Host Communities Liaison & Development Manager

About the company

One of our clients is seeking a seasoned Host Communities Liaison & Development Manager to lead stakeholder engagement and Host Communities Development Trust (HCDT) activities. You will secure and maintain our social license to operate, ensuring safe, uninterrupted execution for the Ruta Field development – with immediate focus on supporting the Ruta-06 drilling, completion, and testing programme.

Your tasks

• Stakeholder Strategy & Engagement: Develop and execute an integrated Host Communities Engagement Plan, managing verified stakeholder registers across traditional institutions, community leadership, and groups.
• Drilling MoUs & Freedom to Operate (FTO): Lead the negotiation, drafting, and implementation of project-specific Drilling MoUs and FTO frameworks to safeguard critical project milestones.
• HCDT Governance & Compliance: Drive statutory HCDT implementation from sensitisation and NUPRC approvals to CAC incorporation, Board of Trustees setup, and governance documentation.
• Needs Assessment & Planning: Coordinate community mapping, statutory needs assessments, and the execution of the five-year Host Communities Development Plan.
• Grievance & Risk Management: Administer robust grievance-resolution mechanisms and maintain external relations risk registers to insulate project schedules from avoidable community disruptions.
• Cross-Functional, Corporate & Partner Interface: Coordinate seamlessly with Project Partners, regulatory bodies, legal teams, contractors, marine logistics personnel, and host communities, serving as the organisation's external interface to align field execution with community agreements, regulatory requirements, and corporate stakeholder expectations.

Requirements

Key Requirements & Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Community Development, Sociology, Law, Business Administration, Environmental Management, or a related field (postgraduate qualification is an advantage).
• Experience: 12–15+ years of relevant experience in community/external relations within the Nigerian oil and gas, infrastructure, or extractive industries.
• Core Expertise: Demonstrable experience engaging Niger Delta host communities – ideally including Ondo/Ilaje or comparable coastal operating environments.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and NUPRC Host Communities framework.
• Operational Track Record: Practical experience supporting drilling, seismic, construction, or offshore/marine mobilisation from a community-relations perspective.
• Competencies: Exceptional negotiation and conflict-resolution skills, political neutrality, high ethical standards, robust executive communication capabilities, and proven ability to manage corporate, regulatory, and community relationships while effectively representing the organisation with external stakeholders.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send their applications and updated CVs to recruitment@rutaeandp.com with "Host Communities Liaison & Development Manager" as the subject.

Other

How to Apply If you have the requisite coastal operational experience and a proven track record in community risk management within the energy sector, we would love to hear from you.