Job Title: Senior Public Affairs Specialist
Location: Valparaiso, Indiana
Job Summary: The Senior Public Affairs Specialist plays a key role in building understanding and trust between the state operating company and its communities. This position leads local public affairs and stakeholder engagement efforts, working closely with internal business partners and NiSource Corporate Communications to develop and execute integrated public affairs strategies. The role serves as a primary point of contact for community leaders, municipalities, and media, supporting major projects and ongoing operations through thoughtful communication, outreach, and relationship‑building.
* This role will serve as the public‑facing connector between major NIPSCO infrastructure projects and the municipalities they impact, representing the company in high‑visibility community settings.
**The ideal candidate is organized, collaborative, and comfortable working with ambiguity, with strong follow‑through and a service‑oriented mindset when partnering across internal teams and external groups.
Essential Functions
Serve as the company spokesperson for assigned area(s), leading local public affairs efforts
Resolve customer and public issues in partnership with Operations, Construction, Engineering, and other business partners
Work independently while maintaining close communication with the Manager, Public Affairs, and collaborating across the Public Affairs team
Lead and facilitate stakeholder meetings and public forums with community leaders, local governments, chambers of commerce, school districts, and economic development organizations
Plan and execute community outreach and “giving” events; proactively identify new opportunities to engage local communities
Develop stakeholder communication materials such as newsletters, project summaries, talking points, videos, and presentations
Track and document project requirements to support both internal and external customer needs
Project‑manage operating company–wide initiatives and assigned public affairs programs
Serve as the public face for NIPSCO in assigned areas and support outreach efforts across additional territories as needed
Proactively identify and act on local opportunities that positively impact NIPSCO and the communities it serves
Collaborate with internal and external partners to ensure commitments are met and messages are aligned
Take the lead on resolving customer and municipal issues with support from internal partners
Support additional local and broader public affairs initiatives as needed
Build and maintain strong relationships with public officials, industry partners, company affiliates, and contractors
Provide 24/7 support during crisis situations, as required
Required Qualifications for Position
Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Business Administration, Political Science or related field
Travel locally approximately 1–2 days per week to engage directly with municipal partners and communities
3-5 years of communications, public relations or government/politics experience
Experience working with media and contributing social media content for an organization
Proficiency with Microsoft Office software
Ability to work with a subject matter expert to craft effective and clear content and messages, which create an emotional connection with intended audiences.
Ability to speak with confidence and sensitivity, even on contentious topics.
Ability to interpret data and information to understand stakeholder preferences and motivations.
Ability to think critically and uncover root causes and obstacles.
Ability to learn energy industry issues, regulations, trends, and NiSource’s role, vision and values.
Ability to listen with empathy and seek to understand the intent of and assumptions behind others actions.
Ability to anticipate likely stakeholder reactions to messages, as well as discern when a gap between communication and behavior is causing or preventing a desired outcome.
Ability to develop schedules and budgets required for public affairs deliverables, as well as the ability to juggle work among several channels, team members and business partners.
Preferred Additional Qualifications
Utility or regulated industry experience
As a public utility, NiSource is required to provide continuous service to customers at all times. To ensure we fulfill that obligation, employees may be required to work outside their normal work hours and perform tasks outside of their normal responsibilities in support of emergency operations.
Work Authorization
Authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship.
Workplace Connection
Value inclusion within your day to day responsibilities by respecting others perspectives/convictions, engaging others opinions, creating a safe environment where people, ideas, and opinions are valued within your Team/Customers and external partners.
Respect the unique lived experiences within your Team/Customers and external work partners by valuing different world views, challenges, and cultures that represents all walks of life and all backgrounds.
Treat others with respect and consideration. Actively participate in creating and contributing to a positive work environment.
Equal Employment Opportunity
NiSource is committed to providing equal employment opportunities in each of its companies to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, veteran status, disability, gender, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, childbirth or related medical conditions), genetic information, citizenship status, or any protected group status as defined by law. Each employee is expected to abide by this principle.
By applying, you may be considered for other job opportunities.
ADA Accommodations
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process or to perform the essential functions of the position, please contact OneHR at [email protected] or 1-888-640-3320
Safety Statement
Promote a safe work environment by actively participating in all aspects of our employee safety program. Report any unsafe conditions and take actions to prevent personal injuries. Support our interdependent safety culture by ensuring the safety of your co-workers. Stay focused on the task at hand and promote productivity through good work habits.
E-Verify
NiSource participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify program. As part of this process, we provide the following notices to all job applicants: These documents inform you of your rights and responsibilities under U.S. law. You can view or download them using the links below:
- E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) E-Verify Participation Poster English and Spanish
- Right to Work Poster (English and Spanish) If you have the right to work, don't let anyone take it away
Salary Range*:
$82,200.00 - $123,200.00*The salary offered to a candidate is based on several factors including but not limited to the candidate’s skills, job-related knowledge, and relevant experience, as well as internal pay equity.
Posting Start Date:
2026-05-04Posting End Date (if applicable):
2026-05-16Please note that the job posting will close on the day before the posting end date.Similar Jobs
What We Do
NiSource (NYSE: NI) helps energize the lives of its nearly 4 million natural gas and electric customers across six states. Our local utilities – Columbia Gas and NIPSCO – ensure that customers receive safe, reliable and affordable natural gas and electric service each and every day. Our business plan is focused on proactively investing in our energy infrastructure – approximately $1.4 billion a year – to ensure we meet and improve upon our customer commitments for the next 100 years. We employ more than 7,000 of our neighbors who are actively engaged in the communities we’re privileged to serve, making them great places to live and call home. NiSource is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana – about 35 miles from Chicago – and we maintain a significant corporate presence in Columbus, Ohio. Our utility operations also span Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia
