Community Liaison Officer

Petrofac; Abu Dhabi; Hybrid; AED 60,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

An energy service provider is seeking a Community Liaison Officer in Abu Dhabi to manage relationships with local communities and stakeholders. The role involves addressing concerns, organizing community meetings, and ensuring project transparency. Candidates should have a Bachelor's in Social Sciences or a related field, and 5+ years of experience in community engagement, ideally within the oil & gas sector. Fluency in English is required, and Arabic proficiency is a plus.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in community engagement, ideally in oil & gas or infrastructure.
• Experience on large-scale EPC or industrial projects in the Middle East.
• Fluency in English; proficiency in Arabic is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with local communities and stakeholders.
• Address local community concerns, inquiries, and grievances.
• Monitor and analyze community sentiment to anticipate project risks.
• Organize community meetings and public consultations.

Skills

Community engagement

Stakeholder management

Fluent in English

Interpersonal skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Communications, Public Relations

Job description

Petrofac is a leading international service provider to the energy industry, with a diverse client portfolio including many of the world’s leading energy companies.

We design, build, manage, and maintain infrastructure for our clients. We recruit, reward, and develop our people based on merit regardless of race, nationality, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, marital status or disability. We value our people and treat everyone who works for or with Petrofac fairly and without discrimination.

The world is rethinking its energy supply and energy security needs; planning for a phased transition to alternative energy sources. We are here to help our clients meet these evolving energy needs.

This is an exciting time to join us on this journey.

We support flexible working requests and have adopted a hybrid approach for most of our office-based roles. We ask employees to be present in the office at least three days per week.

JOB TITLE : Community Liaison Officer

Position Overview :

The Client / Community Liaison Officer (CLO) will serve as the primary point of contact between the project and the local communities surrounding the project site. This role is instrumental in building and sustaining constructive relationships with local stakeholders, including community leaders, residents, and local authorities. The CLO will help ensure the project maintains a strong social license to operate by facilitating two-way communication, addressing concerns, managing expectations, and supporting the resolution of grievances.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES :

• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with local communities, stakeholders, and government authorities.
• Inform local stakeholders about project activities, timelines, and potential impacts in a transparent and timely manner.
• Act as the first point of contact for local community concerns, inquiries, and grievances; document, escalate, and help resolve these as per company policy.
• Monitor and analyze community sentiment to anticipate potential risks to project progress.
• Support the implementation of the project's stakeholder engagement and communication plans.
• Liaise with project leadership and client representatives to ensure alignment on community-related matters.
• Organize and facilitate community meetings, information sessions, and public consultations.
• Collaborate with the corporate communications and CSR teams to ensure consistent messaging and community support programs.
• Maintain accurate records of engagements, concerns raised, and the status of responses or resolutions.
• Support compliance with international social performance standards (e.g., IFC Performance Standards, Equator Principles).
• Report regularly on community engagement outcomes, emerging issues, and recommendations.

Qualifications & Experience :

Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Communications, Public Relations, or a related field.

5+ years of experience in a community engagement, stakeholder management, or liaison role, ideally within oil & gas or infrastructure projects.

Previous experience working on large-scale EPC or industrial projects in the Middle East is highly desirable.

Fluency in English is required; proficiency in Arabic is highly advantageous.

Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive situations with diplomacy and professionalism.

Familiarity with grievance mechanisms, stakeholder mapping, and participatory engagement techniques.

Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.

Strong reporting and documentation skills. #LI-MB1

Additional Information