Community Relations & Advocacy Manager

BnM; Newbridge; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

BnM is seeking a Community Relations & Advocacy Manager to join our team in Newbridge on a Specified Purpose Contract to provide Maternity Leave cover. The role will create and manage community comms and engagement programmes to facilitate the delivery of renewable energy infrastructure projects at various stages of development and operation.

The successful candidate will ensure compliance with statutory obligations relating to communications on infrastructure development, working closely with

Qualifications

• Degree (Level 8 Honours) in Business, Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or related field is essential.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience managing community engagement on major infrastructure, renewable energy, or high‑profile projects is desirable.
• Excellent organisational, project management, prioritisation, and communication skills.
• Desirable membership of PRII; proficiency with MS Office.
• Professional qualification in Project Management is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement community engagement activities to support delivery of renewable energy projects.
• Coordinate with Corporate Affairs to create a portfolio-wide PR plan and liaise with multi-functional teams.
• Manage community liaison programs on projects and ensure timely, compliant communications.
• Analyze risks and issues, collaborating with operations to mitigate impacts and maintain transparency.
• Represent the company at community events and ensure brand integrity across communications.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Communication

Leadership

Time management

Education

Degree (Level 8)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Role
BnM is seeking a Community Relations & Advocacy Manager to join our team in Newbridge on a Specified Purpose Contract to provide Maternity Leave cover. The Community Relations & Advocacy Manager will create and manage the community comms and engagement programmes to facilitate the delivery of renewable energy infrastructure projects at various stages of development and operation. The Community Relations & Advocacy Manager will be responsible for understanding and ensuring compliance with statutory obligations regarding communications on infrastructure development and will work closely with the wider Comms & Engagement team and operational teams to ensure alignment of all project communications.

Newbridge
The Role
BnM is seeking a Community Relations & Advocacy Manager to join our team in Newbridge on a Specified Purpose Contract to provide Maternity Leave cover. The Community Relations & Advocacy Manager will create and manage the community comms and engagement programmes to facilitate the delivery of renewable energy infrastructure projects at various stages of development and operation. The Community Relations & Advocacy Manager will be responsible for understanding and ensuring compliance with statutory obligations regarding communications on infrastructure development and will work closely with the wider Comms & Engagement team and operational teams to ensure alignment of all project communications.

This role is responsible for securing project haul routes and addressing all community concerns and ensuring that local stakeholders are informed and supportive of the company's renewable energy initiatives. This individual will be the face of the company in communities, helping to build trust, transparency, and positive engagement in support of clean energy infrastructure projects.

• Develop and implement effective community engagement activities to maximise the successful delivery of BnM's strategic projects. Collaborate with Corporate Affairs to create a portfolio-wide PR plan for projects, liaising with multi-functional teams across the wider company. Maintain and monitor activities consistent with KPIs and modify as required. Manage the development and facilitation of meaningful public consultations and community engagement on infrastructure development, ensuring transparency, efficiency and public involvement in large-scale infrastructure developments from pre-planning through to operational. Collaborate with Strategic Brand Comms to develop and manage communications plans, processes and materials for each stage of a project, including pre-planning, planning, pre-construction, construction and operational phases.
• Manage the community liaison programme on individual projects to ensure community engagement marketing plans on projects are effectively delivered. Provide guidance to the community liaison resources and direct their workload activities to ensure timescales and requirements are met efficiently. Interact with the wider Comms & Engagement team and secure their support to ensure community engagement marketing plans for projects are effectively delivered. Analyse communications risks and issues as appropriate and work closely with the Comms & Engagement team and the operations teams to effectively manage risks. Collaborate with Strategic Brand Comms to actively seek ways to deliver greater efficiency, effectiveness and innovation across the comms channels. Attend and present at relevant community engagement events as required. Develop project specific information materials, presentations and displays in partnership with the Comms & Engagement team.
• Liaise with various internal and external stakeholders to manage the day-to-day project comms targeting the community for strategic projects. Develop and continually maintain awareness of all statutory obligations regarding communications on infrastructure development and provide definitive advice to all relevant stakeholders. Agree proactive and reactive media approach to all projects with BnM Corporate Affairs team and work closely with them to respond to media queries.
• Collaborate with Strategic Brand Comms to ensure brand integrity and consistency across all marketing materials. Develop high-quality communications collateral. Track and analyse performance and trends in relation to in-market performance and operational KPIs. Collaborate with Strategic Partner Marketing Manager to ensure brand consistency through the line. Liaise with Internal Comms and Digital Marketing to amplify positive community relations and advocacy stories through appropriate communication channels.
• As a key member of the Comms & Engagement senior management team, actively represent the organisation at trade shows, industry events and forums as a leader in area of community engagement to maximise BnM's brand presence and leadership. Develop video and photography assets with Strategic Brand Comms to support various campaigns, events and activities.
• The successful candidate should have strong organisational, interpersonal and people management skills and be flexible in terms of availability for community engagement outside of normal hours.
• All employees are expected to co-operate fully with all provisions taken by the company for ensuring Health and Safety, and Welfare of co-employees and members of the public using the premises.
• Proactively participate in the Performance Management process to ensure delivery of own, and the wider team's objectives.

What We're Looking For

• Degree (Level 8 Honours) in Business, Communications, Marketing, Public Relations, or a related discipline is essential. A professional qualification in Project Management is desirable. Minimum of 5 years' experience managing community engagement on major infrastructure, renewable energy, or other high-profile projects is desirable. Excellent organisational, project management, and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously. Strong verbal, written, and media communication skills.
• In-depth understanding of community engagement, stakeholder consultation, and land acquisition practices. Proven ability to manage challenging or sensitive situations in a constructive and professional manner. Strong attention to detail and commitment to delivering accurate, high-quality work. Results-driven with a proactive and action-oriented approach. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and planning capabilities.
• Demonstrated experience in stakeholder relationship management and reputation management. Excellent people management and team leadership skills. Self-motivated, adaptable, and willing to participate in community engagement activities outside of normal working hours when required. Ability to effectively prioritise workloads and deliver results within tight deadlines. Experience in project management, with a sound understanding of the planning system and/or energy policy environment.
• Membership of, or affiliation with, the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) is desirable. Proficient in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Experience in brand management and communications. Knowledge of, or experience working with, land-related agencies, agriculture, or rural stakeholder environments is desirable.

BnM is an equal opportunities employer.