Senior Engagement Manager

Job Introduction

Based in Euston as part of SCS’ Area East Consents & Engagement management team, the Senior Engagement Manager will report into the Area East Consents & Engagement Lead.

You will oversee a small team of engagement specialists to deliver an inclusive engagement programme designed to involve and inform our local community and stakeholders about our works in the approaches into Euston Station (Hampstead Road to London Zoo car park).

You will work closely with our Consents & Engagement Manager, Highways Consents Manager and Senior Town Planning Manager to achieve our objectives, which are to:

• Achieve consents in time to start works and ensure all works comply with agreed consents and commitments
• Genuinely involve and inform stakeholders and community as we design and construct our works
• Help locals cope with our works and leave a positive legacy.

As part of the Consents & Engagement area management team, the Senior Engagement Manager and Consents & Engagement Manager will be jointly responsible for delivering high-quality, consistent and accurate communications to a range of stakeholders through a variety of channels.

With a complete understanding of our works, stakeholders, programme, and our obligations under the HS2 Act and the main works civils contract, the Senior Engagement Manager will provide advice and support to the broader team to ensure we manage risk and meet our objectives.

An important part of your role will be to monitor and report on the effectiveness of our engagement programme, seeking feedback from our stakeholders and community members for use in improving and adapting our engagement approach.

You will also work closely with SCS’ core services Consents & Engagement team, who develop and implement strategy and processes for SCS-wide matters as well as provide support and guidance to the area Consents & Engagement teams. You will represent Area East at various client, partner and external forums, and you will ensure we are proactively managing the organisation’s and client’s reputation within the community and helping to nurture all third party, non-technical relationships.

Role Responsibility

• Developing, delivering, maintaining and reporting on engagement strategies, plans, communications, events and other activities
• Overseeing and developing a small team to engage with local community members, charities, businesses and schools – and coordinate all engagement with the Consents & Engagement Manager and team
• Enquiries and complaints management
• Meeting our strategic key performance indicators for enquiry response times and engagement plans
• Special projects as required such as process automation, community legacy and establishing frameworks in response to an expanding project scope
• Ensuring compliance with all commitments under the HS2 Act and main works civils contract
• Acting as deputy for the Consents and Engagement Area Lead as required
• Seamless working with our Consents & Engagement Manager and team, whose role is:
• Engaging key stakeholders and representative groups
• Internal coordination of upcoming works and producing advance notification letters about the works
• Strategic messaging and communications targeted at key stakeholders, providing guidance and input to community engagement materials
• Meeting our strategic key performance indicators for advance notification letters
• Coordinating and overseeing consents-related engagement
• Ensuring compliance with HS2’s and SCS’ commitments under the HS2 Act and main works civils contract

The Ideal Candidate

• Detailed understanding of high-profile infrastructure projects and/or a strong communications and engagement background in a highly regulated sector.
• Strategic planning and management ability with demonstrated experience leading a team in the development and delivery of external engagement programmes (we will request a relevant example of an engagement strategy at interview stage).
• Excellent written and spoken communications skills, ensuring consistency, relevance and accuracy across all channels with proven ability to ensure all team members achieve this standard (we will request a simple PowerPoint presentation and an example of a relevant, written communications piece at interview stage).
• Excellent MS Excel skills and experience in, or ability to learn, preferred data and task management platforms such as MS Planner, Sharepoint lists and PowerBI or similar (we will request an example of an engagement-related tracker in Excel or similar)
• Technologically competent with the ability to capitalise on BIM, GIS and innovation specialists within the team
• Produce high-quality communications materials for physical and virtual channels
• Actively seek to implement efficiencies and improvements
• Oversee database management including reporting and improvements
• Ability to understand and meet contractual responsibilities and strategic key performance indicators
• Ensure compliance with the obligations of the HS2 Act and contract, in particular HS2’s undertakings and assurances to external stakeholders.

SCS Railways