Director, Communications & Public Affairs

Houston, TX

Posted 13 months ago

Position No Longer Available

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Position No Longer Available

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Job Description

Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) is an independent company with headquarters in Houston, Texas. Since 2011, MWCC has been the leader in well containment in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico; providing well containment equipment and technology. The organization is continuously ready to respond with dedicated equipment, a capable organization and the robust training necessary to mount an effective response.
Position Overview & Responsibilities

Marine Well Containment Company (MWCC) was founded after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon well control incident to provide the response capabilities needed if a similar event occurs in the future. MWCC is a Limited Liability Corporation that is owned by ten (10) of the most active drillers in the Gulf of Mexico.

See www.marinewellcontainment.com for more information.

The Director, Communications & Public Affairs will be responsible for developing and implementing programs to support
MWCC’s mission:

To be continuously ready to respond to a well control incident in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico deep water.
To be the recognized and respected leader in deep water well containment, continually advancing technology to keep pace with industry needs.
To be the advocate for MWCC’s well containment system to regulators, on behalf of its membership.

Primary Responsibilities of this role are:

Develop and execute MWCC’s corporate communications and public affairs strategy
Manage key supporting contractors and ensure their incident response preparedness
Coordinate external communications related to MWCC activities during an incident in conjunction with the responsible party (RP).

Position Responsibilities (Not Limited To)

Functional Role
Below are the responsibilities for this position related to the day-to-day operations of MWCC:

Develop and execute MWCC’s corporate engagement plan promoting awareness of and confidence in MWCC’s response capabilities. Manage associated activities such as:
- Visits from member company executives and regulatory officials from governing agencies such as BSEE and USCG.
- Participation in industry trade organizations such as American Petroleum Institute and Offshore Operators Committee focused on advocacy efforts related to deep water well containment.
- Community support programs at MWCC’s shore bases to build good will and prepare local populations for heightened activity if MWCC is activated.
- Public engagements for sustaining MWCC’s positive corporate reputation such as conference presentations, trade show exhibits, print and in-person media placements
- Maintaining MWCC’s corporate website and associated collateral related to company equipment and capabilities
Create and maintain corporate identity standards, protect MWCC’s trademarks, and ensure a consistent brand voice is maintained.
Monitor external landscape and contribute to the management of principal risks and mitigations related to issues that might impact deployment readiness or success.
Conduct media and spokesperson training for MWCC personnel involved in external engagements with regulators, industry, media, or the public. Provide non-spokesperson media training for general staff.
Develop and maintain relationships with selected industry and local journalists. Monitor coverage and coordinate media written and in person engagements.
Ensure sufficient supplemental contract support is in place in the event of activation and ensure all 3rd party personnel assigned to MWCC’s account are fully prepared.
Manage all associated third-party contracts related to web hosting, graphic design, photo and videography, and reputational/crisis management.
Participate in internal and member company drills and exercises
Establish and lead the member company network for Public Affairs.

Activation Role
Below are the responsibilities for this position related to and during the timeframe MWCC is activated to respond to a well control incident in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico:

Serve as the External Affairs Manager in the Administration Staff of the MWCC Response Team.
Mobilize additional supporting resources required at MWCC’s Operations Center and shore base locations from MWCC’s crisis management agency.
Monitor the external landscape during the incident and escalate any major potential issues identified to the Response Team Leader for appropriate disposition.
Support the CEO in his role as MWCC’s primary spokesman during an incident, including traveling with him as needed to Incident/Unified Command sites and preparing him for external engagements.
Establish communication lines with public affairs contacts within the responsible party (RP).
Upon request by the responsible party (RP), embed in the Incident Command’s Joint Information Center to provide advice and counsel on MWCC related communications.

Background, Qualifications, & Experience

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in communications, journalism, public affairs, public policy, or related field.
8-12 years of related professional experience.
A diverse set of experience spanning all aspects of corporate communications and public affairs.
Specific expertise in crisis management.
Familiarization with and previous support to the oil and gas industry.
A proven ability to formulate and articulate clear messages about complex and sometimes highly technical subjects.

Location:         Houston, TX (Headquarters)

Travel:               5 – 10%

Schedule:       Eligible for 5/40 or 9/80 schedule

Physical Demands

This position requires meeting the physical demands of both the Office Based Jobs role and Shore Base/Non-Office Jobs role as described below. The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Office Based Job

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, climb stairs, use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms close to and overhead of their body. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move items up to 25 pounds.

Shore base/non-Office Jobs

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be exposed to harsh environmental conditions (heat and cold), fumes or airborne particles, moving mechanical parts and vibration, congested work environments, and heavy equipment operations. The noise level in the work environment and job sites can be loud.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is regularly active and requires being able to manipulate components such as valves and other mechanical equipment, standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing stairs and access ladders on a routine basis. The employee must frequently lift and/or move items up to fifty pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Marine Well Containment Company provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

Position No Longer Available

Job Summary

Company

Marine Well Containment Company

Employment Term and Type

Regular, Full Time

Required Education

Bachelor's Degree

Required Experience

8+ years