Senior or Principal Stakeholder Engagement Consultant

Help shape the conversations that deliver the UK's most important infrastructure projects.

Communities, stakeholders and public trust are at the heart of successful infrastructure delivery. At Stantec, we're looking for a Senior / Principal Stakeholder Engagement Consultant to join our growing Stakeholder Engagement & Consultation Team .

This opportunity can be based from our Belfast, Bristol, London, Manchester, Scotland, Taunton or Warrington offices , with flexible and hybrid working arrangements available.

This is an exciting opportunity to take a leading role in delivering engagement strategies for some of the UK's most complex and nationally significant infrastructure programmes. Working alongside industry-leading technical specialists, planners and environmental consultants, you'll help clients navigate challenging stakeholder environments, build meaningful relationships and deliver projects that create lasting benefits for communities and the environment.

Whether supporting major water, energy, transport or environmental programmes, you'll play a key role in ensuring stakeholders are heard, risks are managed and projects are delivered with confidence.

As a Senior / Principal Consultant, you'll lead stakeholder engagement and consultation activities across a diverse portfolio of infrastructure projects, providing strategic advice to clients while mentoring and supporting junior colleagues.

You'll help shape project strategies from the earliest stages of development through to delivery, ensuring engagement is effective, transparent and aligned with both regulatory requirements and community expectations.

Your work could support projects on the scale of:

• The M3 Junction 9 Improvement Scheme, improving connectivity across the South East.

• The Hampshire Water Transfer and Water Recycling Project, helping secure long-term water resilience for future generations.

Through your leadership and expertise, you'll help deliver better project outcomes, stronger stakeholder relationships and more sustainable infrastructure solutions.

• Lead the development and delivery of stakeholder engagement and consultation strategies across major infrastructure projects.

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with local authorities, statutory consultees, community groups, landowners and other key stakeholders.

• Provide strategic stakeholder management advice to clients, identifying risks, opportunities and engagement approaches that support project success.

• Plan and oversee public consultation programmes, including both face-to-face and digital engagement activities.

• Produce and review high-quality consultation materials, reports, communications and stakeholder management documentation.

• Support project teams through planning, consenting and delivery phases, ensuring engagement activities align with programme objectives.

• Mentor and support junior team members, contributing to the continued growth and success of the team.

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary colleagues across planning, environmental, engineering and communications disciplines.

You'll be an experienced engagement professional who combines excellent communication skills with a strong understanding of infrastructure delivery and stakeholder management.

You'll ideally bring:

• Significant experience in stakeholder engagement, consultation, communications, public affairs or a related discipline.

• Experience working on infrastructure, planning, water, energy, transport or environmental projects.

• A strong track record of managing complex stakeholder relationships and delivering successful engagement programmes.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex technical information for a range of audiences.

• Experience advising clients and project teams on stakeholder management, consultation strategy and best practice.

• Knowledge of relevant legislation and guidance, including consultation best practice, the Gunning Principles and the Planning Act 2008 (DCO process).

• The ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality work within programme timescales.

• Experience leading engagement activities for major infrastructure or nationally significant projects.

• Familiarity with digital engagement platforms and consultation tools.

• Knowledge of GIS or mapping software.

• An understanding of the political, social and community landscape across the UK, particularly within regions where Stantec delivers major infrastructure…