Stakeholder & Community Engagement Lead (Southern NSW) (12-Months Max-Term)

State Water Corporation; Bargo; On-site; AUD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

9-day fortnight at full pay

Up to 16 weeks paid parental leave

Fertility leave

Corporate wear allowance

Professional development and education

Remote area benefit packaging

Job summary

WaterNSW is seeking an experienced Stakeholder & Community Engagement Lead to join our Engagement & Education team on a full-time, 12-month max-term basis. The role is based in Southern NSW with preferred offices in Albury, Dubbo, Leeton or Wagga Wagga.

You will lead the development and delivery of stakeholder and community engagement strategies for major infrastructure and operational projects across the state, partnering with project teams, customers, communities and key stakeholders to

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in community engagement, communications, or public relations.
• Proven experience in stakeholder and community engagement and relationship management.
• Experience in planning and delivering engagement events and activities.
• Ability to develop and implement engagement plans and tailored materials such as newsletters, presentations and reports.
• Current NSW Driver's Licence.
• Nice to have: familiarity with water or agricultural industries.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and delivery of stakeholder and community engagement strategies.
• Create and deliver tailored communications: newsletters, briefs, media notes, digital content.
• Plan and manage engagement events and coordinate with external contractors.
• Build relationships with customers and communities, handling sensitive or crisis-related interactions.
• Advise internal teams, maintain stakeholder databases, and ensure external contract compliance.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Community engagement

Relationship management

Project management

Communication planning

Education

Tertiary qualification in community engagement or communications

Job description

Ready to make a splash in your career? WaterNSW is seeking an experienced Stakeholder & Community Engagement Lead (Full-Time, 12 months max-term) to join our Engagement & Education team.

Reporting to the Engagement & Education Manager, in this role you will lead the development and delivery of stakeholder and community engagement strategies that support some of WaterNSW's most significant infrastructure and operational projects across the state. Partnering with project teams, customers, local communities and key stakeholders, you will drive meaningful engagement initiatives that keep people informed, manage project impacts and build lasting relationships. From major infrastructure upgrades to business-critical projects, you'll develop and execute communication and engagement plans and provide strategic advice to ensure successful project outcomes.

Location: We are ideally looking to have the successful candidate to be based in one of our WaterNSW Southern NSW offices with preferred office locations of Albury, Dubbo, Leeton and Wagga Wagga.

Our Perks and Benefits:

• At WaterNSW, we believe that our employees should be as well taken care of as our rivers, dams, and pipelines, that’s why we offer a load of benefits:

• Flexible working

• Option to work a 9-day fortnight at full pay on the Enterprise Agreement

• Up to 16 weeks paid parental leave

• Fertility leave

• Corporate wear allowance

• Professional development and educational assistance

• Access to remote area benefit packaging (based on work location)

• Salary starting from $142,610 base + 12% Super

• And so much more!

What you'll do:

• Support and implement stakeholder and community engagement strategies and action plans to ensure timely, meaningful, and fit-for-purpose engagement aligned with WaterNSW goals.

• Develop and deliver tailored communication materials including newsletters, presentations, speaking notes, fact sheets, draft media releases and digital content to support engagement activities.

• Plan and manage engagement events and forums, including coordination with external contractors and facilitation responsibilities.

• Build and maintain relationships with customers, communities, and stakeholders, including acting as a key contact point and managing sensitive or crisis-related interactions.

• Provide strategic advice and reporting support to internal teams and senior personnel on engagement matters and maintain stakeholder databases (Consultation Manager) and ensure contract compliance with external partners.

What we are looking for:

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant field such as community engagement, communications, public relations or significant community engagement experience.

• Proven experience in stakeholder and community engagement, including relationship management and leading conversations across diverse viewpoints.

• Demonstrated ability to project manage engagement activities, including planning and delivering events and forums.

• Experience in developing and implementing engagement plans and tailored communication materials such as newsletters, presentations, and reports

• Current NSW Drivers Licence.

• Nice to Have: Familiarity with the water and/or agricultural industry and its relationship with regional communities.

Please note applications for this position will close on Tuesday 20th October 2026 at 11.59pm.

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