Lead Global Community Relations Strategist

Role Purpose & Context

Role Summary

The Lead Global Community Relations Strategist is here to design and deliver our long-term community engagement plans for a specific, often complex, region. This means you'll be the brain behind how we build trust and maintain our 'Social Licence to Operate' (SLTO) where we operate, especially for big, new projects. You'll work at the intersection of our operational teams and the actual people living near our sites, translating what the business needs into community benefits and making sure we hear—and address—local concerns. When you do this job well, major projects go ahead smoothly, we avoid costly delays from local opposition, and our company is genuinely seen as a positive force in the community. Get it wrong, and we're looking at protests, bad press, and potentially millions in lost revenue. The challenge? You're often the face of the company in tough situations, balancing competing demands with limited resources. The reward, though, is seeing your work directly contribute to both business success and real, positive change for local people.

Reporting Structure

• Reports to: Director, Global Community Relations
• Direct reports: Roughly 3-5 direct reports, usually Community Relations Specialists or Coordinators
• Matrix relationships: Regional Community Impact Lead, Senior Community Engagement Manager, Head of Community Affairs (Regional),

Key Stakeholders

Internal:

• Regional Operations Directors
• Legal Counsel (Regional)
• Project Managers for major capital projects
• Regional HR and Health & Safety Leads
• Finance Business Partners

External:

• Local Government officials (Mayors, Councillors)
• Community leaders and Key Opinion Formers (KOFs)
• Local NGOs and advocacy groups
• Indigenous community representatives (where applicable)
• Local media outlets

Organisational Impact

Scope: This role directly impacts our 'Social Licence to Operate' in a key region, which means it can literally make or break major capital projects. You'll be protecting our reputation, reducing operational risks, and making sure we can actually build and run our facilities without constant local headaches. Your work ensures we're not just compliant, but genuinely accepted.

Performance Metrics

Quantitative Metrics

1. Metric: Project Delay Reduction due to Community Issues
2. Desc: Reducing the number of project delays, work stoppages, or significant disruptions caused by community opposition or unresolved grievances.
3. Target: Reduce project delays by 25% year-over-year in your assigned region.
4. Freq: Quarterly & Annually
5. Example: A new plant expansion was projected to face 3 months of delays due to local zoning disputes and protests. Through your engagement, this was reduced to 1 month, saving the company roughly £500,000 in costs.
6. Metric: Community Grievance Resolution Rate & Time
7. Desc: The percentage of formal community grievances resolved within agreed-upon service level agreements (SLAs) and the average time taken to resolve them.
8. Target: Resolve 90% of grievances within 30 days; reduce average resolution time by 15%.
9. Freq: Monthly
10. Example: In Q2, you received 20 formal grievances. 18 were resolved within 30 days (90%), and the average resolution time dropped from 40 days to 34 days.
11. Metric: Regional Stakeholder Sentiment Score
12. Desc: A quantitative measure of positive vs. negative sentiment from key community stakeholders, often derived from surveys, media monitoring, and direct feedback.
13. Target: Increase positive sentiment by 10% year-over-year in a key operational area.
14. Freq: Bi-annually
15. Example: A baseline survey showed 60% positive sentiment. After 12 months of your strategic engagement, this increased to 66% positive sentiment, indicating improved trust.
16. Metric: Regional Community Investment ROI
17. Desc: Measuring the return on investment for community programmes, linking spend to measurable social outcomes or business benefits (e.g., improved talent attraction, reduced operational risk).
18. Target: Demonstrate a 1.5x social return on investment (SROI) for major regional programmes.
19. Freq: Annually
20. Example: A £100,000 investment in a local skills training programme generated £150,000 in community value (e.g., increased local employment, reduced welfare reliance) and improved local perception of the company.

Qualitative Metrics

1. Metric: Strength of 'Social Licence to Operate' (SLTO)
2. Desc: The ongoing, unwritten approval from local communities and stakeholders for our operations. It's about being genuinely accepted, not just tolerated.
3. Evidence: You're proactively consulted by local leaders on new initiatives. We see a reduction in hostile public meetings or protests. Local media coverage is balanced, not consistently negative. You're invited to local community planning groups, not just reacting to them.
4. Metric: Effectiveness of Grievance Mechanisms
5. Desc: How well our formal systems for community members to raise concerns actually work, ensuring transparency and fairness.
6. Evidence: Community members trust the process and use it, rather than escalating to media or protests. Feedback from complainants indicates they feel heard and respected, even if the outcome isn't always what they hoped for. Internal teams see the mechanism as a valuable early warning system, not just a complaint box.
7. Metric: Strategic Integration of Community Insights
8. Desc: How well community feedback and insights are integrated into business decision-making, particularly for operational planning and risk management.
9. Evidence: You're regularly presenting community insights to regional leadership (Ops, Legal, Project teams). Your recommendations directly influence project design or operational changes. Regional leaders actively seek your input before making decisions that impact local communities.
10. Metric: Quality of Stakeholder Relationships
11. Desc: The depth and trust in our relationships with key community leaders, NGOs, and government officials.
12. Evidence: Key stakeholders call you directly with concerns before going public. They act as informal advocates for the company in local discussions. You're able to co-create solutions with community groups, not just impose them. You have a reputation for honesty and follow-through, even when delivering difficult news.

Primary Traits

• Trait: Empathetic Listener
• Manifestation: You're the person who goes into a community meeting and listens far more than you speak. You remember the small details about people—their kids' names, local festivals, what matters to them beyond our project. When a community member is upset, you can genuinely understand and articulate their perspective, even if it's critical of us. It's not about agreeing, it's about understanding.
• Benefit: Trust is the absolute bedrock of this job. Without genuine empathy, local people will see you as just another corporate mouthpiece, and our 'Social Licence to Operate' will crumble. If you can't connect on a human level, a small local grievance can quickly spiral into a massive operational headache, costing us millions in delays and reputational damage.
• Trait: Politically Astute
• Manifestation: You've got a knack for figuring out who holds the real power, both within our company (Legal, Ops, Finance) and in the community (local government, influential NGOs, even the 'usual suspects'). You understand that people have unspoken motivations, and you're brilliant at building alliances and getting people on the same page *before* a big meeting. It's like playing multi-player chess, always thinking several moves ahead.
• Benefit: Community relations isn't just about being nice; it's a complex game of navigating conflicting interests. You'll constantly be balancing what our Operations team needs, what Legal will allow, what Finance will fund, and what the community will actually accept. Misreading the political landscape—internally or externally—can lead to public failure, project delays, or initiatives that get sabotaged from within.
• Trait: Unflappable Resilience
• Manifestation: Picture this: you're in a packed town hall, and someone is yelling at you, accusing the company of all sorts. You're the one who stays calm, professional, and respectful, even when you're being personally attacked. You can bounce back from a terrible media story or a community programme that didn't quite land, without losing your drive. You don't take it personally, but you learn from it.
• Benefit: Honestly, you're often the company's human shield. You'll absorb a lot of public anger and frustration, especially after an environmental incident or a major layoff. If you can't handle intense public pressure, emotional strain, and the occasional hostile encounter, you'll burn out quickly or, worse, make a critical mistake under fire. We need someone who can keep their head when everyone else is losing theirs.

Supporting Traits

• Trait: Diplomatic & Tactful
• Desc: You know how to deliver difficult news or a 'no' in a way that doesn't burn bridges. It's about finding the right words and timing, preserving relationships even when the message isn't what people want to hear.
• Trait: Proactive
• Desc: You're always looking for faint signals of potential community issues – a negative comment in a local forum, a shift in local politics. You spot these things early and act on them, preventing small problems from blowing up into full-blown crises.
• Trait: Infinitely Patient
• Desc: You understand that building genuine trust and strong community relationships takes years, not fiscal quarters. You're in it for the long haul, knowing that consistent, honest effort eventually pays off.
• Trait: Resourceful
• Desc: You're clever at achieving big programme goals even with tight budgets. You'll find ways to use partnerships, in-kind resources, and creative solutions to deliver impact without always needing a massive chequebook.

Primary Motivators

1. Motivator: Making a Tangible Difference
2. Daily: You'll get a real buzz from seeing a community programme you designed actually improve local lives, whether it's new jobs, better infrastructure, or cleaner environments. It's not just about ticking a box; it's about measurable, positive change.
3. Motivator: Solving Complex, Human Problems
4. Daily: You thrive on untangling messy situations where there are no easy answers. This role is full of human dynamics, conflicting interests, and ethical dilemmas. You'll enjoy the challenge of finding solutions that work for both the business and the community.
5. Motivator: Building and Protecting Reputation
6. Daily: You're driven by the idea of making our company a respected, trusted entity in the communities where we operate. You'll feel a deep sense of responsibility for our 'Social Licence to Operate' and work tirelessly to uphold it.

Potential Demotivators

Honestly, this job isn't for everyone. You'll often feel like you're stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to get internal teams (like Legal or Operations) to understand community concerns, while simultaneously explaining corporate realities to local residents. You'll rerun the same analysis three times because stakeholders keep changing the question. The 'urgent' request that disrupted your Thursday will get deprioritised on Friday. You'll build a beautiful community engagement plan that never gets fully deployed because the business moved on, or internal politics shifted.

Common Frustrations

1. The 'Fluffy Police' Battle: Constantly having to justify your function's existence and ROI with hard numbers to skeptical leaders in Operations, Finance, and Engineering who see community relations as 'soft' or a cost centre.
2. Being the Corporate Human Shield: You are the person sent to face an angry community after an environmental incident or major layoff. The emotional labour is immense and rarely acknowledged.
3. Internal Sabotage: Spending months negotiating a community agreement in good faith, only to have it vetoed at the last minute by the Legal or Finance department over a minor clause or cost concern.
4. The Agony of Measurement: The most important outcomes (trust, goodwill, social licence) are incredibly difficult to quantify and put on a quarterly dashboard, leading to a reliance on less meaningful vanity metrics.
5. 'NIMBYism' (Not In My Back Yard): Facing irrational, emotionally-charged opposition to projects that have clear, data-backed benefits, simply because of a perceived local inconvenience.

What Role Doesn't Offer

1. A quiet, predictable routine: Expect constant shifts in priorities and unexpected crises.
2. Instant gratification: Building trust and seeing impact takes years, not weeks.
3. An easy ride: This is a demanding role, both intellectually and emotionally.
4. Complete autonomy on budget: While you manage a significant budget, major strategic investments will still need higher-level approval.

ADHD Positives

1. The fast-paced, often unpredictable nature of crisis management and stakeholder engagement can be highly stimulating and engaging for those with ADHD, preventing boredom.
2. The need to quickly pivot between different tasks and problem-solve on the fly can align well with a dynamic, hyper-focused work style.
3. High energy levels can be a huge asset when 'running the town hall' or managing multiple community initiatives simultaneously.

ADHD Challenges and Accommodations

1. The extensive documentation and reporting requirements might feel tedious; we can offer templates and AI-powered tools to streamline this.
2. Maintaining focus during long, detailed policy discussions or budget reviews can be tough; we encourage short breaks and visual aids.
3. Managing multiple direct reports and their individual needs requires consistent attention; we can provide structured management training and tools for task tracking.

Dyslexia Positives

1. Strong verbal communication and storytelling skills, often found in dyslexic individuals, are invaluable for engaging diverse community groups and presenting complex information clearly.
2. Excellent spatial reasoning and 'big picture' thinking can help in understanding complex stakeholder maps and long-term strategic impacts.
3. Creative problem-solving approaches are highly valued when navigating ambiguous community challenges and developing innovative engagement strategies.

Dyslexia Challenges and Accommodations

1. Heavy reliance on written reports, proposals, and detailed policy documents can be challenging; we use grammar/spell-check software and offer proofreading support.
2. Reading and synthesising large volumes of text from media monitoring or legal documents might take longer; we can provide access to text-to-speech software and encourage verbal briefings.
3. Note-taking during contentious meetings can be stressful; we support using recording devices (with consent) or having a colleague take notes.

Autism Positives

1. A strong sense of justice and fairness can drive exceptional dedication to ethical community engagement and grievance resolution.
2. The ability to identify patterns and inconsistencies can be crucial in analysing stakeholder behaviour and predicting potential issues.
3. Direct, honest communication, when delivered tactfully, can build deep trust with community members who value authenticity.

Autism Challenges and Accommodations

1. Navigating complex social nuances and unspoken political dynamics can be draining; we provide clear expectations for stakeholder interactions and debriefing sessions.
2. Unexpected changes to meeting agendas or a sudden crisis can be disruptive; we aim for clear communication of changes and structured support during crises.
3. Intense public speaking or 'running the town hall' can be overwhelming; we can offer support with preparation, provide scripts, and allow for co-facilitation where appropriate.

Key Responsibilities

Experience Levels Responsibilities

1. Level: Lead Global Community Relations Strategist (L4)
2. Responsibilities: Architect the multi-year community relations strategy for a major operational region. This means figuring out where we need to focus our efforts, what risks are on the horizon, and how we can genuinely add value to local communities.
3. Lead complex, high-stakes negotiations with community groups, local government, and NGOs, especially around new project developments or sensitive operational changes. You'll be the primary point of contact, often in challenging situations.
4. Build and manage a small team of Community Relations Specialists and Coordinators (typically 3-5 people). You'll set their objectives, provide regular coaching, and make sure they're developing their skills. Think of it as being a player-coach.
5. Own the regional budget for community investments and programmes, typically ranging from £50K to £500K. You'll track spend, ensure we're getting value for money, and report back to the Director on financial performance.
6. Design and implement robust grievance mechanisms for your region, making sure community members have a clear, fair, and accessible way to raise concerns, and that we respond effectively. This isn't just a suggestion; it's a critical system.
7. Represent the company at high-profile public forums, town halls, and stakeholder meetings, often dealing with contentious issues. You'll be the calm, credible voice, even when things get heated.
8. Regularly report to regional business unit leadership (e.g., Operations Directors, Project VPs) on community sentiment, emerging risks, and the impact of our programmes. They'll rely on your insights to make critical decisions.
9. Supervision: You'll have monthly strategic alignment meetings with the Director, Global Community Relations, but day-to-day, you're fully autonomous on execution within your regional strategy. You're expected to manage your team and workload independently.
10. Decision: You have full authority over technical decisions within your regional domain (e.g., engagement methodologies, programme design). You can approve project expenditures up to £50K and have hiring authority for your direct reports. Budget changes above £50K or strategic shifts require consultation with the Director.
11. Success: Your success will be measured by the absence of significant project delays due to community issues, demonstrably improved stakeholder sentiment in your region, effective resolution of community grievances, and the successful development of your team. Ultimately, it's about maintaining our 'Social Licence to Operate' in your region.

Decision-Making Authority

• Type: Regional Community Strategy Definition
• Entry: Supports by gathering data and drafting initial ideas.
• Mid: Proposes elements of strategy for specific projects.
• Senior: Develops comprehensive regional strategies with input from Director.
• Type: Budget Allocation for Regional Programmes
• Entry: Tracks spend against allocated budget.
• Mid: Manages budget for specific projects (up to £10K).
• Senior: Manages programme budgets up to £50K, with Director approval for major deviations.
• Type: Grievance Resolution Approach
• Entry: Escalates all grievances to senior team members.
• Mid: Resolves routine grievances following established protocols.
• Senior: Handles complex grievances, consulting with Legal/Ops as needed.
• Type: Team Hiring & Performance Management
• Entry: No direct reports.
• Mid: Provides informal guidance to new joiners.
• Senior: Mentors 1-2 junior team members.

Competency Requirements

Foundation Skills (Transferable)

These are the core human skills that underpin everything you'll do. They're not just 'nice-to-haves'; they're absolutely essential for navigating the complex world of community relations and leading a team.

• Category: Communication & Influence
• Skills: Active Listening: You'll need to genuinely hear and understand community concerns, even when they're not articulated perfectly. It's about listening for the underlying sentiment and needs, not just the words.
• Persuasive Communication: The ability to clearly articulate our company's position, explain complex projects simply, and influence diverse stakeholders (from local residents to senior executives) to get on board with a plan.
• Crisis Communication: Crafting and delivering clear, empathetic messages under immense pressure during sensitive incidents, prioritising community needs while protecting our reputation.
• Negotiation & Mediation: Skillfully finding common ground and mutually beneficial solutions between often opposing parties, whether it's a community group and our operations team, or two internal departments.
• Category: Problem-Solving & Strategic Thinking
• Skills: Strategic Planning: Developing long-term community relations strategies that align with business objectives and anticipate future risks and opportunities in your region.
• Complex Problem Solving: Untangling multi-faceted issues that involve technical, social, political, and economic dimensions, often with incomplete information and high emotional stakes.
• Risk Assessment & Mitigation: Proactively identifying potential community-related risks (e.g., opposition to a project, reputational damage) and designing strategies to prevent or minimise their impact.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Using quantitative and qualitative data (sentiment analysis, grievance trends, programme impact) to inform strategic choices and demonstrate effectiveness.
• Category: Leadership & Team Development
• Skills: Team Leadership & Coaching: Guiding and developing your direct reports, setting clear expectations, providing constructive feedback, and fostering a supportive, high-performing team environment.
• Delegation & Empowerment: Effectively assigning tasks and responsibilities to your team, trusting them to deliver, and providing the autonomy they need to grow.
• Conflict Resolution (Internal & External): Mediating disagreements within your team or between internal departments, as well as resolving disputes with external community stakeholders.
• Change Management: Leading your team and influencing stakeholders through periods of organisational or project-related change, ensuring smooth transitions and buy-in.
• Category: Adaptability & Resilience
• Skills: Emotional Intelligence: Understanding and managing your own emotions, and accurately perceiving and responding to the emotions of others, especially in high-stress situations.
• Stress Tolerance & Composure: Maintaining effectiveness and professionalism under significant pressure, such as during public scrutiny or intense negotiations.
• Flexibility & Agility: Quickly adjusting plans and approaches in response to new information, unexpected challenges, or shifting community dynamics.
• Ethical Judgement: Making sound decisions that uphold our company values and ethical commitments, even when faced with difficult trade-offs.

Functional Skills (Role-Specific Technical)

These are the specific tools, methodologies, and knowledge areas you'll need to master to excel in this role. We're looking for someone who can not only use these, but teach others and apply them strategically.

Technical Competencies

• Skill: Stakeholder Mapping & Analysis
• Desc: Moving beyond a simple contact list to create dynamic influence maps, identifying primary, secondary, and tertiary stakeholders, and analysing their interests, influence, and potential impact on our operations. This means understanding who really matters and why.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Social Impact Measurement (SROI/Logic Models)
• Desc: Applying structured frameworks like Social Return on Investment (SROI) or Logic Models to measure the social, economic, and environmental outcomes of our community investments. It's about moving beyond vanity metrics (e.g., just 'pounds donated') to demonstrable, measurable value creation.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Materiality Assessment
• Desc: Leading the process to identify and prioritise the most significant ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) issues for the company and its stakeholders. This directly informs where we focus our community relations strategy and resources.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Grievance Mechanism Design & Implementation
• Desc: Architecting and managing formal, accessible systems for community members to raise concerns about company operations. This ensures a transparent, fair, and effective resolution process, in line with international best practices like the UN Guiding Principles.
• Level: Expert
• Skill: Community-Centric Crisis Communication
• Desc: Developing and executing communication plans during operational incidents (e.g., environmental spills, major layoffs) that prioritise the information needs and well-being of affected communities. It's about communicating with empathy and clarity, not just managing media headlines.
• Level: Advanced
• Skill: Grassroots Engagement Strategy
• Desc: Designing programmes that build authentic, long-term relationships at the local level. This is distinct from top-down corporate philanthropy; it often involves co-creating initiatives directly with community members to ensure they meet real local needs.
• Level: Advanced

Digital Tools

• Tool: Benevity / YourCause (by Blackbaud)
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll be configuring new giving campaigns, designing custom reports to track regional impact, and training business unit champions on how to use the platform effectively for volunteer programmes and donation matching.
• Tool: Brandwatch / Meltwater / Cision
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll build complex boolean queries to monitor regional media and social sentiment, set up crisis alerts for emerging issues, and analyse sentiment trends to inform your regional strategy and advise leadership.
• Tool: Salesforce (customized for stakeholders) / Kumu / Borealis
• Level: Expert
• Usage: You'll design and maintain detailed stakeholder maps for your region, create segmentation strategies for targeted engagement, and build dashboards to track engagement frequency and quality across your team. You'll ensure data integrity and privacy.
• Tool: Asana / Monday.com / Smartsheet
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll build and manage comprehensive project plans for multi-stakeholder community initiatives, allocate resources across your team, and create team dashboards to track progress and flag potential delays.
• Tool: Tableau / Power BI
• Level: Advanced
• Usage: You'll be building and maintaining programme-specific dashboards to track key performance indicators (KPIs) for your regional community relations efforts, presenting these insights to regional leadership.
• Tool: Anaplan / Oracle EPM
• Level: Intermediate
• Usage: You'll track your regional programme spend against budget, submit accruals and forecasts accurately, and contribute to the annual budget planning cycle for your area.

Industry Knowledge

• Area: 'Social Licence to Operate' (SLTO)
• Desc: A deep understanding of this fundamental concept—the ongoing, unwritten approval from local communities to conduct business—and how to build, maintain, and, crucially, regain it when it's lost.
• Area: ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) Frameworks
• Desc: Knowledge of current ESG trends, reporting standards (e.g., GRI, SASB), and how community relations contributes to our overall ESG performance and external ratings.
• Area: Human Rights in Business
• Desc: Understanding of international human rights standards (e.g., UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights) and their practical application in community engagement and grievance mechanisms.

Regulatory Compliance Regulations

• Reg: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• Usage: Ensuring all stakeholder data collected and stored (e.g., in Salesforce, grievance logs) is compliant with GDPR, particularly around consent, data minimisation, and right to be forgotten. You'll be responsible for your team's adherence.
• Reg: Local Planning & Environmental Regulations
• Usage: Understanding the local regulatory landscape for new projects or operational changes, and how community engagement needs to align with planning applications, environmental impact assessments, and public consultation requirements in your region.
• Reg: Anti-Bribery & Corruption Laws (e.g., UK Bribery Act)
• Usage: Ensuring all community investments, sponsorships, and engagement activities are conducted with the highest ethical standards, avoiding any perception of bribery or undue influence, especially when dealing with government officials or community leaders.

Essential Prerequisites

• Proven experience (8+ years) in a dedicated community relations, public affairs, or social impact role, ideally within a large, complex organisation or a high-impact industry (e.g., energy, mining, infrastructure).
• Demonstrable experience leading and managing a small team, including setting objectives, performance management, and coaching.
• A track record of successfully managing complex stakeholder relationships, including local government, NGOs, and community leaders, often in contentious environments.
• Experience in developing and implementing regional or programme-level community engagement strategies that delivered measurable outcomes.
• Strong understanding of social impact measurement methodologies and the ability to articulate the value of community relations in business terms.
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills, with experience 'running the town hall' and presenting to senior leadership.

Career Pathway Context

If you've been a Senior Community Relations Specialist for a few years and are looking to step up into a role where you own an entire region's strategy and lead a team, this is the perfect next step. We're looking for someone who's ready to take on significant responsibility and influence.

Qualifications & Credentials

Emerging Foundation Skills

• Skill: Digital Diplomacy & Online Community Management
• Why: Essential for future readiness in this role.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Online sentiment analysis beyond basic keywords', 'description': 'Online sentiment analysis beyond basic keywords'}, {'concept_name': "Managing digital 'dark sites' for crisis communica", 'description': "Managing digital 'dark sites' for crisis communication"}, {'concept_name': 'Ethical online engagement guidelines', 'description': 'Ethical online engagement guidelines'}, {'concept_name': 'Identifying and countering misinformation campaign', 'description': 'Identifying and countering misinformation campaigns'}, {'concept_name': "Building online 'key opinion formers' and advocate", 'description': "Building online 'key opinion formers' and advocates"}]
• Prepare: This week: Review our current social media policy and identify gaps for community engagement.
• This month: Take an online course on advanced social listening techniques or digital crisis communication.
• Month 2: Develop a pilot programme for proactive online engagement in one of your key regions.
• Month 3: Present a plan to integrate digital diplomacy into your regional strategy to your Director.
• QuickWin: Start regularly monitoring local Facebook groups and online news forums in your region. Just listen for now, but get a feel for the digital pulse of the community.
• Skill: ESG Reporting & Impact Storytelling
• Why: Essential for future readiness in this role.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Understanding major ESG reporting frameworks (GRI,', 'description': 'Understanding major ESG reporting frameworks (GRI, SASB, TCFD)'}, {'concept_name': 'Materiality assessment in the context of ESG', 'description': 'Materiality assessment in the context of ESG'}, {'concept_name': 'Quantifying social value and impact (beyond SROI)', 'description': 'Quantifying social value and impact (beyond SROI)'}, {'concept_name': 'Narrative development for ESG reports and investor', 'description': 'Narrative development for ESG reports and investor presentations'}, {'concept_name': 'Assurance processes for ESG data', 'description': 'Assurance processes for ESG data'}]
• Prepare: This week: Read our latest annual ESG report and identify where community relations contributes.
• This month: Attend a webinar on GRI or SASB reporting standards.
• Month 2: Work with our ESG team to understand their data collection needs for community impact.
• Month 3: Draft a 'story' of one of your regional programmes, specifically highlighting its ESG contribution.
• QuickWin: Start tracking the specific UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that your regional programmes contribute to—it's a common language in ESG reporting.

Advancing Technical Skills

• Skill: Advanced Data Visualisation & Storytelling
• Why: Essential for future readiness in this role.
• Concepts: [{'concept_name': 'Principles of effective data visualisation (e.g., ', 'description': "Principles of effective data visualisation (e.g., Edward Tufte's work)"}, {'concept_name': 'Dashboard design best practices for executive audi', 'description': 'Dashboard design best practices for executive audiences'}, {'concept_name': 'Integrating qualitative insights into quantitative', 'description': 'Integrating qualitative insights into quantitative visuals'}, {'concept_name': 'Interactive reporting techniques', 'description': 'Interactive reporting techniques'}, {'concept_name': 'Storyboarding data presentations', 'description': 'Storyboarding data presentations'}]
• Prepare: This week: Review examples of excellent executive dashboards (e.g., from Tableau Public).
• This month: Take an online course on advanced Tableau or Power BI dashboard creation.
• Month 2: Redesign one of your existing regional reports into a visually compelling dashboard.
• Month 3: Seek feedback from your Director and a regional business leader on your new dashboard design.
• QuickWin: For your next internal presentation, ditch half the bullet points and replace them with a simple, clear chart or infographic. See what kind of reaction you get.

Education Requirements

• Level: Minimum
• Req: A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent OFQUAL Level 6 qualification) in Public Relations, Communications, Political Science, Sociology, Sustainable Development, or a related field.
• Alts: We're pragmatic here. If you've got extensive, demonstrable experience (10+ years) in a highly relevant role, particularly with significant leadership and strategic responsibilities, we'd consider that equivalent to a degree. We value real-world impact over a piece of paper.
• Level: Preferred
• Req: A Master's degree (or equivalent OFQUAL Level 7 qualification) in a relevant field such as Corporate Social Responsibility, International Relations, Public Administration, or an MBA with a focus on ESG/Sustainability.
• Alts: A Master's is a nice-to-have, showing a deeper academic grounding, but it's not a deal-breaker. Strong practical experience and a track record of success will always trump a second degree.

Experience Requirements

You'll need at least 8-12 years of progressive experience in community relations, public affairs, or a closely related field. This should include a significant portion of time (at least 3-5 years) in a senior individual contributor or team lead role, where you were responsible for developing and implementing regional strategies, managing complex stakeholder relationships, and ideally, overseeing a small team. We're looking for someone who has 'run the town hall' more than once and has a proven track record of navigating contentious community issues successfully.

Preferred Certifications

• Cert: IEMA Certificate in Environmental Management
• Prod: Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA)
• Usage: Shows a solid understanding of environmental issues, which are often at the heart of community concerns, particularly in industries like energy or manufacturing.
• Cert: Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Prod: Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Usage: Demonstrates strong project and programme management skills, which are crucial for delivering complex community initiatives on time and budget.
• Cert: Certificate in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Prod: Various (e.g., Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability)
• Usage: Provides a structured understanding of CSR principles and practices, directly relevant to designing impactful community programmes.

Recommended Activities

• Actively participate in industry forums and conferences focused on corporate social responsibility, community engagement, or social impact. This is where you'll pick up new ideas and build your network.
• Seek out opportunities to mentor junior colleagues, even outside your direct team. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and builds leadership skills.
• Engage in continuous learning around emerging trends in ESG reporting, digital communication, and AI applications in public affairs. The landscape is always changing, so you need to keep up.
• Take on pro-bono work or volunteer for a local charity in a strategic capacity. It's a great way to apply your skills in a different context and stay connected to grassroots issues.

Career Progression Pathways

Entry Paths to This Role

• Path: Senior Community Relations Specialist (L3)
• Time: 3-5 years
• Path: Public Affairs Manager (Regional)
• Time: 2-4 years
• Path: Senior Communications Manager (with community focus)
• Time: 4-6 years

Career Progression From This Role

• Pathway: Principal, Global Community Programmes / Senior Manager, Global CR (L5)
• Time: 3-5 years

Long Term Vision Potential Roles

• Title: Director, Global Community Relations (L6)
• Time: 5-8 years from this role
• Title: VP, Global Impact & Community / Chief Sustainability Officer (L7)
• Time: 8-12+ years from this role
• Title: Senior Advisor / Consultant (External)
• Time: 10+ years from this role

How Zavmo Delivers This Role's Development

DISCOVER Phase: Skills Gap Analysis

Zavmo maps your current competencies against all requirements in this job description through conversational assessment. We evaluate your foundation skills (communication, strategic thinking), functional skills (CRM expertise, negotiation), and readiness for career progression.

Output: Personalised skills gap heat map showing strengths and priorities, estimated time to competency, neurodiversity accommodations.

DISCUSS Phase: Personalised Learning Pathway

Based on your DISCOVER results, Zavmo creates a personalised learning plan prioritised by impact: foundation skills first, then functional skills. We adapt to your learning style, pace, and neurodiversity needs (ADHD, dyslexia, autism).

Output: Week-by-week schedule, each module linked to specific job responsibilities, checkpoints and milestones.

DELIVER Phase: Conversational Learning

Learn through conversation, not boring modules. Zavmo uses 10 conversation types (Socratic dialogue, role-play, coaching, case studies) to build competence. Practice difficult QBR presentations, negotiate tough renewals, and handle churn conversations in a safe AI environment before facing real clients.

Example: "For 'Stakeholder Mapping', Zavmo will guide you through analysing a complex enterprise account, identifying key decision-makers, and building an engagement strategy."

DEMONSTRATE Phase: Competency Assessment

Zavmo automatically builds your evidence portfolio as you learn. Every conversation, practice scenario, and application example is captured and mapped to NOS performance criteria. When ready, your portfolio supports OFQUAL qualification claims and demonstrates competence to employers.

Output: Competency matrix, evidence portfolio (downloadable), qualification readiness, career progression score.