Community Engagement Manager, Portugal

Summary

Local communities in the territories where Lightsource bp develops, constructs, and operates its renewable projects are at the core of the business. Lightsource bp believes that constructive and enduring relationships with these communities is the key to delivering projects and facilitating the clean energy transition. The Community Engagement Manager function is instrumental in the facilitation and maintenance of these relationships.

The Community Engagement Manager will work cross-functionally and close with colleagues and other contractors from Lightsource bp’s Environmental Planning, Government Affairs, Marketing and Communications, Business Development, Construction, Asset Operations, and other involved teams to design and lead meaningful community engagement and consultation programmes for multiple renewable projects across the country. The pipeline in the country includes projects of various renewable technologies (solar, wind, BESS) in different phases of implementation and with varying sizes.

Core Responsibilities

We are looking for an expert as Community Engagement Manager to give support to the Head of Community Engagement to both adapt and implement the Lightsource bp’s EMEA community engagement framework in the country.

The duties and responsibilities of this role will at least include :

• Lead local community engagement on Lightsource bp’s projects in the country, particularly helping the company teams develop robust projects in the planning process and construction phase, with strong community involvement. Provide internal leadership in community engagement to ensure understanding and practice of community engagement continues to be embedded in the organisation.
• Be across evolving knowledge and industry trends in relation to stakeholder engagement in general, and communication techniques, shared value measures design and implementations and social impact assessment.
• Lead the design and implementation of the stakeholder engagement plan (SEP) for each of the pipeline projects, that will include :
• Identification and analysis of local stakeholders around the pipeline projects in the country. Identify risks and opportunities with each local stakeholder.
• Design the engagement strategy with each of the previously identified and analysed local stakeholders.
• Participate in the deployment of the engagement strategy and track the relationship and engagement actions carried out with local stakeholders. Propose follow-up actions and measures.
• Propose the shared value measures that should accompany the renewable project. Support the drafting of commitment agreements between the parties to be signed prior to the implementation of the shared value measures.
• Lead community engagement and consultation events and activities and oversee the development and production of effective and helpful communications platforms, materials, and collateral. Collect feedback from the community and support its inclusion in the project design.
• Monitor the timely implementation of the agreed shared value measures, detect deviations, and propose improvement actions. Measure and / or monitor the social impact of the actions carried out with the communities.
• Personally manage relationships with near-neighbours to our project sites, community groups, and other stakeholders in the community including local authority members, and community, town, and councils, always in coordination with the Lightsource bp teams involved in the projects.
• Monitor and assess evolving industry standards, best practices, shared value measures and knowledge in relation to community engagement and communications, across the country, and other European territories.
• Where / when required, identify, appoint, and manage consultants and / or agency partners to provide community engagement and local political engagement support. Set clear community engagement strategy, scope, and objectives, and manage the relationship and performance.
• Work cross-functionally and close with colleagues and other contractors from Lightsource bp’s Environmental Planning, Marketing and Communications, Business Development, Construction, Asset Operations, and other involved teams, and included in internal and external meetings as required.

Who we’re looking for

Qualifications / Knowledge / Experience

Why you’ll want to work for us

Our company is a place where you can be yourself and grow, a place where your ideas and opinions matter.

Be you

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive community, where every individual is valued and treated with respect.

Be responsible

Our culture is driven by our core values – from operating safely to ensuring our projects are responsible.

Be recognised

Alongside a competitive salary, we offer a variety of benefits including annual bonus, retention bank, health insurance, pension and other local benefits.

Be inspired

Beyond your day-to-day working life at Lightsource bp, there’s a variety of initiatives that will contribute to your own personal development. These include our charitable causes, supporting our solar honey project, or volunteering on our VIBES committee to name a few.

Our core values

Lightsource bp truly cares about creating a sustainable future through safe, responsible and meaningful low carbon energy projects. Our core values of Safety, Integrity, Respect, Sustainability and Drive are the guiding principles for everything we do.