What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President, Communications and Marketing - San Diego, CA position at San Diego Gas and Electric?
SDG&E and SoCalGas are not just utility companies; we are the architects of a brighter, cleaner future. Our employees power everyday life for millions of people - bringing the energy to support their passions, ambitions, and the heartbeat of our community.
We call Southern California our home. It's where we chase our dreams and raise our families. That's why every day, our employees strive to be at the forefront of innovations to reduce emissions, modernize the electric grid, and enable our customers to make the transition to clean technologies. We're redefining sustainability, advancing zero-emissions solutions, and driving the electric vehicle revolution.
It takes the best to build the best - join us!
Career Level: Executive
Primary Purpose:
Sets the enterprise vision and direction for communications and marketing across shared services areas supporting the California utility companies (SDG&E and SoCalGas), integrating external, internal and employee communications, public relations, advertising and marketing communications, executive communications, brand stewardship, and stakeholder engagement. Advises executive leadership on reputation, narrative, cultural and business risks; directs communications during pivotal events and major incidents; and builds the operating model, talent, partnerships, platforms and measurement systems needed to strengthen trust, advance corporate strategy and sustain long-term organizational value across the utilities.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Establishes corporate affairs and communications vision, strategy, governance, narrative pillars and standards for shared services areas supporting the California utility companies, aligned with organizational and utility-specific priorities.
- Provides strategic insights and recommendations to the chief executive officer, executive leadership and other senior leaders on reputation, stakeholder expectations, organizational voice, critical messaging and communications risk, leveraging stakeholder insights and communications expertise to inform enterprise decision-making, manage risk and advance business priorities.
- Integrates public relations, media relations, internal and employee communications, executive communications, advertising and marketing communications, brand, sponsorships and strategic partnerships into a cohesive enterprise approach.
- Directs communications for major incidents, crises, business transformation, regulatory or public issues, organizational changes, transactions and other pivotal events affecting shared services areas and the California utility companies, ensuring alignment with legal, operations and executive priorities.
- Shapes long-term corporate identity and market perception by governing brand architecture, major campaigns, portfolio relationships, narrative strategy and high-impact external engagement.
- Represents the organization with top media, community leaders, decision-makers, industry leaders and strategic partners in high-stakes communications and reputation matters.
- Directs internal and employee communication frameworks that support business strategy, leadership alignment, culture, workforce engagement and organizational transformation.
- Establishes enterprise planning, measurement and reporting systems to evaluate communication effectiveness, stakeholder response, message penetration, issue response and return on significant investments.
- Sets the corporate affairs and communications operating model and capability roadmap, including organizational design, talent strategy, succession planning, agency and partner models, platforms, tools, research and resource allocation.
- Builds organizational capability through leadership development, coaching, training, thought leadership and mentorship across the corporate affairs and communications function.
- Exercises broad discretion and enterprise decision-making authority while balancing reputational, legal, regulatory, financial, cultural and operational considerations.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- Requires a 4 year degree.
- Typically requires 20 years of related experience.
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Ability to exercise broad discretion with accountability for enterprise outcomes.
- Ability to influence outcomes at the highest executive levels.
- Ability to set vision and direction across multiple communications functions.
- Enterprise-wide knowledge of corporate affairs within a dynamic business environment.
- Enterprise-wide knowledge of corporate affairs within a dynamic business environment, including shared services areas supporting regulated California utility operations.
- Skill in guiding resolution of unprecedented strategic challenges.
- Skill in shaping organization-wide approaches to reputation and messaging.
- Ability to evaluate and balance reputational, legal, regulatory, financial, cultural and operational impacts of communications decisions.
- Expert knowledge of public relations, media strategy, internal and employee communications, change communications, advertising, branding and communications governance.
- Skill in advising executives, representing the organization publicly and leading complex, high-visibility communication portfolios.
- Skill in developing executive and board-level communications, reporting and decision support.
- Skill in overseeing enterprise operating models, large budgets, strategic partners, technology platforms and measurement systems.
Preferred Qualification:
- Experience leading an integrated, enterprise-scale corporate affairs and communications portfolio in a complex, highly visible or regulated environment.
Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Knowledge of communications and stakeholder dynamics in a regulated utility or comparably complex industry.
- Ability to translate enterprise strategy into integrated narratives for employees, customers, communities, media, regulators and other stakeholders.
This position is a hybrid role with four in-office days and one remote day per week. It can be based in San Diego or Los Angeles, but requires frequent travel between SDG&E and SoCalGas offices. Occasional overnight travel is also required.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability or protected veteran status.
Note: We strive to ensure that employees are paid equitably and competitively. Starting salaries may vary based on factors such as relevant experience, qualifications, and education.
We offer a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond base salary.
SDG&E is an Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity employer and considers all applicants for employment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability or protected veteran status.
Salary : $230,000 - $330,000