Stakeholder Lead - SPA

Mott MacDonald; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering consultancy in the UK is seeking a Stakeholder Lead to strengthen its Strategic Pipeline Alliance team. The successful candidate will oversee communication and engagement activities, manage stakeholder relationships, and ensure positive community interactions as part of a major water infrastructure project. This role requires strong experience in stakeholder management, excellent communication skills, and the ability to navigate complex environments to deliver successful project outcomes. Competitive benefits and support for professional development are offered.

Benefits

Annual bonus schemes

Health Assurance and Medical Insurance

Minimum 33 days holiday

Enhanced family leave policies

Structured development schemes

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Proven experience in stakeholder management and community engagement within large-scale infrastructure projects.
• Understanding of statutory EIA planning requirements and stakeholder consultation best practices.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Deliver comprehensive communication and engagement activities for the Strategic Pipeline Alliance.
• Coordinate engagement with local authorities and communities.
• Conduct stakeholder identification and mapping.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Community engagement

Conflict resolution

Strategic thinking

Excellent communication

Job description

Mott MacDonald Bentley are recruiting for a Stakeholder Lead to join the Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA).

The 330km Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA) Project by Anglian Water is under construction and will be completed during AMP8. Beyond this we have a further 260km of water transfer pipelines and associated infrastructure to be delivered in AMP8.

Are you detail‑oriented, organized, and passionate about contributing to one of the UK’s most ambitious water infrastructure projects? The Strategic Pipeline Alliance (SPA) is searching for a Stakeholder Lead to support and enhance our project delivery team.

What will you be doing as our new Stakeholder Lead

Reporting to Stakeholder & Engagement Lead, you will be responsible for delivering a comprehensive range of communication and engagement activities for our Strategic Pipeline Alliance. You will have a proven track record in executing stakeholder engagement, communications and consultation strategies within a complex stakeholder landscape. Ultimately you will play a critical part in supporting the planning and consenting process, while ensuring a positive impact on community engagement, minimising customer complaints and fostering long‑term project success.

Key responsibilities

• Coordinate engagement with project stakeholders across local authorities, statutory and non‑statutory bodies (including environment & technical organisations), communities and other parties to establish strong working relationships.
• Successfully develop and deliver project specific stakeholder engagement activities, ensuring alignment with established strategies and framework.
• Have an understanding of, and ability to quickly recognise, third‑party drivers to assist in relationship building, issue resolution and maximising value opportunities.
• Conduct stakeholder identification and mapping to categorise stakeholders based on influence, interest and impact.
• Identify potential reputational risks and issues and implement proactive engagement using a range of techniques and approaches tailored to the target audience.
• Act as the first point of contact for stakeholder queries, concerns and complaints, ensuring timely, professional, and empathetic responses.
• Support and deliver effective consultation activities, such as workshops, exhibitions, virtual events, site visits to enhance stakeholder engagement and to maximise participation.
• Build trust‑based relationships with local communities, businesses, charities and public sector partners that support sustainable project outcomes and foster a positive legacy within communities.

A little bit about your skills, experience and behaviours

• Proven experience in stakeholder management and community engagement, preferably within large‑scale infrastructure projects.
• Understanding of the statutory EIA planning requirements, regulatory frameworks and stakeholder consultation best practices.
• Proven ability to develop and implement stakeholder engagement plans that align with organisational frameworks.
• Demonstrable experience translating technical detail into appropriate, relevant and agreed communications for external audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience managing sensitive stakeholder issues and conflict resolution.
• Proactive problem‑solving, strategic thinking and planning.
• Strong organisational skill and attention to detail.

What’s in it for you

Financial wellbeing

MMB match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.

As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues including our annual bonus schemes.

Payment of annual professional institution subscription costs.

Health and wellbeing

A minimum of 33 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays, with the ability to buy, sell or carry over annual leave through our flexible benefits programme.

Access to Life Assurance / Private Medical Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance and Health Screening options.

We are happy to talk openly about flexible working and how we can support your responsibilities beyond the workplace.

Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.

Enhanced family and carers leave

Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave plus the option for shared parental leave.

Up to 2 paid additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities.

Learning and development

MMB are committed to empowering our people to grow professionally and thrive in their careers. We offer structured development schemes that support your journey toward professional chartership. From day one, employees are fast‑tracked towards chartership reviews and benefit from mentorship, hands‑on experience, and tailored training opportunities.

About Mott MacDonald

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management and development consultancy.

Our purpose is to improve society by considering social outcomes in everything we do, relentlessly focusing on excellence and digital innovation, transforming our clients’ businesses, our communities and employee opportunities.

A fundamental part of this is respecting each person’s differences and striving to meet their needs.

We believe that because we care about what we do, we do things better.

We know that our people are our most valuable asset, so we are dedicated to investing in them, through our comprehensive training and development schemes, exposure to the wider design and build business and endless opportunities.

We are committed to creating a workplace where our people are safe, have a voice, can reach their full potential, and everyone shares in the rewards.

You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to projects that benefit our communities – from helping to secure water supplies for future generations to protecting homes and businesses from flood risk – our projects make a real difference.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

A Mott MacDonald Bentley we welcome applications from all sectors of the community. We are dedicated to building a diverse workplace where everyone feels included, has the opportunity to thrive, and is treated with respect.

Even if you don’t meet every requirement for this role but are excited about the opportunity, we encourage you to apply. Find out more about our approach to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion here: https://www.mottmacbentley.co.uk/people.

We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment practices are barrier‑free and as inclusive as possible. This includes making adjustments during the job application process and throughout your future career with us. Please call 01756 691572 or email [e-mail] to discuss any such adjustments that we can make. You can read more about our Equal Opportunities Policy here: Equality, diversity and inclusion - Mott MacDonald.

We are committed to providing a flexible and agile working environment that supports both our employees and the needs of the business.