Director, Stakeholder Strategy & Advocacy

SDG&E is not just an energy company, we are the architects of a brighter, cleaner future. Our employees power everyday life for 3.7 million 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 the people who live here deserve an energy company unlike any other, and that’s why every day, SDG&E 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! 

This position will work in a shared service capacity supporting both SDG&E and SoCalGas.

Career Level: L5

Primary Purpose:
Defines strategic direction for stakeholder engagement, advocacy and related corporate affairs and communication functions to advance organizational goals. Oversees high-profile stakeholder campaigns and ensures coordination of engagement, governance and messaging across enterprise platforms.

This role provides strategic leadership for stakeholder strategy across SDG&E and SoCalGas by setting enterprise engagement priorities, advising senior leaders on external stakeholder considerations, and aligning advocacy approaches across business, regulatory, public affairs, and community priorities. The role develops enterprise stakeholder engagement strategies, stakeholder intelligence and research programs, advocacy campaigns, and engagement frameworks that support key business, customer, regulatory, legislative, and community objectives. Working collaboratively with Government Relations and Regional Public Affairs, Legislative Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Communications, Community & Stakeholder Engagement, and business leaders, the position drives coordinated stakeholder engagement efforts, strengthens strategic partnerships and coalitions, anticipates external risks and opportunities, and provides actionable insights that inform executive decision-making and advance organizational priorities.

The Director, Stakeholder Strategy & Advocacy develops and leads stakeholder engagement and advocacy strategies that advance business priorities for SDG&E and SoCalGas. The role provides research, intelligence, campaign development, coalition-building, stakeholder education and issue advocacy support for priorities established by business, policy, legislative, regulatory and strategy organizations. The director develops coordinated stakeholder strategies that complement the policy, regulatory and legislative responsibilities of partner organizations. The role provides strategic direction while field-based teams remain the primary relationship managers with policymakers, community leaders, customers, business organizations and other external stakeholders.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establishes strategic direction for corporate affairs and communication functions.
• Partners with Government Relations, Legislative Affairs and Regulatory Affairs in engagement with officials and industry leaders on policy and regulatory priorities.
• Provides leadership in shaping stakeholder narratives and engagement approaches across enterprise platforms.
• Influences organizational reputation through proactive engagement strategies.
• Develops enterprise stakeholder strategies, intelligence programs, and engagement plans, including stakeholder mapping, prioritization, research, polling, and sentiment analysis and provides actionable insights to senior leaders.
• Leads stakeholder advocacy campaigns, coalition-building efforts, and stakeholder education initiatives, in coordination with partner organizations, to advance business, regulatory, and community priorities.
• Develops strategies and partners with field-based teams to strengthen relationships with key community, government, industry, and advocacy stakeholders.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Requires a 4 year degree.
• Typically requires 12 years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Business Administration or related field.
• 10 years in stakeholder engagement, public affairs, government relations, advocacy, and/or communications. Experience managing public affairs campaigns, coalition-building efforts or grassroots advocacy programs. Experience leading research, polling and stakeholder intelligence programs.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to establish long-term functional strategy aligned with business priorities.
• Ability to influence executives, regulators, and external stakeholders.
• Ability to lead through vision, credibility, and sound judgment.
• Expert knowledge of corporate affairs, communications strategy, and governance.
• Knowledge of executive decision-making and board-level considerations.
• Skill in directing resolution of highly complex and visible issues.
• Skill in managing significant resources and organizational risk.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of California regulatory and legislative environments.

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.