Stakeholder Engagement & Communications Manager

Perth Airport is Australia’s Western Hub connecting the people, businesses and communities of Western Australia with the rest of Australia and the world. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year, Perth Airport plays a significant role in providing economic, social and cultural benefits to West Australians. 

Perth Airport is investing more than $5 billion in new infrastructure so we can support our airline partners to grow, offering more services to new destinations and an improved customer experience. 

Over the coming decade we will expand T1 International, and build new domestic terminal facilities, a parallel runway, two multi-storey carparks and our first airport hotel. This will deliver one airport for the people of Western Australia which will host all flight services in a central location giving passengers a seamless, world-class travel experience. 

The Perth Airport estate is spread over 2100 hectares and has developed a $1.5 billion portfolio of existing industrial premises and significant vacant land holdings. 

We service a truly diverse community and play an important role in strengthening cultural, family and social bonds while supporting business, tourism and leisure travel. 

About the role 

Are you a strategic communicator and influential relationship‑builder who can lead meaningful engagement across communities, government, industry, and media? Do you thrive in a role where your work directly shapes organisational reputation and social licence to operate? 

We are seeking an experienced Stakeholder Engagement & Communication Manager to lead our engagement, communication, and reputation management efforts across a dynamic and impactful portfolio. 

In this role, you will guide a high‑performing team, deliver targeted engagement strategies, and strengthen our relationships with community, government and First Nations stakeholders. You will also contribute to our organisational narrative, develop external communications, and play an important role in media and emergency response. 

As the Stakeholder Engagement & Communication Manager, you will: 

• Translate organisational strategies into clear, actionable plans for your team.
• Inspire, coach, and motivate communication and engagement professionals.
• Contribute to functional leadership and capability development within Corporate Affairs.
• Build trusted relationships with community groups, First Nations partners, government agencies, regulators, and industry bodies.
• Identify community risks, issues and opportunities, ensuring insights shape organisational decisions.
• Design and deliver engagement programs that strengthen community partnerships and support project success.
• Develop and implement external communication plans aligned to our brand and corporate strategy.
• Manage media engagement, including participation in a roster for media and emergency response.
• Craft clear and compelling messages tailored to diverse audiences.
• Oversee feedback channels to capture insights and manage emerging issues.
• Ensure proactive narrative management that supports a strong social licence to operate.
• Coordinate cross‑functional responses to issues and provide strategic advice to leaders.
• Oversee budgeting processes and resource planning for your function.
• Set clear performance objectives, monitor outcomes, and drive continuous improvement.
• Support professional development and build capability across the organisation.

About You 

To be successful and thrive in this role, you will bring: 

• An undergraduate degree and 5+ years of relevant experience in stakeholder engagement, communications, public affairs, or government relations.
• Strong understanding of public relations, government and media relations, and reputation management best practice.
• Experience leading communication and engagement activities for major projects, particularly during engineering, procurement, and construction phases (desirable).
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling and influential narratives.
• Proven ability to manage high‑level relationships with senior leaders, government agencies, and community stakeholders.
• High proficiency in digital communication tools, social media platforms, analytics and content management systems.
• Strong planning, analytical and decision‑making skills, especially in complex or fast‑moving environments.
• Ability to build cohesive, high‑performing teams and lead through influence.

About Us 

We offer a dynamic and supportive team culture, a contemporary workplace with great facilities and a modern approach to work/life integration. Our competitive remuneration package comes with additional company benefits including free parking. 

Perth Airport is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We are committed to building an equitable and diverse workforce representative of the community we serve. We encourage and welcome applications from all communities and backgrounds. 

Doing the right thing by the planet and future generations is important to us. At PAPL we place a strong emphasis on embedding sustainability throughout our business strategy and operations. We remain steadfast in our commitment to driving ESPG (Environmental, Social, People, Governance) performance across our value chain and areas that have material environmental and social impact. 

If this sounds like you, please get in touch.