Community Relations and Stakeholder Officer

The Anglian Water Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA) project currently involves the planning, design and construction of circa 320km of new strategic, large diameter, clean water interconnector pipelines and associated infrastructure across Anglian Water’s region. The SPA Alliance is also taking on responsibility for the future interconnector pipelines, a further 260km of strategic interconnector pipelines and associated infrastructure. 

This role will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive range of communication and engagement activities for our Strategic Pipeline Alliance. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in delivering stakeholder engagement, communications and consultation strategies within a complex stakeholder landscape. Ultimately this role will play a critical part in supporting the planning and consenting process, while ensuring a positive impact on community engagement, minimising customer complaints and fostering long-term project success.

This role will work from Peterborough office and home 1 day per week, flexible / hybrid from .  The candidate will be required to travel to site locations and stakeholder meetings across the region when needed, some of these meetings will be outside conventional working hours.

At Costain, we believe diverse perspectives drive innovation. If you’re passionate about making a positive impact and think you can bring value to our team, we’d love to hear from you even if you don’t tick every box. Your unique skills and experiences could be exactly what we need. 

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Responsibilities

• Coordinate engagement with project stakeholders across local authorities, statutory and non-statutory bodies (including environment & technical organisations), communities and other parties to establish strong working relationships.

• Successfully develop and deliver project specific stakeholder engagement activities, ensuring alignment with established strategies and framework 

• An understanding of, and ability to quickly and effectively identify, third party drivers to assist in relationship building, issue resolution and maximising value opportunities.

• Conduct stakeholder identification and mapping to categorise stakeholders based on influence, interest and impact.

• Identify potential reputational risks and issues and implement proactive engagement using a range of techniques and approaches tailored to the target audience.

• Utilise stakeholder management tools (e.g. CRM, GIS mapping) for engagement tracking, trends, emerging risks and opportunities.

• Act as the first point of contact for stakeholder queries, concerns and complaints, ensuring timely, professional, and empathetic responses. 

• Apply lessons learned and adjust plans as needed to improve future engagement.

• Support and deliver effective consultation activities, such as workshops, exhibitions, virtual events, site visits to enhance stakeholder engagement and to maximise participation.

• Prepare detailed reports that meet the statutory requirements and document stakeholder feedback.

• Monitor stakeholder sentiment and provide early warnings of potential project opposition. 

• Collaborate with technical leads to address conflicts and resolve stakeholder issues effectively.

• Stay updated on industry best practice and regulatory changes to refine engagement approaches.

• Implement a diverse range of engagement methods, including community meetings, digital engagement, and one-on-one discussions.

• Build trust-based relationships with local communities, businesses, charities and public sector partners that support sustainable project outcomes and foster a positive legacy within communities.

• Track the progress and effectiveness of community involvement initiatives using established metrics.

• Collaborate with schools, colleges and training providers to support STEM education and career pathways in the water sector.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential

• Proven experience in stakeholder and community engagement, preferably within large-scale infrastructure projects

• Understanding of the statutory EIA planning requirements, regulatory frameworks and stakeholder consultation best practices.

• Proven ability to implement stakeholder engagement plans that align with organisational frameworks.

• Demonstrable experience translating technical detail into appropriate, relevant and agreed communications for external audiences

• Experience managing sensitive stakeholder issues and conflict resolution

• Ability to work collaboratively with internal teams and external partners

• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills

• Strong organisational skills and attention to details

• Strong presentation and facilitation skills

• Assessing stakeholder needs, interests and potential impact

• Designing and delivering consultation events

   

Desirable

• Degree or equivalent experience in marketing, communications, public relations or similar discipline (degrees in technical disciplines that align with the business such as Engineering, Planning, or Environmental Science, will also be considered)