Job purpose

This role supports the management and coordination of key stakeholder relationships along the line of route, including MPs, their constituency offices and local authorities, as well as a myriad of political, business, specialist and community stakeholders. The role is part of a team committed to making sure HS2 acts as a good neighbour to communities and stakeholders along the route of the new railway.

Accountabilities

• Work with colleagues in the Communications and Stakeholder Engagement Directorate and across other HS2 departments to ensure timely, coordinated and consistent two-way information flows between HS2 and identified key stakeholders.
• Develop and deepen relationships with stakeholders along the line of route, including MPs and their constituency offices, local authorities, local representative groups based in the communities the project will impact, and other identified key stakeholders.
• Proactively identify opportunities to involve key stakeholders in the project and work with colleagues across HS2 to plan and deliver engagement activities.
• Develop and maintain an overview of the politics, stakeholder issues and activities in communities along the route, identifying and feeding back into the business key risks and opportunities.
• Manage correspondence with identified key stakeholders ensuring all responses are timely, accurate and of high quality in both tone and content.
• Provide clear and concise briefings, presentations and reports on complex issues for senior members of HS2.
• Manage processes to coordinate, record and report on engagement with key stakeholders, ensuring a consistent approach and alignment with HS2 processes
• Develop effective working relationships with contractors' ensuring they understand HS2's commitments, behaviour expectations, and metrics by which they will be measured.

Skills:

• Ability to develop relationships and build trust amongst internal and external stakeholders, using diplomacy at every stage
• Influencing and communication skills
• Written communication skills and attention to detail
• Project management, organisational and planning skills
• Ability to communicate complex issues with clarity
• Ability to analyse data, interpret changing environments and present briefings to a variety of audiences at various levels in the organisation
• Ability to manage own workload and competing stakeholder priorities to meet agreed deadlines

Knowledge:

• Understanding of engagement and communications on high-profile and sensitive projects
• Understanding and experience of developing important stakeholder relationships within the nuances of local community engagement and local politics
• Understanding of the political environment in which HS2 operates
• Knowledge of how UK Parliament and Local Authorities work and appropriate engagement methods

Type of experience:

• Experience of developing and delivering strategic stakeholder management arrangements in large and complex environments
• Experience of working within or with Whitehall, Westminster or Local Government
• Experience of successful delivery on high profile and sensitive projects
• Experience of providing counsel across an organisation on stakeholder engagement

Dimensions

• The period following Royal Assent ( February 2017), marks a complex time for community and stakeholder engagement, with three major programmes of activity spanning very different stages of the overall project, all involving wide range of stakeholders and community members:

• Phase 1: Land acquisition and main construction due to commence.
• Phase 2a: Hybrid Bill process, including petition management.
• Phase 2b: Consultation on proposed route, including site investigations.

• This is an important role responsible for ensuring effective, consistent and timely engagement and communications.
• This is a public facing role which requires empathy and understanding of those affected, as well as knowledge of the HS2 project.
• Management of an engagement budget and resources.
• The role involves both proactive and reactive engagement with a variety of external stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of the HS2 project in partnership with the DfT.