Location
Kent (based at Whitfield)

Hours
Full Time (hours not specified)

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
CMDP+ is seeking a Customer Relations Advisor to manage relationships between the project and both external and internal stakeholders, including members of the public and the local community affected by the construction scheme, the client, and other interested parties. CMDP+ is a joint venture between MWH Treatment and Costain delivering schemes to maintain and improve Southern Water’s water supply and wastewater treatment works across Kent, Hampshire, East and West Sussex.

Your responsibilities will include following Southern Water’s AMP8 ‘Customer Journey’ process map, attending site visits to assess customer impact, drafting and implementing scheme-specific Customer Impact Assessments and Communications Plans, and executing activities within approved communications plans. This includes working with the Southern Water Brand Team on public information signage, drafting customer letters, arranging and attending community engagement events, and meeting with local customers and organisations.

You will work closely with CMDP+ and Southern Water project teams to anticipate and mitigate construction impacts, review third-party risks monthly, and support the Southern Water “one team” culture. Acting as the initial point of contact for customer enquiries and complaints, you will manage these from receipt to resolution in line with SLAs, log all interactions, and build strong relationships with local customers, businesses, and organisations.

Additional duties include supporting Considerate Constructors Scheme compliance and audits, collaborating with CMDP+ leadership and communications teams to ensure integrated activity, utilising social media for community engagement, arranging customer feedback surveys with the Southern Water Insight Team, and ensuring feedback is analysed and communicated for continuous improvement.

Experience
- Proven ability to maintain oversight of longer-term engagement planning to support delivery.
- Experience hosting and leading internal Community Relations forums.
- Skilled in managing complaints and enquiries ensuring timely resolution without escalation.
- Strong written communication skills consistent with corporate/client tone.
- Competent presentation skills for internal and external community or industry events.
- Ability to collect and analyse data to assess social value impact.
- Comprehensive stakeholder management including mapping and intelligence sharing.
- Confident negotiation and facilitation skills to achieve positive outcomes.
- Experience in risk management including lessons learned sessions.
- Monitoring and reporting compliance with legislative and contractual SLAs.

About you
- Influences project programmes to minimise negative stakeholder or community impact.
- Leads industry peer networking and best practice sharing.
- Able to manage confrontational situations professionally.
- Skilled in using appropriate communication styles to negotiate mutually satisfactory outcomes.
- Capable of drafting sensitive external communications.
- Confidently handles questions and feedback at community events and stakeholder meetings.
- Interprets complex data to provide insights into performance.
- Builds and maintains effective senior-level stakeholder relationships.
- Resolves issues through negotiation with internal and external stakeholders.
- Implements process improvements and tracks performance.
- Facilitates development of improvement plans and lessons learned when service levels are not met.

Qualifications
Not explicitly stated; relevant experience and skills as outlined above are essential.