Senior Communications Specialist, Visual Storytelling and Community Engagement

The Senior Communications Specialist Visual Storytelling & Community Engagement serves as San Jose Waters lead field storyteller and community engagement coordinator responsible for capturing and sharing stories about our people and operations and for planning and executing public-facing experiences in order to strengthen our audiences understanding of the companys water supply infrastructure water quality commitment environmental stewardship and community impact.

This role combines visual storytelling content development community outreach educational programming event activation and stakeholder engagement. Working closely with the President of San Jose Water Public Affairs Engineering Operations Water Quality Customer Service and Corporate Communications leaders the position identifies and develops compelling stories from the field while coordinating opportunities for customers community organizations select schools elected officials and other stakeholders to engage directly with San Jose Waters people facilities and operations.

The role is based in San Jose and spends substantial time in the field capturing content supporting community events coordinating facility tours managing educational outreach activities and developing multimedia content for use across digital social customer and community communications channels.

At San Jose Water our mission is simple: to deliver affordable reliable and sustainable water that puts customers first. Everything we do is evaluated through this lens from infrastructure planning and partnerships to financing decisions. With over one million customers in the greater San Jose area we invest in critical infrastructure to protect and strengthen the water supply for generations to come. For over 160 years weve safeguarded whats precious. Now as part of H20 Americawere committed to continuing to invest in the long-term well-being of the communities we serve.

Primary Areas of Ownership

Visual Content Production

• Serve as the primary field-based content creator for San Jose Water.
• Capture video photography interviews and supporting assets from construction sites treatment facilities operational environments community events and executive appearances.
• Maintain an editorial calendar aligned with company priorities and key initiatives.
• Coordinate with external vendors and internal communications partners to support production needs.

Infrastructure & Water Quality Storytelling

• Own content planning and field content collection related to infrastructure investment water system reliability water quality engineering projects construction activities environmental stewardship and other core narrative themes important to San Jose Water.
• Identify stories that demonstrate SJWs role as a community partner economic contributor infrastructure investor environmental steward and trusted local water provider in the communities it serves.
• Working with other Communications team members develop annual and quarterly storytelling plans that align with company communication priorities.

External Presentations Site Tours & Public Education Events

• Own with SJW leaders the scheduling planning coordination and continuous improvement of facility tours across San Jose Water operations.
• Working with administrative assistants and others coordinate off-site public and semi-private presentations with San Jose Water Ambassadors and SJW leaders.
• Working with Communications team members coordinate materials for external speaking opportunities panel participation sponsorship activations executive appearances and community presentations including briefing notes talking points visuals and supporting content.
• As needed deliver presentations to schools civic organizations community groups neighborhood associations and professional organizations.

Community Engagement Programs Coordination

• Lead community activation planning for San Jose Waters Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) mobile demonstration unit.
• Support the San Jose Water Ambassador Program through materials development for Ambassadors including the SJW President public and customer communications about engagements and post-engagement reporting with the Public Affairs team and SJW President strategic leadership of the program.
• At the direction of the Director Communications (who owns the community giving strategy) manage execution of the companys community giving and sponsorship programs under the leadership of Communications and Public Affairs teams as well as SJWs President.
• Working with various senior leaders coordinate San Jose Waters community engagement calendar including educational presentations facility tours community meetings sponsorship activations and public outreach opportunities.
• Working with the Public Affairs team SJW President and other members of the Communications team support activation of SJW memberships in business civic economic development and community organizations by preparing materials and identifying ways to convert engagements (meetings events etc.) into storytelling opportunities.
• Help SJW leadership and the Communications team and Public Affairs team build and maintain relationships with schools community organizations business groups neighborhood associations and nonprofit partners.

Measuring Success Outcomes for This Role

• Engagement opportunities identified and acted upon.
• Stakeholder follow-ups completed.
• External presentations tours or events supported.
• Story ideas generated from community and membership activity.
• Sponsorship and membership benefits tracked and utilized.
• Increased visibility for SJW in priority communities and organizations.

Skills Required

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate technical water infrastructure engineering and environmental topics into clear accessible content for customers community groups schools business organizations and public audiences.
• Strong visual storytelling skills and video & graphic design and production skills using relevant software tools (including editing video content designing materials for presentations handouts video graphics etc.) including experience capturing or coordinating photography video interviews field content and multimedia assets. Understanding of video production photography editing workflows accessibility considerations and brand standards.
• Familiarity with social media internal communications customer communications and digital content planning.
• Ability to prepare briefing materials talking points presentation content post-event summaries and follow-up materials for leaders subject matter experts ambassadors and external-facing employee partners.
• Strong project coordination skills including the ability to manage calendars timelines vendors logistics stakeholder inputs and competing priorities across multiple internal teams.
• Demonstrated ability to plan coordinate and support community engagement events facility tours public presentations sponsorship activations and external speaking opportunities.
• Sound judgment in identifying when issues should be elevated particularly those involving media elected officials public policy permitting regulatory matters legal considerations reputational risk or executive messaging.
• Ability to build effective working relationships with internal partners across Public Affairs Operations Engineering Water Quality Environmental Planning Customer Service and executive offices.
• Comfort representing the company in public-facing settings with professionalism preparation and customer/community focus.

Skills Preferred

• Knowledge of stakeholder engagement practices involving community organizations local government business associations economic development organizations schools nonprofit partners neighborhood groups etc.
• Experience developing communications and engagement programs for public-facing organizations (for-profit non-profit or civic) or customers of a company or organization serving paying customers.
• Experience supporting executive visibility thought leadership panel participation community briefings or public education programs.
• Ability to maintain trackers or simple reporting tools for memberships sponsorship benefits event participation story ideas stakeholder contacts and follow-up actions.
• Spanish or other multilingual communication skills relevant to San Jose Waters service area are helpful but not required.

Experience

• Minimum of 3-6 years of progressive experience in communications community engagement public relations public affairs marketing communications nonprofit outreach government relations support or a related field.
• At least 2-3 years of experience planning or supporting public-facing events presentations tours community outreach activities sponsorship activations or educational programs.
• At least 2 years of experience developing communications materials for varied audiences including employees customers community stakeholders leaders and external partners.
• Experience supporting executive or senior leader participation in external events business organizations community meetings or thought leadership opportunities.
• Experience coordinating across multiple internal departments or subject matter experts to gather information align messaging and support execution.
• Experience managing multiple projects or engagement activities simultaneously with attention to deadlines details logistics and follow-up.
• Requires a valid CA drivers license and having satisfactory driving record

Preferred

• Preferred 2 or more years of experience creating or coordinating visual content in field settings including construction sites facilities events interviews or community activities.
• Experience maintaining engagement calendars membership or sponsorship trackers post-event reports or stakeholder follow-up systems.
• Preferred experience working in or with a regulated utility water agency infrastructure organization public agency civic organization or community-based organization.