External Affairs Advisor

About The Role

12 Month Fixed Contract – Full Time – Midlands or London area

Great Britain's electricity infrastructure is undergoing an ambitious, exciting and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, greener system, one that protects the planet and serves generations to come.

As External Affairs Advisor, you’ll join a large National team managing the external affairs needs of your portfolio (circa 10 major projects), either upgrade or new build.

You’ll protect and promote National Grid’s reputation in local communities where it is looking to consent and build new, or upgrade existing infrastructure, building relationships with a diverse range o f local political and community stakeholders.

Adhering to project stakeholder engagement and communications guidance, you’ll direct engagement from planning through to construction, managing expectations about our essential works and their impacts, through effective communication.

This role is best located around the Midlands or London area, and we have a major office in Warwick, Birmingham and London.

Most of your activity will be home based with weekly/ monthly office catch ups, additional to the travel you will do to meet projects and liaise with local stakeholders and organisations.

We offer a  true hybrid working approach.

We are open n to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements. 

About You

What we do isn’t just important – it’s essential. That’s why we look to recruit experts in their field. In this case, we’re looking for someone who is/ has:

• Highly articulate with very strong written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Good networking and relationship management skills
• Experience of effectively managing relationships and delivering outcomes through contractors and suppliers
• Experience of managing a portfolio of diverse stakeholder engagement/communications programmes
• Proven track record in developing and delivering stakeholder engagement strategies and preparing effective communications material for print, broadcast and social media, including web content

An understanding of the energy industry and transmission and construction business would be advantageous but is not critical.

We’d welcome applicants with any relevant experience who are passionate about our journey to Net Zero and engaging our communities on this journey too.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At National Grid, we’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace for everyone. So if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person for our growing business in this role or another one.

What You'll Do

Your activities will be incredibly varied and equally weighted to include:

• Developing strong working relationships with National Grid project teams to understand their community relations and stakeholder requirements
• Advancing community relations and stakeholder engagement scopes for infrastructure projects and appoint, and manage the community relations agencies in line with agreed processes
• Reviewing, challenging and signing off stakeholder engagement and communications plans/strategies against project communications objectives and, working with the external affairs manager, ensure alignment with National Grid’s wider business priorities
• Supporting the delivery of these plans and strategies to ensure consistent, efficient and effective stakeholder engagement/community relations across a broad portfolio of infrastructure projects during the development /consenting phase of a scheme through to construction
• Authorising community materials on projects, ensuring they are on message and in line with National Grid’s preferred house style
• Working with the External Affairs Manager to manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Managing the community relations agencies’ performance on projects within your portfolio, including finances
• Establishing an effective network across other National Grid teams (Media, Consents, Lands, Brand, Digital, Public Affairs) to support the delivery of project stakeholder engagement and communications plans
• Representing National Grid at stakeholder engagement events and local community events e.g. MP and parish council briefings, public information sessions and consultation events

• Ensuring project teams are aware of corporate-level issues that could influence project communications’ activities

• Promoting National Grid’s regional socio-economic initiatives and project-based community grant programme
• Working with the CR agency to manage complaints/queries on projects ensuring responses are issued in line with KPIs and formally logged as per National Grid processes and systems

What You'll Get

A competitive starting salary between £49,000 – £54,000 dependent on capability.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.

About Us

National Grid Strategic Infrastructure has a key role to play in tackling climate change by accelerating our capacity to deliver clean electricity across the UK. We already operate the fastest decarbonising electricity grid in the world, with an ambition for zero carbon operation by 2025. And by 2035, we want to run 100% clean, green energy, all the time.

Here at National Grid, we connect homes and businesses to power, making sure supply and demand match each other. We make sure the lights are on in schools, operating theatres, and sporting arenas; we’re thousands of people working on behalf of millions of people.

Our investment in Strategic Infrastructure via the Great Grid Upgrade will mean more home grown power, greater energy security and a cleaner future.

Whatever your role, wherever you work with us, you’ll help us hit stretching targets and achieve our far-reaching goal: to secure, clean energy that supports our world far into the future. Here, you will be at the heart of energy.

More Information

This role closes on June 29th at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary. Interviews will be held 10th/11th or 14th July via MS Teams

We work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office. 

We're committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve, and a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

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