Engagement Manager

Reporting to: Senior Engagement Manager

Location: Birmingham

Develops and delivers the plan for engaging with the affected communities and their representatives and creates strong stakeholder relationships in order to achieve organisational objectives.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Develop and implement regional and local plans for community engagement to ensure there is public awareness of: the project; its benefits and local impacts; the support HS2 Ltd provides to affected communities; and how they can get involved in the development of the railway.
• Engage with local representative groups to identify appropriate channels for engagement, particularly with those who are vulnerable or require additional support.
• Maintain internal and external stakeholder relationships, apprising Ministers and senior HS2 employees and civil servants of progress.
• Work with community stakeholders and local representatives to minimise objections to the Hybrid bill.
• Through engagement, gather relevant information to ensure the organisation understands how the proposals affects local communities.
• Represent HS2 Ltd in the region, including with local elected representatives and business groups, and act as HS2 Ltd spokesperson in local and regional media.
• Ensure all engagement is recorded in line with organisational policies.
• Ensure appropriate processes are followed to promote knowledge and understanding of community views and concerns within the organisation.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE

• Intermediate experience engaging and working with communities, including in a hostile and complex environment.
• Demonstrable track record of using strong communication and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain good working relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including local communities, business representatives, and elected representatives.
• Proven ability to develop and deliver a local engagement strategy
• Strong planning and organisational skills.
• Experience of presenting a large amount of complex information to a wide range of stakeholders in an appropriate style.
• Able to operate effectively within a community engagement or consultation forum environment.
• Demonstrable track record of delivering sensitive – and at times distressing messages to the individuals and community groups
• Experience of line managing staff.
• Experience of working in a large infrastructure project environment is desirable.
• A local authority background would be useful although but not essential.

DECISION MAKING

• 1 Autonomy to decide how they deliver their engagement in their area and find the right solutions.
• Reasonable degree of autonomy within boundaries set by strategy

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Manage a team of up to three advisors, some of whom could be managed remotely.

OTHER CONTEXTUAL

• Managing internal and external stakeholders at all levels is critical to the success of this role.
• Flexibility & willingness to respond positively to uncertainty and change.
• Autonomy to make appropriate decisions on local area management within the boundaries set by strategy
• High level of influence
• Requires frequent travel within the HS2 Phase Two region & remote working.
• Requires strong personal resilience in a challenging and dynamic environment, as well as awareness of and sensitivity to local and national political issues.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

• Take reasonable care to ensure your own and others’ health and safety – including those who may be affected by the delivery of this role – by taking personal responsibility for working to the HS2 S.A.F.E programme principles.
• Cooperate with HS2 in all matters relating to health and safety, including following safe working procedures at all times and not interfering with measures in place to protect your health, safety or welfare.
• Advocate and promote the company’s wellbeing strategy and policies.