Stakeholder, Comms and Policy Lead

Buchan Offshore Wind is the developer of a major floating offshore wind farm 75 km to the northeast of Fraserburgh on the Aberdeenshire coast. With an anticipated capacity of close to 1GW and a connection date of 2033, the project would feature up to 70 turbines and has the potential to generate the equivalent of the annual power needs of some 1.4 million British homes.

A dynamic, committed and focused project team has seen the project deliver on its key milestones to date, with offshore surveys completed and offshore and onshore scoping reports both submitted. Importantly, the survey programme to date has reinforced our belief that there are no major barriers to securing a consent for the site, and the team is now working towards submitting the full planning application in the first half of 2025 and delivering on the project’s engineering roadmap.

The project’s selection of BW Ideol’s patented Damping Pool floating substructure has the potential to both accelerate delivery and generate significant levels of employment in Scotland, with BW Ideol actively working to establish a manufacturing centre at the former oil and gas fabrication yard at Port of Ardersier.

The joint venture has three equal partners, with highly relevant and complementary capability and expertise: BayWa r.e., a global renewable energy business with UK offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh; BW Ideol, a proven floating technology leader and international floating wind project co-developer; and Elicio, an experienced Belgian offshore wind developer, owner and operator.

This major multi-billion-pound infrastructure project will include up to 70 WTGs and associated floating foundations, up to 3 offshore substation platforms, 1 intermediate reactive compensation platform, a cable route of circa 90km offshore, 30 km of onshore cable and a HVAC substation connecting to SSE’s onshore transmission system. More information on the scope of the project can be found in the onshore scoping report and offshore scoping report.

The Role

The Stakeholder, Communications and Policy (SCP) Lead is a critical role driving the influence strategy of the Buchan Offshore Wind project, reporting directly to the Project Director. The objective of the role is to support the project in coordinating and delivering the:

• communications plans – ensuring that the project’s benefits are defined and disseminated covering a range of content and comms channels,
• stakeholder engagement – identifying and coordinating the project\’s efforts to engage at a local and national level on a range of stakeholders who are critical to successful delivery of the project.
• policy and regulatory engagement – supporting the wider team in prioritizing and coordinating on policy engagement.

The project is planning to submit key consents in mid 2025, is progressing to concept design phase stage, and is beginning to accelerate the engineering design activities.

The SCP Lead will work with an integrated planning/consenting, commercial, technical and wider project team and a range of specialist external advisors to develop and deliver on the project\’s influence strategy. The expectation of the role is not to be a deep subject matter expert in all the areas, rather it is to ensure that the project is effectively coordinating and delivering on the plans and ambitions, taking a hands-on role in driving initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Buchan Offshore Wind has an agile and experienced development team which will grow as the project progresses through development and construction. The SCP Lead is a critical role that will join to support the project as it expands the ambition of its influence strategy supporting the project in engaging with government and key stakeholders through a range of key decisions that will support a successful Financial Investment Decision in 2029.

In this role, the candidate will lead a number of critical aspects of the project, including:

Media and Communications:

• Development and management of communications strategy covering all content and communication channels;
• Development of project messaging, \’core script\’ and content for promotional materials, including the website;
• Development of press releases and quotes;
• Use of media, social media and project website to communicate project view on key policy and regulatory issues and to support the project\’s influence objectives including drafting of social media content;
• Managing media enquiries and scanning for media threats and opportunities;
• Manage development and maintenance of the project website;
• Management of specialist external advisors including specialist communications and/or design agencies;
• Co-ordination with the project shareholders to coordinate messaging and communications activities.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Identifying relevant local individuals and organisations and ensuring appropriate level of project engagement and relationship building;
• Supporting community consultation undertaken as part of the development of on and offshore planning applications;
• Co-ordination of community engagement including management and coordination of the supply chain and community engagement funds;
• Management of stakeholder engagement tracker;
• Co-ordination of the project’s events calendar – ensuring the project team are supported in prioritising and maximising impact through exhibiting and attending industry events.

Policy and Regulatory Affairs:

• Co-ordination and management of Project ‘View of the World’ and key lobbying objectives;
• Supporting the project as the team monitors Scottish and UK policy and regulatory reforms and political debate;
• Maintaining policy and regulatory risk register and engagement tracker working alongside the commercial, consenting and specialist external advisors;
• Co-ordinating engagement and communication with key stakeholders, including government, regulators and trade bodies through meetings, consultations and working groups;
• Ensuring presence on key groups and fora, e.g. Strategic Investment Model, SOWEC, SR etc;
• Input to use of media, social media and project website to communicate project view on key policy and regulatory issues;
• Co-ordinating regular discussions with the team to identify threats and opportunities;
• Management of specialist external advisors including specialist regulatory and/or public affairs advisors.

General:

• Supporting the Commercial Director, Head of Consents and Project Director in identifying the ongoing requirements for provision of external specialist advice, and procuring and managing the works of those external advisors;
• Collaborating with the wider project team to ensure that the influence strategy is delivered as a collective effort, maximising the skills and capabilities of the wider team;
• Identifying opportunities to develop and deliver the influence strategy in a way that enables the project to deliver successfully against its objectives.

Candidate Requirements

The role is anticipated to be filled by an experienced stakeholder and communications professional who has demonstrable experience in supporting the development of major energy projects or industries in the UK.

While experience of offshore wind projects is desirable, it is considered that experience on other energy/renewable projects would provide relevant and transferable skills.

Essential skills for the role include:

• Degree in relevant discipline
• Approx. 6 years + experience of policy, communications or stakeholder roles in a relevant development or industry role
• Strong communicator, able to work effectively with a range of people across engineering and non-engineering disciplines and an open and collaborative team member
• Strong written and visual communication skills
• Knowledge and experience of the UK offshore wind and/or renewable sectors
• An existing strong network of relevant stakeholders
• Agile and adaptable, with experience in working in major project environments in collaborative organisations and in joint venture partnerships,
• Member of a relevant professional body.

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

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