Community Engagement Lead

When you choose AusNet, you’ll join genuine people working together making Real Progress

At AusNet, we’re the link between renewable energy sources and local communities, playing a key role in the clean energy transition and providing essential energy to every Victorian family.

Help us lead the way, while enriching your career with real people who encourage you to bring your best and make real impact – for your career, our communities, and Australia’s cleaner energy future.

Purposeful work with genuinely good people. That’s refreshing.

As the Community Engagement Lead, you will manage the community engagement across the DFN portfolio with a particular focus on the Connections functions as a core deliverable whilst also providing support to other DFN functions.

In this pivotal role you will oversee resource allocation, lead a high performing team and contribute to shaping the strategic direction of the team.

This role will primarily be based in Southbank and is part of the Community and Stakeholder Engagement Team.

This role will deliver real outcomes. Key accountabilities require, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop and manage the delivery of strategic and tactical community engagement across DFN with particular focus on the Connections portfolio of projects.
• Manage a team of specialist resources delivering stakeholder and community engagement activities for Connections, Distributed Energy and Major Projects as required; monitor performance and allocate resources appropriately.
• Ensure the appropriate implementation of the Stakeholder Engagement Framework. Work with Stakeholder Engagement Lead and CELP leadership to review and amend framework as appropriate.
• Oversee the review and approval of Preliminary Stakeholder Impact Assessments
• Review of all development documentation Community Engagement contributions including Feasibility Reports, Corridor Assessments, 1B, 1C, Downstream contracts, Communications and Engagement plans
• Ensure the effective implementation of Community Benefits policy and framework.
• Track and report on Community Engagement initiatives and activities, delivering briefings to the Senior Manager and the leadership team as necessary.
• Identify gaps in community engagement processes, recommending and implementing improvements to strengthen community engagement capability across Ausnet.
• Contribute to capability uplift across the sphere of ‘community engagement’ across Ausnet, sharing learnings, provide SME advice and guidance and supporting cross-functional knowledge share.
• Manage budgets and forecasts in accordance with delegation of authority.

You don’t need to check every box; however, we are looking for a good combination of:

• Tertiary qualification in Communications / Engagement or related field.
• IAP2 Certificate of Engagement
• Extensive proven experience in leadership and community and stakeholder engagement, including proven experience performing project lead or specialist level community engagement activities (or similar)
• Demonstrated experience in the Energy or Utilities sector, and within large-scale linear infrastructure projects
• Exceptional project management, time management and prioritisation skills
• Success in stakeholder engagement and management. Demonstrated strategic plan writing skills and ability to translate plans into clear, deliverable actions
• Commercial and financial acumen to enable cost-effective decision making and resourcing to meet business needs and demand
• Compassion and resilience to manage complex people-impacts and challenging stakeholders
• Leadership capability including ability to mentor, develop and manage teams of direct and indirect reports
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to, support and lead multiple projects simultaneously, while achieving milestones and coordinating effectively with other disciplines within project teams.

A real place to belong

We celebrate unique voices, refreshing perspectives and diversity in our team. Engage and connect through our social club, family day, wide range of events or by joining one of our Employee Network Groups.

We believe in more than just competitive pay. Here’s what sets us apart:

• Flexibility: whether this is hybrid work, flexible hours, or part time arrangements, we’ll work with you to help balance work and life.
• Leave: more than typical personal leave and a generous 14 weeks of paid parental leave, with no minimum service.
• Community giving: a paid day to volunteer with our social impact partner, Foodbank, or for a cause that matters to you.
• Perks: we offer all the other perks you’ve come to expect like purchased leave, income protection insurance, novated leasing, corporate discounts, private health cover discounts and more.

As an industry in transformation, we’re excited by the possibilities ahead.

So, if you’re passionate about our purpose and committed to making real progress, bring your energy and join AusNet. Together, we can shape a new way forward.