Stakeholder Engagement Lead

About the role

Mace is seeking a senior Stakeholder Engagement Lead to drive community and public consultation for a landmark aviation project in Rwanda. The role will ensure compliance with international standards and Rwandan regulations while building strong relationships with government bodies, financiers, NGOs and local communities.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the Project Stakeholder Register and Stakeholder Engagement Plan, updating it at each key project stage.
• Lead public consultation and community engagement programmes in line with IFC Performance Standard 1, the project ESIA and Rwandan regulatory requirements.
• Manage the community grievance mechanism, ensuring timely resolution and proper documentation.
• Prepare stakeholder communications, briefing materials, community newsletters and public information updates.
• Coordinate with the Project Communications team to align external messaging with the overall communications strategy.
• Monitor stakeholder sentiment and provide early warnings to the Project Director on emerging issues.
• Oversee Resettlement Action Plan implementation and report progress in collaboration with the social safeguards team.
• Represent the project at public meetings, government forums and community events, and produce monthly progress reports.

Required profile

• Minimum 12 years of experience in stakeholder engagement and social performance management on major infrastructure or extractive projects.
• Proven track record managing community engagement and resettlement programmes in Sub‑Saharan Africa; Rwanda experience is a strong advantage.
• Degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Environmental Science or a related discipline.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with fluency in English; French and/or Kinyarwanda are highly advantageous.

Required skills

• Deep knowledge of IFC Performance Standards (PS1, PS5, PS7).
• Understanding of the Equator Principles and ESIA processes.
• Experience with Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) implementation.
• Ability to manage grievance mechanisms and produce stakeholder communications.