Project Coord I, II, Sr at Southern Company in Atlanta, GA

Project Coord I, II, Sr

Location: Atlanta, GA, United States

JOB SUMMARY:

The Energy Innovation Coordinator plays a vital role in supporting the utility’s mission to deliver reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy to all customers. This position is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day implementation of energy innovation projects funded through third-party donations, community partnerships, pilots, and other flexible resources that deliver home and business efficiency, affordability, and sustainability improvements.

Working collaboratively across internal departments and with external partners, including community organizations, local governments, and funding agencies, the coordinator ensures that projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with customer affordability and community energy goals. This role requires hands-on project management to drive impact and continuous improvement in program delivery. This position will report to the Energy Innovation Projects Team Lead.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Public Administration, Communications, Social Work, Sociology, Finance, Engineering, Environmental Science, or related field—or equivalent experience.
• Three or more years of experience in project coordination or management, community engagement, or program implementation within the utility, energy, community development, nonprofit, government, consulting, construction, housing, or related field.
• Experience coordinating projects from planning through implementation, including schedules, budgets, deliverables, workflows, risk tracking, issue resolution, and status reporting.
• Knowledge of energy efficiency, renewable energy, affordability programs, or regulated utility operations.
• Public speaking or presentation experience.
• Experience supporting budget tracking, performance goals, reporting, or compliance requirements.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, specifically Excel for budget and performance tracking, and project management or collaboration software.
• Relevant professional certification in project management, process improvement, energy, building performance, grants, contracts, or a related discipline is preferred but not required. Examples may include Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Lean Six Sigma, Certified Demand Side Management Professional (CDSM), Certified Energy Manager (CEM), or Building Performance Institute (BPI) credentials.
• Ability to travel routinely within the assigned region to meet with internal partners and customers, with occasional overnight travel for team and organizational meetings; total travel may be up to 25%.
• Ability to support assigned storm restoration and emergency response activities to help restore service safely, address customer needs promptly, and support community recovery. Requires flexibility to adjust work schedules, duties, and location. Assigned roles may include Damage Assessment Team (DAT) Assessor or Coordinator, Network Management System (NMS) Operator, Evaluator, Driver, or Logistics support.

KEY SKILLS:

• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, deadlines, records, and follow-up items simultaneously.
• Proactive and solutions-focused, with sound judgment to identify issues early, recommend practical next steps, and elevate risks appropriately.
• Strong collaborator and communicator who builds productive relationships with internal teams, vendors, community organizations, funding partners, and other stakeholders.
• Comfortable working in an evolving environment, creating structure from incomplete information, and adapting as program, customer, or partner needs change.
• Effective meeting facilitator who can organize discussions, document decisions and action items, and maintain accountability through completion.
• Analytical and financially responsible, with the ability to interpret project data, monitor performance measures, and communicate clear, accurate status updates.
• Customer- and community-focused, with an appreciation for affordability challenges and a commitment to delivering practical, measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrates integrity, discretion, ownership, reliability, strong follow-through, and a continuous-improvement mindset.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Project Coordination & Implementation

• Plan, organize, and coordinate affordability-focused energy innovation and renewable energy projects.
• Manage project timelines, deliverables, dependencies, and reporting requirements in alignment with utility regulatory and performance standards.
• Support innovative program design and continuous improvement to maximize customer participation, customer satisfaction, and measurable energy savings.
• Develop and maintain implementation plans, process flows, roles and responsibilities, customer handoffs, escalation procedures, and launch-readiness checklists.
• Plan and facilitate project meetings; document decisions, action items, owners, and due dates; and follow through to resolve barriers and maintain momentum.

Project Management & Team Culture

• Contribute to a culture of collaboration, innovation, inclusion, and accountability within the team and across departments.
• Maintain project plans and shared workstreams; clarify owners, deadlines, dependencies, and next steps; identify risks; and elevate barriers to maintain accountability across internal and external teams.

Collaboration & Partnership Development

• Work cross-functionally with internal teams to integrate affordability strategies into existing and new utility programs.
• Develop and maintain relationships with community organizations, municipalities, and business customers to identify opportunities for project collaboration.
• Represent the utility in community meetings, workshops, and stakeholder forums focused on energy affordability and sustainability.
• Coordinate with Supply Chain, Legal, program teams, and external partners to support RFP development, scopes of work, contract execution, change requests, vendor onboarding, and ongoing deliverable management.

Funding & Resource Management

• Support the preparation and management of funding proposals, ensuring compliance with grant and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain project-level financial tracking, including budgets, commitments, invoices, forecasts, spending timelines, and funding requirements; reconcile variances and elevate risks.

Customer & Community Engagement

• Coordinate outreach efforts to increase awareness and participation in utility affordability and efficiency programs.
• Support customer enrollment and participation in holistic programs that improve energy affordability, such as pre-weatherization, energy efficiency, energy audits, appropriate rate plans, and renewable installations.
• Collect and analyze customer feedback to improve program design and delivery.
• Collect and analyze customer outcomes, energy savings, health outcomes, and demand savings to innovate and improve program design and delivery.

Data & Reporting

• Monitor project performance against key metrics, such as participant pipeline, annual and lifetime project budgets, energy savings, cost reduction, and customer impact.
• Develop reports for internal leadership and regulatory filings, as required.
• Maintain accurate documentation and project records for compliance and evaluation purposes.
• Coordinate data collection, system requirements, reporting definitions, quality-control documentation, and partner submissions needed to monitor participant progress, customer outcomes, project performance, and compliance.