Engagement lead

E.ON UK; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

E.ON UK is seeking an experienced Engagement Lead for Thames Freeport, a major UK port cluster spanning Tilbury, Dagenham and London Gateway. You will lead the external stakeholder engagement strategy, align with tax site partners, local authorities and infrastructure stakeholders to identify viable energy opportunities.

You will build senior relationships, translate priorities into energy opportunity pipelines, represent E.ON in governance meetings, and support bid development and commercial

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading senior stakeholder engagement within infrastructure, energy, regeneration or large-scale development environments.
• Proven ability to build and maintain executive-level relationships across public and private sector organisations.
• Experience translating strategic conversations into commercially actionable opportunities.
• Demonstrated capability influencing complex, multi-party governance environments.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure development cycles and early-stage opportunity shaping.
• High quality written and verbal communication skills, including representation in formal governance settings.
• Ability to manage ambiguity and operate effectively within evolving programme structures.
• Understanding of regulatory, policy and funding environments relevant to large infrastructure programmes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the external stakeholder engagement strategy across Freeports and Gateway infrastructure, including engagement and development of relationships with project originators.
• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with Freeport leadership, tax site operators, local authorities, developers, and strategic infrastructure partners.
• Translate stakeholder priorities and development plans into actionable energy opportunity pipelines aligned with E.ON's capabilities.
• Represent E.ON in external forums, steering groups and governance meetings.
• Identify emerging development opportunities and risks across the Freeport geography and elevate appropriately.
• Shape early-stage opportunity framing to support bid development and commercial structuring activities.
• Ensure consistent external messaging and positioning aligned with E.ON's strategic objectives.
• Provide insight and intel

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Executive relationships

Opportunity translation

Governance influence

Infrastructure development

Communication skills

Ambiguity management

Regulatory understanding

Job description

Thames Freeport is the UK's largest port cluster, spanning three tax sites across approximately 1,700 acres of development land and connecting to over 130 international markets. The programme represents a significant long-term infrastructure and regeneration initiative, creating opportunities for coordinated energy, infrastructure and development planning across the region. The Engagement Lead exists to lead and deliver the external stakeholder engagement strategy for the Thames Freeport programme, ensuring alignment with tax site partners, local authorities and infrastructure stakeholders to support the identification and development of viable energy opportunities in line with E.ON's strategic objectives. The Engagement Lead exists to lead and deliver the external stakeholder engagement strategy for the Thames Freeport programme, ensuring alignment with tax site partners, local authorities and infrastructure stakeholders to support the identification and development of viable energy opportunities in line with E.ON's strategic objectives.

• Develop and execute the external stakeholder engagement strategy across Port of Tilbury, Ford Dagenham and London Gateway sites.
• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with Freeport leadership, tax site operators, local authorities, developers, and strategic infrastructure partners.
• Translate stakeholder priorities and development plans into actionable energy opportunity pipelines aligned with E.ON's capabilities.
• Represent E.ON in external forums, steering groups and governance meetings relating to Thames Freeport energy strategy.
• Identify emerging development opportunities and risks across the Freeport geography and elevate appropriately.
• Shape early-stage opportunity framing to support bid development and commercial structuring activities.
• Ensure consistent external messaging and positioning aligned with E.ON's strategic objectives.
• Provide insight and intelligence to internal teams to inform bid strategy, commercial modelling and programme prioritisation.
• Support resolution of strategic barriers that could impact programme progress.
• Contribute to overall programme governance through regular reporting of stakeholder activity, risk and opportunity pipeline status.

• Significant experience leading senior stakeholder engagement within infrastructure, energy, regeneration or large-scale development environments.
• Proven ability to build and maintain executive-level relationships across public and private sector organisations.
• Experience translating strategic conversations into commercially actionable opportunities.
• Demonstrated capability influencing complex, multi-party governance environments.
• Strong understanding of infrastructure development cycles and early-stage opportunity shaping.
• High quality written and verbal communication skills, including representation in formal governance settings.
• Ability to manage ambiguity and operate effectively within evolving programme structures.
• Understanding of regulatory, policy and funding environments relevant to large infrastructure programmes.

Freeports and gateway infrastructure represent significant long-term opportunities for economic growth, investment and regeneration, bringing together ports, industrial clusters, logistics networks and development sites. Unlocking these opportunities requires coordinated engagement across public and private sector partners to align infrastructure priorities, enable investment and support sustainable economic growth.

The Engagement Lead is responsible for developing strategic relationships with key stakeholders, including Freeport partners, local authorities, project developers and infrastructure organisations, to identify, shape and progress viable energy and infrastructure opportunities. Through targeted relationship development and cross-sector collaboration, the role connects E.ON's capabilities with emerging development needs, builds alignment around shared priorities and supports the progression of opportunities into commercially viable projects that deliver gateway infrastructure and advance E.ON's strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the external stakeholder engagement strategy across Freeports and Gateway infrastructure, including engagement and development of relationships with project originators.
• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with Freeport leadership, tax site operators, local authorities, developers, and strategic infrastructure partners.
• Translate stakeholder priorities and development plans into actionable energy opportunity pipelines aligned with E.ON's capabilities.
• Represent E.ON in external forums, steering groups and governance meetings.
• Identify emerging development opportunities and risks across the Freeport geography and elevate appropriately.
• Shape early-stage opportunity framing to support bid development and commercial structuring activities.
• Ensure consistent external messaging and positioning aligned with E.ON's strategic objectives.
• Provide insight and intel