Community Liaison Officer (CLO)

Position Summary
The Community Liaison Officer (CLO) serves as the primary interface between the project
or company and host communities. The CLO ensures smooth stakeholder engagement,
conflict mitigation, and timely dissemination of project-related information to local
communities. The role is central to maintaining community trust, enabling “Freedom to
Operate (FTO),” and ensuring compliance with community engagement protocols under
Master Service Agreements (MSA) or Field Management Agreements (FMA).
In projects such as those in OML 42, swampy terrains, and sensitive operational
environments, the CLO plays a critical role in securing social license to operate and
ensuring continuous community alignment with project goals.
Key Responsibilities
1. Community Engagement and Relationship Management
• Act as the face and voice of the project/company in daily interactions with host
community representatives, traditional rulers, youth leaders, women’s groups, and
other grassroots stakeholders.
• Maintain a constant and respectful dialogue to foster mutual understanding and
preempt issues that could affect project timelines.
• Organize, attend, and document town hall meetings, sensitization programs, and
community awareness sessions before and during project execution.
• Relay community feedback, concerns, and complaints to company leadership and
follow up on resolutions.
2. Stakeholder Mapping and Intelligence Gathering
• Identify and map key community influencers, gatekeepers, stakeholders, and power
dynamics in each host community.
• Monitor socio-political developments, community expectations, and sentiments
that may impact project implementation.
• Advise the project team on potential risks and mitigation measures based on
community pulse and intelligence reports.
3. Conflict Resolution and Crisis Management
• Mediate disputes between the community and contractors or subcontractors on
employment, contracts, or environmental impacts.
• Provide early warning signals on brewing conflicts and support rapid response to
avoid project disruptions.
• Support the negotiation of peace accords, resolutions, or compensatory actions
under community-related grievances.
4. Local Content and Employment Compliance
• Ensure implementation of community employment, subcontracting, and local
vendor utilization in line with MoUs, GMOU provisions, or NEPL/local government
policies.
• Verify and document all local hires and community contractors working on-site.
• Liaise with HR, SCM, and project teams to ensure compliance with agreed-upon
quotas or expectations.
5. Documentation and Reporting
• Maintain detailed records of all community engagements, agreements, minutes,
incident logs, grievances, and resolutions.
• Prepare weekly and monthly community affairs reports, including community risk
registers and mitigation plans.
• Support audit and compliance activities involving host community engagement.
6. Project Support & Freedom to Operate (FTO)
• Facilitate project access and movement in communities by ensuring community
buy-in and informed consent.
• Collaborate with security and logistics teams to ensure safe project execution with
minimal disruptions.
• Issue or coordinate the issuance of FTO memos confirming that the community is
informed and project conditions are favorable for execution.

Qualifications and Experience
• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Political Science, Community Development,
Public Relations, or related field.
• Minimum of 5–10 years’ experience in community relations, particularly in oil & gas
or infrastructure sectors within the Niger Delta or similar environments.
• Deep knowledge of host community dynamics, especially in swamp terrain and
brownfield environments like OML 42.
• Experience working under Master Service Agreements (MSA) or FMAs with indigenous and local content considerations.
Key Competencies
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong oral and written communication in English and local dialects is a plus.
• Deep cultural sensitivity and political awareness.
• Ability to remain calm and impartial in tense or emotionally charged situations.
• Good documentation, reporting, and administrative skills.
• Proactive, empathetic, and trusted by both community and company stakeholders.