Role Purpose
This role is central to maintaining strong community relationships throughout the Partington Highway Improvement Scheme. The successful candidate will help ensure that local people understand what is happening, when it is happening and who to contact if they have any concerns.
We are looking for an approachable, organised and proactive Public Liaison Officer to support the delivery of the Partington Highway Improvement Scheme on a full-time basis for the duration of the contract. The successful candidate will act as a key link between the site team, client, residents, businesses, elected members and local stakeholders, helping to ensure that communication is clear, timely and well recorded throughout the works.
This is a site-based role suited to someone who is confident speaking to members of the public, able to handle queries calmly and professionally, and comfortable working closely with construction teams to understand day-to-day site activity and upcoming changes.
Hours of work are Monday to Friday, 08:00 - 16:00, with 30 minutes unpaid lunch. Flexibility may be required for occasional public meetings, stakeholder events or planned out-of-hours communication.
George Cox and Sons Ltd is committed to maintaining a professional, respectful and safe working environment for employees, clients, stakeholders and members of the public.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as the first point of contact for residents, businesses and members of the public affected by the works.
- Build and maintain positive working relationships with key stakeholders, including local residents, local businesses, councillors, community groups and the client team.
- Work closely with Trafford Council / client communications teams to prepare and issue approved public updates, letters, notices and scheme information.
- Support the delivery of the Partington Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Plan, ensuring agreed actions are followed through and recorded.
- Communicate proactively with residents and businesses regarding upcoming works, access arrangements, traffic management changes and any potential disruption.
- Liaise with members of the public and local businesses both face to face and remotely by phone, email and written correspondence.
- Maintain a clear communication log, recording enquiries, complaints, actions taken, close-out dates and any agreed mitigation measures.
- Escalate sensitive issues, complaints or reputational risks to the Works Manager, Project Manager or Contracts Director as required.
- Coordinate with the site team to understand the programme, traffic management, pedestrian routes, access requirements and works affecting the local community.
- Support and coordinate visits to the scheme, including stakeholder walk-throughs, councillor visits and community engagement events.
- Attend public events, stakeholder briefings and progress meetings relating to the scheme where required.
- Assist with weekly or phase-based progress updates, including information on works completed, upcoming activities and any changes to access or traffic management.
- Identify vulnerable or directly affected residents and help agree reasonable support measures with the site team and client where appropriate.
- Promote safe public interaction around the works, including clear messaging around pedestrian routes, site boundaries, temporary crossings and traffic management.
- Support end-of-scheme communication, feedback capture and lessons learned for future schemes.
Essential Skills & Experience
- Experience in public liaison, community engagement, stakeholder engagement, customer service or a similar public-facing role.
- Approachable, positive and confident when dealing with a wide range of people.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to explain information clearly and professionally.
- Able to remain calm, polite and solutions-focused when dealing with complaints or challenging conversations.
- Good organisational skills and attention to detail, particularly when maintaining logs, records and follow-up actions.
- Good MS Office and general computer skills, including Word, Outlook and Excel.
- Ability to work under own initiative while remaining part of the wider project team.
- Good team player with a practical, hands-on approach.
- Full UK driving licence.
Desirable Skills & Experience
- Knowledge or experience of the construction, highways, civil engineering or utilities sector.
- Experience working on local authority or public sector projects.
- Understanding of traffic management, pedestrian access arrangements and the impact of highway works on local communities.
- Experience preparing resident letters, public notices, stakeholder updates or communication reports.
- Experience using enquiry or complaint logs to monitor response times and close-out actions.
Personal Attributes
- Professional, reliable and approachable.
- Confident working in a live site environment and speaking with members of the public.
- Able to balance the needs of the public, the client and the site team.
- Practical, proactive and willing to help resolve issues before they escalate.
- Comfortable working full time on site for the duration of the contract.
Pay: £25,000.00-£27,500.00 per year
Benefits:
- Additional leave
- Company pension
- Life insurance
Work Location: In person
