procedures, policies, etc.
•  Ability to interact with individuals at all levels and experience in facilitation / resolving conflicts between different parties to a dispute.