Area Education, Communications and Outreach Manager

Veolia; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading environmental services company is seeking a proactive Area Communications and Outreach Manager to support sustainable initiatives in Reading and surrounding areas. The successful candidate will design strategic plans for outreach activities and manage relationships with key stakeholders. This role offers a salary of up to £50,000, plus bonuses and benefits like hybrid working, leave, and wellness support. Join a team dedicated to making a positive impact for future generations.

Benefits

25 days of annual leave

Access to company pension scheme

Discounts on retail

Access to wellness resources

Virtual GP access

Paid day for volunteering

Ongoing training opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience shaping strategic plans that deliver measurable outcomes.
• Experience designing behavior change and community engagement techniques.
• Superb written and verbal communication skills including public speaking.

Responsibilities

• Design and provide strategic direction for the ECO function.
• Manage relationships with senior client and contract teams.
• Lead the design and delivery of outreach plans across contracts.

Skills

Strategic planning

Behavior change techniques

Content production

Communication skills

Stakeholder management

People management

Knowledge of recycling operations

Job description

Ready to find the right role for you?

Salary - Up to £38,000 to £50,000 per annum DOE, plus annual performance bonus and car allowance (total package up to £65,000)

Location - Flexible and hybrid working based in Reading, Hampshire or West Berkshire with regular travel to sites across the area and occasional travel to our London office or other locations in England

When you see the world as we do, you see the chance to help the world take better care of its resources, and help it become a better place for everyone. It's why we're looking for someone who's just as committed as we are, to push for genuine change and bring our ambition of Ecological Transformation to life.

We know that everyone here at Veolia can help us work alongside our communities, look after the environment, and contribute to our inclusive culture.

We are seeking a highly proactive and dynamic Area Communications and Outreach (ECO) Manager to support the business strategy through the implementation of high quality strategic communication, education and outreach approaches for our Local Authority customers in Reading, Hampshire, West Berkshire, South Downs and East Sussex.

The Area ECO Manager will be part of the UK wide ECO function and will work closely with operational managers, customers and other stakeholders to evolve communication strategies with the public that will help to embed sustainable waste behaviours. If you're ready to make a significant impact and shape the future, this exciting opportunity is for you.

What we can offer you :

• 25 days of annual leave.
• Access to our company pension scheme.
• Discounts on everything from groceries to well known retailers.
• Access to a range of resources to support your physical, mental and financial health; so you can lean on us whenever you need to.
• 24 hour access to a virtual GP, 365 days a year, for you and family members in your household.
• One paid day every year to volunteer and support your community.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities, allowing you to reach your full potential.

What will you be doing?

We are seeking a highly proactive and dynamic Area Communication and Outreach (ECO) Manager to design and provide the strategic direction for the Education, Communication and Outreach (ECO) function across Hampshire, West Berkshire, South Downs and the surrounding areas.

This position will present the opportunity to build and lead an effective team to ensure strategic the effective planning and delivery of education, communication and outreach activities to meet objectives and they are deliverable, impactful, measurable and financially viable.

Area Communication and Outreach (ECO) Managers are the senior relationship managers for contract management teams, and clients including their communications leads at strategic level and work will include :

• Line management of team members to build high performance
• Strategic relationship management of senior client and contract teams
• Lead the design and delivery of strategic education, communication and outreach plans across multiple contracts to meet objectives and ensure high quality delivery to time and budget
• Ensure good news stories are identified through the contracts and channelled through the appropriate internal and external outlets.
• Safeguard Veolia and each client's reputation through quality control of team's output in proactive and reactive media and social media engagement including crisis management
• Build relationships with relevant industry bodies to create opportunities for the client
• Actively horizon scan and develop industry expertise to share and design opportunities for team development and client innovation.

Veolia is a great environment to work in and the External Engagement Manager makes a significant contribution to our success. Not only are you working towards protecting the environment you get a number of benefits for doing so, these include bonus, subsidised lunches, an onsite gym, and access to a host of wellbeing services.

What are we looking for?

• Experience shaping strategic plans that deliver measurable outcomes and reflect client ambitions
• Experience designing and applying behaviour change and community engagement techniques
• Expertise across the communication mix and experience of content production across multiple formats including digital
• Expertise in interpreting operational practices, technology and processes to communicate to a range of audiences
• Superb written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking, persuasion, negotiation and conflict management
• Customer and stakeholder management at a senior level
• People and budget management
• Knowledge of recycling and waste management operations and practices and / or experience working with Local Authorities or with a large scale operational organisation.

What's next?

Apply today, so we can make a difference for generations to come.

We're proud to have been named as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work for three consecutive years in 2023, 2024 and 2025. This consistent recognition reflects our commitment to our people, demonstrating that Veolia is not just transforming the environment, we're also transforming what it means to have a rewarding, purposeful career.

We're dedicated to supporting you throughout your application journey, offering adjustments where reasonable and appropriate. As a proud Disability Confident Employer, we will offer an interview to applicants with a disability or long-term condition who opt-in to the Disability Confident scheme, and meet the minimum criteria for our roles.

We're also committed to ensuring that all applicants and colleagues receive fair treatment without discrimination on any grounds, aiming to create a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.