External Affairs Manager

About the role

We are looking for an experienced External Affairs Manager to lead stakeholder engagement, government and regulatory relations, and corporate communications across our construction projects. The role covers the full project lifecycle, from tendering through construction, completion and final account settlement, and is fully remote.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and implement external affairs strategies, procedures, standards and stakeholder engagement plans aligned with project objectives.
• Manage external affairs activities throughout tendering, contract execution, construction, variations, claims, completion, defects liability and final account settlement.
• Coordinate with project managers, engineers, commercial, legal, finance and design teams as well as contractors, consultants and government authorities.
• Interpret and administer regulatory requirements, permits, approvals and corporate affairs documentation.
• Maintain relationships with government bodies, regulators, municipalities, industry organisations, community representatives and strategic partners.
• Establish governance frameworks for stakeholder engagement, regulatory submissions, public communications and escalation handling.
• Monitor compliance with regulatory obligations, environmental standards and performance milestones.
• Address stakeholder issues, community concerns, reputational risks and external affairs adjustments.

Required profile

• Mid‑level to senior professional with extensive experience in external affairs within the construction sector.
• Proven track record of managing government and regulatory relationships and complex stakeholder networks.
• Strong understanding of contract lifecycle, permits, approvals and compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, with ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.

Required skills