Senior Consents Manager

About the role

Great Britain\’s electricity infrastructure is undergoing an ambitious, exciting and critical transformation. Together with others in the energy sector, we are creating a cleaner, greener and more secure energy system, one that protects the planet and serves generations to come.

Reporting to a Head of Consents, as a Senior Consents Manager you will join a growing team of highly capable and experienced consenting and environmental professionals, all driven to develop and deliver major infrastructure projects critical to meeting Government targets and ambitions regarding Net Zero and energy security and resilience.

You will lead, manage, and continuously build a team of Consents Officers, drawing on your technical capabilities in consenting and/or environmental assessment, to deliver a high quality and economic consenting and environmental assessment service to your projects. You will be an experienced, strategic thinker and advisor who has had a significant influence on the successful delivery of challenging projects. You’ll be responsible for consenting and supporting the delivery of critical multi-million or multi-billion-pound projects, and accountable for completing the necessary consenting and environmental assessment activities to time, budget and scope.

We have opportunities available within both our onshore and offshore consents teams.

The Onshore and Offshore Consents teams are separate but connected teams within National Grid’s Land, Planning and External Affairs Directorate. They comprise consents managers and consents officers focused on the development and delivery of major construction projects consented primarily through the Development Consent Order (DCO) process, under the Planning Act 2008. These projects are either wholly Onshore or predominantly Offshore, requiring co-ordination. Depending on your qualifications, experience, and desires, you will be the Senior Consents Manager responsible for obtaining the consents required to support and ensure the development and delivery of new onshore or offshore electricity transmission projects to programme.

We are open to full time and part time applicants, as well as flexible working arrangements. We can offer you the flexibility of an office base location or home working, but travel to sites throughout England and Wales, especially the East Coast, will be required.

About you

What we do isn’t just important – it’s essential to the delivery of our projects. That’s why we look to recruit experienced experts in their field. In this case, we’re looking for someone who:

1. Has proven capability in leading, managing and developing a high performing professional-technical consents and environmental team for the development and delivery stages of major projects either in the terrestrial or marine environment or both. Line management experience is desirable.
2. Is a highly motivated individual with an excellent in-depth knowledge of the UK town planning system, particularly promoting Nationally Significant Infrastructure (NSIPs) under the Planning Act, along with practical experience of successfully delivering consents and related environmental assessments on complex infrastructure schemes.
3. Has or is willing to gain a strategic understanding of energy infrastructure planning and policy managing consistent application of best practice on projects.
4. Has a proven track record of consenting NSIPs, ideally with experience across all stages of the project lifecycle from options development through to onsite delivery.
5. Has a proven track record in developing effective external and internal networks and relationships conducive to supporting the development and delivery of construction projects.
6. Possesses excellent communication skills and experience of working with a range of key consenting stakeholders, building strong and effective relationships.
7. Is experienced in managing complex programmes, project budgets and understands how to manage consenting and wider project risks.
8. Has a strong focus on continuous improvement and will relish the opportunity to join a new and growing team.
9. Has a driving licence that permits you to drive in the UK to engage with colleagues and community stakeholders and to travel to various office and project locations across the UK, particularly on the East Coast.

What you\’ll do

Within this role you will be required to:

1. Use your technical consenting and environmental capabilities, and your leadership and project management experiences to lead, manage, guide, and challenge your team to successfully deliver project consents.
2. Submit quality compliant consent applications across multiple consenting processes (e.g. DCO, TCPA and MCAA) covering a range of major electricity transmission infrastructure (e.g. overhead lines, underground cables, converter stations, substations etc.) on projects both onshore and offshore, often interconnected and requiring co-ordination.
3. Manage the post application consenting process through consideration and examination through to determination and consenting decision; then securing the approval of requirements and discharge of planning conditions.
4. Consistently and effectively apply current legislation, regulations, guidance, and policies.
5. Take charge of the consenting strategy and process and have substantial understanding of the supporting environmental assessment (EIA) process for your projects.
6. Build, lead and develop a high performing and effective consents team, rich in experience, diverse in background, culture, thought and approach.
7. Look after your team, specifically their continuous and effective learning, training and development; but also their ongoing health, wellbeing, happiness and security.
8. Identify areas in consenting guidance and technical training where team members might need support, and provide the relevant training.
9. Deliver all project consenting and environmental assessment activities to specification, programme and cost, to support the programmed development and delivery of projects.
10. Collaborate effectively with a wide variety of Authorities and stakeholders conducive to project delivery.
11. Confidently advocate the purpose of National Grid’s projects at events such as online webinars, public exhibitions and examinations.
12. Manage contracts and specialist suppliers, ensuring they deliver what they are meant to.

What you\’ll get

1. A competitive salary of up to £75,000 dependent on capability.
2. Bonus: up to 15% of your salary for stretch performance.
3. Pension: a generous pension scheme, where we double match, meaning for every £1 you contribute, we’ll put in another £2.
4. Annual Leave: 26 days annual leave, alongside the option to buy or sell up to 5 days.
5. Share plans: participate in our Sharesave plan and Share Incentive Plan.
6. Family Care: full pay for the first 26 weeks of maternity, adoption, surrogacy or shared parental leave, and more.
7. Additional Benefits: access to professional development schemes, technology schemes, and employee assistance lines.

About us

National Grid Strategic Infrastructure has a key role to play in tackling climate change by accelerating our capacity to deliver clean electricity across the UK. We already operate the fastest decarbonising electricity grid in the world, with an ambition for zero carbon operation by 2025. By 2035, we want to run 100% clean, green energy, all the time.

Here at National Grid, we connect homes and businesses to power, ensuring supply and demand match each other. Our investment in Strategic Infrastructure via the Great Grid Upgrade will mean more home grown power, greater energy security and a cleaner future.

More information

This role closes on 27th March, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible. We work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. #J-18808-Ljbffr