Manager, Stakeholder Relations

Manager, Stakeholder Relations

About the Company

Our client is an established renewable energy developer with a growing portfolio of utility-scale solar and battery energy storage projects across Canada.

The organization develops, finances, constructs, and operates renewable energy infrastructure and is expanding its team to support a significant pipeline of projects in Ontario and British Columbia.

They are seeking experienced professionals who want to help build strong, lasting relationships with the communities, landowners, municipalities, and Indigenous partners that make successful renewable energy development possible.

About the Role

We are seeking a Manager, Stakeholder Relations to lead and manage the external relationships that are critical to the success of renewable energy projects across the company's portfolio.

This is a Toronto-based role with regular travel to project sites throughout Ontario and occasional travel to British Columbia.

The company manages a broad portfolio of renewable energy developments involving numerous landowners, neighbouring property owners, host municipalities, local communities, and First Nations partners.

This role will provide dedicated ownership of those relationships throughout project development, construction, and operations.

You will work closely with development, land, legal, permitting, and project teams while serving as a consistent point of contact for external stakeholders.

For candidates with the appropriate background, the role may also include responsibility for external communications and marketing materials.

This is an opportunity for someone who is hands-on, adaptable, organized, and genuinely motivated by building trust and maintaining strong long-term relationships.

Position Summary

You will manage landowner, community, municipal, and First Nations relationships across a portfolio of renewable energy development and construction projects.

You will ensure stakeholders remain properly informed, commitments are tracked and fulfilled, and agreements dependent on those relationships progress toward execution.

The role is well suited to someone who is equally comfortable meeting one-on-one with a landowner, engaging with First Nations leadership, participating in a municipal council meeting, or facilitating a public consultation session.

Successful renewable energy development often depends on the quality and durability of the relationships surrounding a project, and this position will play a central role in maintaining them.

Key Responsibilities

Landowner Relations

• Own and maintain relationships with landowners across the project portfolio from initial engagement through option, lease, easement, construction, and operations.
• Support the execution of outstanding land agreements in coordination with land and legal teams.
• Maintain accurate records of agreements, commitments, outstanding issues, and next steps.
• Serve as a primary point of contact when landowners have questions, concerns, or issues affecting their properties.
• Coordinate internally to ensure landowner concerns are addressed promptly and appropriately.
• Build trust through clear communication, responsiveness, and consistent follow-through.

First Nations & Indigenous Relations

• Build and maintain relationships with First Nations and Indigenous communities whose traditional territories overlap or may be affected by renewable energy projects in Ontario and British Columbia.
• Support project teams in advancing partnership, participation, and engagement discussions.
• Coordinate information and materials required to support meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities.
• Maintain accurate and complete consultation records.
• Prepare or coordinate project summaries and other communications specifically designed for Indigenous partners.
• Ensure commitments made during engagement are documented, tracked, and communicated internally.

Community & Municipal Relations

• Represent the organization at municipal council meetings, community meetings, open houses, public information sessions, and other stakeholder events.
• Support public consultation processes associated with renewable energy and environmental approvals.
• Coordinate notices, public meetings, stakeholder communications, and required consultation reporting.
• Develop relationships with municipal staff, elected officials, community organizations, and local stakeholders before formal approvals or decisions are required.
• Proactively manage relationships with neighbours and community members who may be affected by development or construction activity.
• Track community concerns and ensure relevant internal teams are engaged to address them.
• Help identify stakeholder risks early enough for project teams to respond proactively.

Communications & Marketing

• Support or lead external communications materials, which may include:
• Project fact sheets
• Community newsletters
• Public presentations
• Stakeholder information packages
• Website content
• Community-facing project updates
• Help ensure public communications are clear, accurate, accessible, and consistent across projects.
• Translate technical project information into language that is understandable to non-technical audiences.
• Support the development of broader promotional or corporate communications materials where appropriate.

Stakeholder Tracking & Reporting

• Maintain stakeholder registers, engagement records, commitments, and relationship histories.
• Track outstanding actions and ensure commitments made to stakeholders are completed.
• Identify and communicate emerging relationship or reputational risks.
• Provide regular updates to senior leadership regarding stakeholder activity, concerns, upcoming engagement, and areas requiring attention.
• Coordinate closely with development, legal, land, environmental, engineering, and construction teams to ensure external commitments align with project activities.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in stakeholder relations, Indigenous relations, community engagement, public affairs, land, or a related field.
• Experience within energy, infrastructure, mining, utilities, natural resources, or another industry where successful projects depend on community and stakeholder relationships.
• Demonstrated experience building and maintaining relationships with First Nations or Indigenous communities.
• Direct Indigenous relations experience is considered especially important for this role.
• Experience supporting or leading public consultation associated with permitting or regulatory approval processes.
• Experience with Ontario renewable energy development or the Renewable Energy Approval process under O. Reg. 359/09 is considered an asset.
• Comfortable managing direct landowner relationships, including complex or sensitive conversations.
• Bachelor's degree in communications, public affairs, planning, Indigenous studies, environmental studies, or a related discipline.
• Experience in communications, marketing, or public-facing content development is considered a strong asset.

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to communicate credibly and respectfully with First Nations leadership, municipal officials, landowners, community organizations, and members of the public.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• Ability to explain complex or technical project information clearly to non-technical audiences.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage numerous stakeholder relationships, commitments, and follow-up items simultaneously.
• Strong judgment regarding which issues require escalation and which can be resolved independently.
• Confidence handling routine stakeholder matters without unnecessarily escalating issues to project leadership.
• Ability to navigate sensitive conversations professionally and constructively.
• Strong listening, negotiation, conflict-resolution, and problem-solving skills.
• Willingness to travel regularly throughout Ontario, including Northern Ontario, and occasionally to British Columbia.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Familiarity with website content management systems, communications platforms, or design tools is considered an asset.

Compensation

A competitive salary will be offered based on experience, together with participation in an annual bonus program and a comprehensive benefits package.

How to Apply

If you believe strong community, landowner, municipal, and First Nations relationships are fundamental to successful renewable energy development, we would like to hear from you.

Please submit your resume outlining your qualifications and relevant stakeholder relations experience.

Our client is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. The organization is committed to an inclusive and accessible recruitment process, and accommodations are available upon request at any stage of the hiring process.