Communication Representative - OH… at FirstEnergy · Akron

Communication Representative - OH Communications

Location: Akron, OH, United States

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers’ lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of 3,780 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This is an open position with FirstEnergy Service Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. [SC00]

Position Summary:

The State Communications Representative is an individual contributor who delivers high‑quality internal, external and customer communications that support business objectives at the state level. The Representative partners closely with the Head of State Communications and collaborates with corporate and state teams – including Operations, External Affairs, Regulatory, Customer Accounts & Local Engagement, Safety and Corporate Communications – to ensure employees, customers and other stakeholders receive consistent, accurate and compelling information.

In this role, the ideal candidate will possess a strong ability to work collaboratively with business leadership and team members to provide strategic advice on communications issues. The Representative must be a strong communicator with experience telling stories through high-quality written content and speaking publicly on key issues. The Representative must also have a general understanding of current media trends and video, digital and social channels. The individual should be self-driven while adept at working with others to strategize, identify pitfalls and develop solutions that result in clear, concise messaging on specific and sometimes tight deadlines.

Key Responsibilities:

Employee & Internal Communications

• Develop and execute internal communications that inform, engage and align state employees with strategic business priorities.
• Draft employee‑focused messaging for employee portal articles, leadership updates, safety campaigns, transformation initiatives and operational activities.
• Translate complex or technical concepts into accessible internal content that supports understanding and builds employee confidence.
• Support executive communications including presentations, talking points, town hall content and internal videos.
• Coordinate with HR, Operations, Safety and Corporate Communications partners to ensure timely internal messaging.

External Communications & Media Relations

• Draft news releases, media statements, talking points and external briefings.
• Identify and support pitching of story opportunities that strengthen FirstEnergy’s reputation.
• Build and maintain relationships with local reporters and news outlets.
• Serve as media spokesperson, delivering key messages and maintaining a positive public image.
• Monitor issues and support responses related to outages, community events and emerging topics.
• Participate in after‑hours media on‑call rotation and outage/emergency communications.

Customer & Community Communications

• Produce customer‑focused content supporting programs such as energy efficiency, smart meters, safety and operational updates.
• Break down complex topics into clear messaging for customers and stakeholders.
• Support community engagement through materials for events, public meetings and sponsorship initiatives.
• Ensure consistency with FirstEnergy’s brand and service commitments.

Digital, Social Media & Multimedia Support

• Create digital content for web, social media, video scripts and visual displays tailored to state audiences.
• Leverage emerging communications technologies – including AI‑enabled tools, digital platforms and new multimedia formats – to enhance content creation, distribution and audience engagement.
• Conduct social and media listening to identify insights that inform messaging.
• Support management of content calendars for internal, external and customer communications.
• Assist with development of videos, graphics and other multimedia assets.

Regulatory, Stakeholder & Operational Support

• Support communications related to regulatory filings, public open houses, legislative engagement and stakeholder issues.
• Collaborate across departments to maintain alignment in messaging.
• Attend community or public meetings as needed.

Team Collaboration & Culture

• Collaborate with Corporate Communications colleagues to ensure consistency.
• Promote a positive, inclusive, high‑performing team culture.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations or related field.
• 3–7 years of communications experience spanning employee/internal communications, media relations, digital content or customer engagement.
• Strong writing and editing skills with ability to tailor content to diverse audiences.
• Experience with emerging communications technologies, including AI‑driven content tools, digital communication platforms and evolving multimedia formats.
• Strategic storyteller skilled at crafting relatable business narratives.
• Ability to translate complex subjects into clear messaging.
• Ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines.
• Familiarity with social media platforms, CMS tools and multimedia.
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to build trust across functions.
• Willingness to support after‑hours and emergency communications.

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.

Position Classification

Exempt

FirstEnergy Human Resources Team