London, UK
Project lead
at Soundings
Soundings is seeking a project lead to join its team in London.
About Soundings
Soundings is a community and stakeholder engagement consultancy with over 15 years’ experience working on some of the most significant and challenging built environment projects in London and the UK. We are a team of around 25 people working alongside sister company, Fluid. Our team come from a range of backgrounds including architecture, planning, urbanism and communications, with a common purpose to deliver better places through active participation. This makes for a rich environment and office culture.
Get to know us better by visiting our website www.soundingsoffice.com
The role
We are recruiting for an experienced community consultation and stakeholder engagement professional to lead a number of high profile projects, mostly London- based. Working in a fast paced environment, you will be responsible for the development and implementation of consultation and engagement strategies for a wide range of projects including masterplanning, housing regeneration and social value.
This is a client-facing, leadership role, supporting the Directors and working closely with other project leaders across the business. You will lead client liaison, project management and also manage small project teams. The post holder will be responsible for delivering high quality projects to time, scope and budget.
This role also has an internally focused function, forming part of the senior management team. The SMT oversee wider business functions, aiming to continually improve and develop our services and operations.
Please note: remote working will initially be required for this role
Responsibilities:
- provide team-leadership, planning and strategic oversight on the end
to end delivery of consultation and engagement strategies on large
scale urban change and rural projects - work closely with the client, the design team and, where required, key
public and private sector stakeholders and partners such as land-
owners, major local employers, infrastructure delivery agencies and
councils - be closely involved in the production and delivery of critical documents
such as fee projections, public facing media, exhibitions, statements of
community involvement and detailed consultation reports - lead or provide strategic input into project communications and public relations, working closely with the client team or other appointed consultants
- resource, budget and provide pipeline management across the portfolio
- work closely with the directorship to inform business development
- oversee the day to day management of team members in the development of consultation strategies, events and communications – seeking innovative and effective approaches
Knowledge and skills:
- educated to degree level, or above, in an industry- related field
including planning, architecture, urban design, urbanism, strategic
communications in relation to urban development - minimum of four years’ experience (depending on context) in a similar
role within the industry with proven experience of delivering consultation processes from end to end. Creative forms of engagement
are particularly relevant - a thorough understanding of the sector and role of engagement in
delivering sustainable communities - knowledge of the UK planning process and development industry
- experience of embedding social value and of carrying out impact
assessments is advantageous as is knowledge of digital engagement
tools and prior experience in such a line of work - it is essential to have strong Adobe Creative suite and Microsoft Office
skills
Qualities:
- strong team leadership and management is essential. This includes
strategic foresight and planning - we are also looking for a reliable self-starter who is comfortable
responding to changing project needs and managing tight deadlines - strong interpersonal skills with the sensitivity to manage challenging
conversations at all levels - proven ability to structure, chair and facilitate meetings with important
individuals, stakeholders, councillors, officers and the public - high attention to detail, strong organisational skills and the ability to
deliver and coordinate delivery under pressure - excellent oral communication and report writing skills
What we offer:
- competitive salary
- 25 days holiday
- medical insurance and health cash plan
- life assurance scheme
- hybrid working policy
How to apply
If you would like to apply for this position, please send your CV along with a cover letter explaining your interest and suitability for the role in an email title Project Lead via the ‘apply for job’ button below
The deadline for applications is Friday 7 January 2022 (midnight)
45-minute interviews will be held w/c Monday 10 January 2022 (via Zoom or Microsoft Teams)
Due to the high volume of applications, only successful applicants will be
contacted.
No agencies please.
Soundings is an equal opportunities employer. We celebrate diversity and promote equality and inclusion. We welcome applications from all, regardless of personal characteristics or background.