Head External Affairs

Head External Affairs, Land Matters & Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R), VAML Lanjigarh, Odisha Grade: M4 Key Responsibilities: External Affairs & Government Relations: Act as the nodal interface with Central, State, District, and Local authorities to secure approvals, clearances, licenses, and policy support, ensuring 100% compliance and timely regulatory approvals.

Responsibilities

• Lead land acquisition, title verification, mutation, compensation, dispute resolution, and land record management to achieve project land requirements within agreed timelines.
• Drive implementation of R&R commitments, compensation, rehabilitation, and livelihood restoration programs, ensuring 100% fulfilment of obligations to Project Affected Families (PAFs).
• Build strong relationships with tribal communities, local leaders, and key stakeholders through proactive engagement, grievance redressal, and trust-building initiatives, minimizing disruptions to operations.
• Identify and mitigate socio-political, land, regulatory, and community risks while ensuring adherence to LARR Act, Odisha land laws, and all applicable statutory requirements with zero major compliance gaps.
• Represent Vedanta with government departments, industry associations, and external forums to strengthen stakeholder relationships, influence policy outcomes, and enhance business continuity.
• Lead the External Affairs function, ensuring effective stakeholder engagement, governance, reporting, and execution of business-critical priorities with high operational effectiveness.

Requirements

• Bachelor in related disciplines from a reputed institute (Graduate Mandatory).
• 20+ years of work experience in External Affairs, Land, Corporate Affairs, Government Relations, Public Policy, Stakeholder Management, or related functions.
• Exposure to Odisha and tribal environments preferred.
• Strong understanding of regulatory frameworks, government processes, and socio-political dynamics in Odisha and India.
• Proven track record of managing complex stakeholder environments and securing business-critical approvals.
• Strong government and community relationship index.
• High credibility with external stakeholders.
• Ability to manage sensitive and complex situations with discretion.
• Strategic thinker with strong execution capability.
• Strong leadership skills coupled with a change management outlook to drive change across the organization.
• Ability to balance business objectives with stakeholder expectations and community interests.

Preferred

• Experience handling large industrial, mining, metals, manufacturing, energy, or infrastructure operations preferred.