SRO Stakeholder Engagement Lead
South West Water
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
South West Water invites an experienced Stakeholder Engagement Lead to shape engagement, consultation and communications for the Strategic Resource Options Programme. You will work with regulators, communities and partners to translate complex proposals into clear, accessible messages.
This role requires strategic vision, strong relationship management and the ability to steer multidisciplinary teams through demanding programmes while maintaining a focus on customer and environmental outcomes.
Qualifications
- Significant experience in stakeholder engagement, consultation, communications or public affairs.
- A track record of delivering complex engagement and consultation programmes.
- Exceptional communication and influencing skills.
- Experience working with senior stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong stakeholder mapping and relationship management expertise.
- The ability to manage competing priorities, risks and deadlines.
- Confidence working with technical specialists and translating complex information for non-technical audiences.
- Degree-level education or equivalent relevant experience.
Responsibilities
- Creates and delivers a compelling engagement and consultation strategy for a major infrastructure programme.
- Builds trusted relationships with customers, communities, regulators, policymakers and industry partners.
- Leads consultation activity that is transparent, meaningful and compliant.
- Translates technical and engineering concepts into clear, accessible and engaging content.
- Ensures stakeholder insights influence project development and decision‑making.
- Manages engagement programmes, events, budgets and delivery partners effectively.
- Provides strategic advice to programme leadership and project boards.
- Helps identify and mitigate reputational and delivery risks through proactive stakeholder management.
Skills
Education
Job description
Powered by Water, Driven by Purpose
South West Water keeps the South West flowing with safe, reliable drinking water and wastewater services across some of the UK’s most stunning landscapes.
We’re proud to be part of Pennon Group, a leader in the UK water sector, working towards a greener future. Our goals? As well as lowering our carbon footprint, we’re working with partners to plant 300,000 trees, restore peatlands and supporting farmers and landowners to improve water quality and wildlife. Whether you’re starting out or seeking a new challenge, our scale and ambition create opportunities for you to shape your own career. Ready to make a splash? Join our team today. Stakeholder Engagement Lead – Strategic Resource Options (SRO) Programme
Every great infrastructure project starts with a conversation. The South West is facing one of the biggest challenges of our generation: ensuring resilient, sustainable water supplies for the future. Climate change, population growth and increasing environmental pressures mean the way we manage water must evolve. That's why we're developing major Strategic Resource Options (SROs) – nationally significant projects that will help secure water resources for millions of customers while protecting the environment for generations to come. But projects of this scale aren't delivered by engineers alone. They require trust. Understanding. Collaboration. That's where you come in. We’re looking for an exceptional Stakeholder Engagement Lead to help shape the future of water in the South West. Someone who can bring people together, navigate complexity and create meaningful dialogue around some of the region's most important infrastructure and environmental projects. This is a rare opportunity to take a leading role on a flagship programme that will have a lasting impact on communities, customers and the natural environment.
As our Stakeholder Engagement Lead, you'll become the driving force behind the programme's engagement, consultation and communications strategy. You'll work at the heart of a multidisciplinary delivery team, connecting technical experts, regulators, local communities, elected representatives, partner organisations and industry stakeholders. No two days will be the same. One day, you could be advising senior leaders on stakeholder risks and opportunities. The next, you'll be meeting community representatives, developing consultation materials, briefing project teams or helping transform complex technical proposals into stories people can genuinely understand and engage with. Most importantly, you'll ensure the right conversations happen at the right time, with the right people.
- Creates and delivers a compelling engagement and consultation strategy for a major infrastructure programme.
- Builds trusted relationships with customers, communities, regulators, policymakers and industry partners.
- Leads consultation activity that is transparent, meaningful and compliant.
- Translates technical and engineering concepts into clear, accessible and engaging content.
- Ensures stakeholder insights influence project development and decision‑making.
- Manages engagement programmes, events, budgets and delivery partners effectively.
- Provides strategic advice to programme leadership and project boards.
- Helps identify and mitigate reputational and delivery risks through proactive stakeholder management.
We're not looking for someone who's simply delivered communications plans. We're looking for someone who understands that engagement is about building confidence, earning trust and helping people navigate change. You'll likely have experience working on complex infrastructure, environmental, utilities or major capital programmes where stakeholder relationships have been critical to project success. You'll be comfortable operating strategically while remaining hands‑on when delivery demands it.
- Significant experience in stakeholder engagement, consultation, communications or public affairs.
- A track record of delivering complex engagement and consultation programmes.
- Exceptional communication and influencing skills.
- Experience working with senior stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong stakeholder mapping and relationship management expertise.
- The ability to manage competing priorities, risks and deadlines.
- Confidence working with technical specialists and translating complex information for non‑technical audiences.
- Degree‑level education or equivalent relevant experience.
Experience within water, utilities, infrastructure, environmental planning or regulated industries would be highly beneficial.
You're someone who thrives on purpose. You enjoy bringing people together to solve complex challenges. You care about creating positive outcomes for customers, communities and the environment. You get energy from influencing major decisions, building trusted relationships and helping ambitious projects move forward. Most of all, you want your work to leave a lasting legacy.
The projects within our Strategic Resource Options Programme will play a critical role in securing the future of water across the South West. This role offers the chance to lead engagement on projects of regional and national importance, working alongside industry experts while helping shape solutions that will benefit future generations.
- Competitive Salary – Based on experience and expertise
- Company Car or Car Allowance – Supporting your role
- Annual Bonus Scheme – Rewarding performance
- Pension Scheme – Helping you plan for your future
- Healthcare Benefits – Including private healthcare and wellbeing support
- Professional Development – Ongoing training and career progression
- Employee Discounts – Across a range of services
- Generous Annual Leave – Supporting your work‑life balance
Please note that the successful candidate will be subject to a mandatory DBS check as part of the onboarding process.
Together, we will build a culture of belonging, where inclusion is instinctive. Diversity is our strength and a reflection of our communities. We care, we value everyone, we celebrate uniqueness.
Build trust and be trusted. Be the one we all look to and can depend on.
We want you to bring your best everyday. Be yourself and make your mark in your individual way.
Embrace change. Drive Progress. Own the challenge.
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