Community Engagement Partner

About the role

The Community Engagement Partner leads Firmus’ regional engagement strategy, building trusted partnerships with communities, government, industry, education providers and local organisations. The role connects regional priorities with project delivery and long‑term shared value across the asset development lifecycle.

Key responsibilities

• Set and lead the regional engagement and partnership strategy, ensuring community priorities, regulatory commitments and business objectives are addressed.
• Build and steward partnerships with local and state government, industry, education and training providers, community organisations and leaders.
• Establish forums and collaborative initiatives that bring diverse partners together around regional opportunities and practical outcomes.
• Provide senior counsel on stakeholder dynamics, community expectations and emerging issues, translating intelligence into decisions and mitigations.
• Lead engagement across planning, construction and operational phases, tailoring approaches to each region’s character.
• Shape partnership investments and administer Firmus’ community grants program to strengthen local capability and workforce pathways.
• Prepare executive briefings, strategic advice and decision papers that connect community perspectives with organisational priorities.
• Represent Firmus in senior stakeholder meetings, public forums and regional networks, building confidence through clear communication.
• Embed culturally informed engagement with First Nations communities, recognising the importance of Country and community‑led priorities.
• Develop governance, reporting and evaluation practices that demonstrate partnership value and support continuous improvement.

Required profile

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in community development, communications, public policy, social planning or equivalent senior‑level experience.
• At least 10 years’ experience leading community engagement, strategic partnerships, stakeholder relations or corporate affairs, preferably in infrastructure, energy, construction or technology.
• Strong record of establishing and sustaining trusted partnerships across government, industry, education and community sectors.
• Demonstrated experience advising executives on complex stakeholder matters, reputation risk and community expectations.
• Experience designing place‑based engagement strategies, partnership programmes and multi‑party forums from concept to evaluation.
• Highly developed written, verbal, facilitation and presentation skills.
• Proven ability to work through influence, create alignment across competing interests and maintain momentum in ambiguous environments.
• Commercial and organisational acumen with strong governance, time‑management and reporting capability.
• Experience working respectfully with First Nations communities is strongly valued.
• IAP2 accreditation or comparable professional development is highly regarded.