Senior DCO Engagement and Consultation Manager

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Project Overview:

Join us for an extraordinary opportunity:

Be part of a major aviation project in the Greater London area, that will redefine the future of air travel and delivery excellence. We’re building a dynamic team to plan and deliver complex, high-impact work, at the heart of one of the region’s most innovative and fast-moving developments.If you’re motivated, hands-on, and thrive in the energy of large-scale infrastructure and aviation projects, this is your opportunity to thrive and make a real difference. Join a collaborative, fast-paced environment, where ambition, collaboration, and momentum drive success - and play a pivotal role in delivering transformation projects that will shape the future of aviation.The project scope includes planning, design, integration and delivery of major airfield infrastructure, buildings, systems and associated periphery infrastructure.Please register your interest early, by registering your interest to participate in this this transformational aviation project!

Job Summary:

The Senior DCO Engagement & Consultation Manager (ECM) is a leadership role responsible for overseeing stakeholder and community consultations during the Heathrow West DCO pre-application process. Reporting to the Program Director, the ECM will deliver a comprehensive, integrated engagement and consultation program that complies with statutory requirements and industry best practices. Key duties include designing and implementing formal and informal consultations, collaborating with internal teams and third-party consultants, and maintaining strong relationships with the client’s engagement and communications teams. Success in this role demands strong governance, political awareness, and experience handling complex infrastructure projects.

Major Responsibilities:

Consultation Strategy & Governance

Develop and implement a comprehensive consultation and engagement strategy for the DCO pre-application phase including informal and formal consultation with technical, community and statutory stakeholders.
Ensure compliance with the Planning Act and associated DCO guidance.
Establish project governance processes for consultation planning, approvals, and assurance, including coordination of engagement activities among the internal project team and with different external stakeholder groups.

 
Leadership & Team Management

Lead and manage a team of consultation and engagement professionals.
Set clear objectives and establish performance expectations.
Manage third-party technical consultants’ consultation activities.
Manage third-party consultation consultants and other consultation providers as necessary.

 
Key Technical and Stakeholder Consultation

In collaboration with the client and project leadership, confirm key technical and other stakeholders.
Establish regular meeting/engagement schedule for key technical and other stakeholders proportionate to their interests and influence.  Includes Civil Aviation Authority, Local Planning Authorities, Environment Agency, Nature England and Utilities.
Oversee integration of Engagement team members with design and environment teams to support technical consultations and ensure consistency with other consultation activities.
Identify and track issues and work with project teams to manage and resolve.
Oversee consultation support including meeting and material preparation, tracking and reporting.

 
Community/Public Consultation

Oversee engagement with Local Planning Authority elected officials, community groups, residents, businesses, NGOs, and elected representatives.
Implement inclusive and accessible consultation methods, utilizing both in-person and digital engagement.
Represent the project at consultation meetings, briefings and public events.

 
Statutory Consultation

Collaborate with and advise the Statutory Consultation Project Manager on stakeholder issues and opportunities identified through informal technical and community consultation.
Support the development and delivery of the Statutory Consultation Plan and the associated notification requirements, consultation letters and materials.

 
Risk & Issues Management

Identify and manage consultation-related risks, including reputational, political, and legal risks.
Monitor stakeholder sentiment and emerging issues, providing timely advice to program leadership.
Develop mitigation strategies to address opposition or community concerns.

 
Consultation Reporting & Assurance

Lead preparation of the Consultation Report for DCO submission, ensuring auditability and defensibility.
Establish systems for capturing, tracking, analyzing, and responding to consultation feedback for informal and formal consultations and that produce robust records to withstand PINS examination and potential legal challenge.
Establish process for submitting information that is relevant for the Pre-Application Issues Tracker, the Lands, Rights Negotiation Tracker and Statements of Common Ground.
Ensure consultation responses demonstrate how feedback has informed project development.

 
Communications & Materials Oversight

Approve consultation materials, exhibition content, briefing packs, and digital content.
Ensure clarity, accessibility, and compliance in all public-facing materials.
Align consultation messaging with broader program objectives while maintaining neutrality appropriate to options consultation.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, planning, political science, public policy, social sciences, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Extensive experience (13+ years) in stakeholder consultation for nationally significant infrastructure projects.
• Proven leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams.
• Understanding of Planning Act 2008 consultation requirements and associated guidance.
• Experience preparing or contributing to Consultation Reports for major infrastructure applications.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including formal consultation documentation preparation.
• Strong political awareness with the ability to operate in high-profile, complex stakeholder environments.
• Experience managing digital consultation platforms and consultation data systems.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Strategic thinker with strong governance discipline.
• High emotional intelligence and sensitivity to stakeholder needs.
• Analytical and detail-oriented, with a strong compliance mindset.
• Confident public speaker and senior advisor.
• Ability to balance technical accuracy with accessibility.

Other Requirements

• UK-based role, requiring regular travel to consultation venues across Greater London and surrounding areas.
• Availability to attend evening and weekend consultation events as needed.

Total Rewards/Benefits:

For decades, Bechtel has worked to inspire the next generation of employees and beyond! Because our teams face some of the world's toughest challenges, we offer robust benefits to ensure our people thrive.  Whether it is advancing careers, delivering programs to enhance our culture, or providing time to recharge, Bechtel has the benefits to build a legacy of sustainable growth. Learn more at Bechtel Total Rewards

Diverse teams build the extraordinary:

As a global company, Bechtel has long been home to a vibrant multitude of nationalities, cultures, ethnicities, and life experiences. This diversity has made us a more trusted partner, more effective problem solvers and innovators, and a more attractive destination for leading talent.

We are committed to being a company where every colleague feels that they belong-where colleagues feel part of "One Team," respected and rewarded for what they bring, supported in pursuing their goals, invested in our values and purpose, and treated equitably. Click here to learn more about the people who power our legacy.