Role Overview

Are you passionate about building strong community relationships and navigating complex stakeholder environments? Do you want to make a real impact on nationally significant energy infrastructure? We’re looking for a Stakeholder Engagement Manager to lead all stakeholder engagement activities across our DNO substation projects from 11kV to 132kV.

Working within a large-scale DNO framework, you will be responsible for developing and delivering stakeholder engagement strategies that support planning, design, and delivery phases. This role includes engagement with local authorities, communities, landowners, businesses, and other affected stakeholders.

You will work closely with the OCU pre-construction, delivery, and consents teams, as well as the DNO’s own stakeholder management team, ensuring alignment and consistent messaging throughout project lifecycles.

The Stakeholder Engagement Manager’s responsibilities include:

• Stakeholder Strategy - Develop and implement stakeholder engagement plans for each project in accordance with DNO and OCU guidelines.
• Public & Private Engagement - Lead engagement with local authorities, local communities, business owners, private landowners, and other impacted parties.
• Material Production - Coordinate the production of public-facing materials including letters, factsheets, and information packs for stakeholders.
• Letter Drops & Consultation - Organise and manage letter drop campaigns, public exhibitions, or consultation events as required.
• Sub-consultant Management - Manage stakeholder engagement consultants, ensuring consistent quality and timely delivery of services.
• Cross-team Coordination - Liaise closely with the consents team, preconstruction, and delivery teams to ensure stakeholder messaging is aligned with project activities and timeframes.
• DNO Collaboration - Work in partnership with the DNO’s stakeholder management team to support their wider engagement strategy and provide project-specific input.
• Issues Management - Track, manage, and resolve stakeholder concerns and feedback in a timely and professional manner.
• Reporting - Maintain accurate records of engagement activity and produce regular updates for internal and external stakeholders.

Experience

• Background in stakeholder engagement, communications, community relations, or public affairs, preferably within infrastructure or utilities.
• Experience engaging with a broad range of stakeholders including communities, councils, and private landowners.
• Understanding of the stakeholder implications of large-scale construction or energy projects.
• Experience producing public engagement materials and coordinating consultation events.

Skills

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills – able to connect with diverse audiences and communicate technical topics in an accessible way.
• Organised and proactive, with strong project and time management skills.
• Skilled in managing stakeholder feedback and resolving issues diplomatically.
• Ability to manage third-party consultants and deliver through others.
• Strong writing and presentation skills, with attention to tone, clarity, and messaging.
• Comfortable working across multi-disciplinary teams in a fast-paced delivery environment.

Company Information:

OCU leads the way in end-to-end infrastructure engineering in the utilities, digital, and energy markets, specialising in safely and efficiently delivering complex client requirements. Our breadth of capabilities and depth of operational capacity, paired with our cutting-edge technology, ensure that we are not just part of the market; we are leading it.

Working directly with many of the country’s leading power, energy transition, water, telecoms and digital clients, we are looking for the very best talent to join our growing team.