Senior Project Communications Manager

Balfour Beatty plc; Warrington; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Smart working up to 40% remote where/—

25 days annual leave (pro rata)

Pension and share incentive plans

Volunteering leave and recognition

Job summary

Balfour Beatty plc is seeking a senior communications leader to oversee stakeholder engagement, community relations and project communications across the North & Midlands region. You will lead onsite engagement, embed communications within delivery, and support customer objectives while protecting reputation.

You will manage a regional communications community, drive best practice, and ensure alignment with contractual and regulatory requirements.

Qualifications

• Extensive communications leadership experience in infrastructure, engineering or complex operational environments.
• Proven ability to manage sensitive and complex issues and stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead and line-manage project communications teams across the North & Midlands region.
• Support formalisation and delivery of the One Comms Collective strategy across projects.
• Oversee stakeholder engagement, customer communications, community relations and employee engagement.
• Engage on-site with project teams to understand priorities and provide practical support.
• Deliver communications initiatives that raise project profiles and support growth and recruitment.
• Set and govern consistent communications standards, processes and reporting.
• Ensure compliance with contractual, regulatory, customer and brand requirements.
• Lead crisis communications planning and response for projects and programmes.
• Support work-winning through practical communications input to bids and business development.

Skills

Leadership experience

Stakeholder management

Crisis communications

Written and verbal communication

Project coordination

MS Office proficiency

Education

Degree in marketing/public relations/communications

CIPR membership or relevant qualification

CSCS card (construction site)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

About the role

In this role, you will lead and oversee communications, stakeholder and community engagement across construction projects being delivered by our businesses in the North & Midlands region. Through regular on-site engagement, alongside our project communications teams you will embed communications within project delivery, support customer and stakeholder objectives, meet contractual requirements, protect reputation and build a consistent, high-performing project communications community.

What you'll be doing

The accountabilities include but are not limited to:

• Lead and provide line management for project communications teams in line with business priorities and customer requirements, improving customer satisfaction, stakeholder confidence and reputation throughout the North & Midlandsregion.
• Support the formalisation and delivery of the One Comms Collective strategy through visible leadership, collaboration, best practice and consistent standards across projects.
• Lead and develop the regional Project Communications community, ensuring projects have the capability, capacity and resources needed to deliver effectively.
• Oversee stakeholder engagement, customer communications, community relations and employee engagement in support of business objectives and contractual
• Engage regularly with project teams on site to understand priorities, build relationships and provide practical support aligned with operational needs.
• Deliver communications opportunities that raise the profile of our projects, business and people, supporting growth, recruitment, customer relationships and market positioning.
• Set and govern consistent communications standards, processes, performance measures and reporting across projects.
• Ensure compliance with contractual, regulatory, customer, governance and brand requirements.
• Manage and escalad communications and reputational risks and opportunities across projects, programmes and the wider business.
• Build senior customer relationships and advise on communications, reputation and stakeholder matters.
• Use insight, data and feedback to improve delivery, promote innovation, share learning and embed proven approaches across projects, regions and functions.
• Work with Group Communications, Media Relations, Public Affairs and business leaders on high-profile or sensitive matters.
• Lead crisis communications planning and response, ensuring robust processes and leadership readiness.
• Support work-winning through practical communications input to bids, customer engagement and business development.

Who we're looking for

Essential

• Extensive communications leadership experience in infrastructure, engineering, construction or another complex operational environment
• Strong knowledge of stakeholder management, customer communications, community relations and reputation management
• Experience managing sensitive and complex issues
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal skills
• Self-motivated and able to manage competing deadlines
• Strong analysis and problem-solving skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Office

Desirable

• Degree in marketing, public relations, communications or a related field
• CIPR membership or a relevant professional qualification
• Valid CSCS card
• Understanding of the construction, rail or utilities regulatory environment

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

Why join us?

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
• Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…

About us

Balfour Beatty Group Enabling Functions are Legal, Finance, IT and Procurement, Communications, Health Safety and Environment, HR and Sustainability. Together, they support delivery of our Build to Last strategy whilst improving efficiencies and standardising our approach, systems and processes.

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty, we want everyone to be able to thrive and achieve their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. We’re making great progress through our Value Everyone DEI Action Plan, but we know we’ve got more to do. Find out more about our values and DEI initiatives.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this role will be offered an interview.

We are committed to our processes being barrier-free and will support adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please let the recruiter for this role know if you require any adjustments.

We’re looking to continually improve our recruitment process, so if you have any feedback, please share this with us via [e-mail]