COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICER – COAL MINING

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and maintain positive relationships with surrounding communities and community structures.
• Act as the primary point of contact between the mine and local community representatives.
• Conduct regular community engagements, meetings and consultations.
• Identify and **escalate** community concerns, disputes and potential areas of conflict.
• Receive, record, investigate and monitor community complaints and grievances.
• Maintain a formal community grievance register and ensure matters are followed up and closed out.
• Communicate mine activities, projects, employment opportunities and relevant developments to affected communities.
• Support the implementation and monitoring of the mine's Social and Labour Plan (SLP) commitments.
• Assist with community development and socio-economic development initiatives.
• Liaise with local municipalities, traditional authorities, ward councillors, community leaders and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support local employment initiatives and communicate recruitment processes and requirements to communities.
• Assist with local procurement and enterprise development initiatives where required.
• Monitor community expectations and identify potential risks that could impact mining operations.
• Provide management with regular reports on community sentiment, stakeholder concerns and emerging risks.
• Facilitate community meetings and prepare meeting minutes, attendance registers and action plans.
• Monitor agreed actions and commitments made by the mine during stakeholder engagements.
• Assist with public meetings, awareness campaigns and community outreach programmes.
• Support the mine during periods of community unrest, protests or disputes by facilitating communication between stakeholders.
• Ensure communication is handled professionally, transparently and in accordance with company policies.
• Maintain accurate stakeholder databases and engagement records.
• Assist with regulatory and compliance reporting relating to stakeholder engagement and community development.

STAKEHOLDERS

The CLO will engage with:

• Traditional authorities and traditional leaders
• Community forums and structures
• Ward councillors
• Local municipalities
• Community-based organisations
• Local businesses and suppliers
• NGOs and development organisations
• Mine employees and organised labour where relevant
• Government departments
• Local schools and community institutions
• Surrounding landowners and affected communities

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Grade 12 / Matric.
• A relevant tertiary qualification in Community Development, Public Relations, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Communications, Stakeholder Management or a related field will be advantageous.
• 3–5 years' experience in a Community Liaison / Stakeholder Relations role.
• Previous experience within the mining industry is highly advantageous.
• Experience working with communities in a rural or mining environment.
• Knowledge of community engagement and grievance-management processes.
• Computer literacy, particularly MS Word and Excel.
• Valid driver's licence.
• Ability and willingness to travel between mining operations and surrounding communities

MINING-SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE

• Candidates with experience in the following areas will be preferred:
• Social and Labour Plans (SLP)
• Mining community engagement
• Social and Economic Development (SED)
• Local employment initiatives
• Local procurement and enterprise development
• Community grievances and dispute resolution
• Stakeholder mapping and engagement
• Community development projects
• Traditional authority engagement
• Mining regulatory and stakeholder requirements
• Experience dealing with community protests or operational disruptions

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Excellent communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Conflict resolution
• Negotiation skills
• Stakeholder management
• Community engagement
• Problem solving
• Report writing
• Listening and influencing skills
• Emotional intelligence
• Cultural awareness
• Strong organisational skills
• Ability to work under pressure
• Professional and diplomatic approach

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

The successful candidate must be:

• Approachable and trustworthy
• Professional and respectful
• Comfortable working with diverse communities
• Confident dealing with senior management and community leaders
• Able to remain calm in difficult or high-pressure situations
• Proactive in identifying potential community issues
• Able to build relationships at all levels
• Discreet and able to handle sensitive information
• Willing to spend significant time in the field rather than being office-based

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

• Effective community and stakeholder engagement
• Timely resolution and closure of community grievances
• Successful implementation of stakeholder engagement plans
• Support of SLP and community development commitments
• Accurate stakeholder and grievance reporting
• Identification and mitigation of community-related operational risks
• Maintenance of positive relationships with surrounding communities
• Effective communication of mine activities and opportunities
• Monitoring of community commitments and action items
• Compliance with company and mining stakeholder-engagement requirements

EXPERIENCE PREFERRED

Mining / Coal Mining experience is strongly preferred, particularly candidates who have worked directly with communities surrounding an open-cast mine and understand the relationship between mining operations, traditional authorities, municipalities and local communities.

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