Head of Environment in London

Salary: Circa £115,000, depending on skills and experience. Full-time, with flexibility for part-time. 37 hours per week/permanent.

Location: London and Peterborough - Hybrid Working 2-3 days in office weekly with attendance in Peterborough as required.

Private health care, double-matched pension, car allowance, life assurance at 8 times salary.

Help shape one of the UK's largest environmental infrastructure programmes. At Anglian Water, we're delivering the Fens Reservoir and Lincolnshire Reservoir schemes; two nationally significant infrastructure projects that will secure future water supplies, support sustainable growth and enhance environmental resilience across the East of England. Together, they form our multi-billion-pound Reservoirs Programme, the largest and most complex infrastructure development ever undertaken by Anglian Water.

We're now looking for a Head of Environment to provide strategic leadership across both reservoir projects; ensuring environmental excellence sits at the heart of every decision, every design and every milestone on the journey to securing Development Consent Orders (DCOs). This is a rare opportunity to shape a project of national importance while helping create a lasting environmental legacy.

Why this role matters

The Reservoirs Programme has secured significant development funding and is progressing towards securing planning consent as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects before 2030. These projects will ultimately provide a new, resilient source of drinking water for future generations. As Head of Environment, you'll play a central role in making that happen. You'll be responsible for ensuring the programme is developed sustainably, environmentally responsibly and in accordance with complex regulatory requirements. Working at the intersection of infrastructure, environment, planning and stakeholder engagement, you'll help deliver solutions that balance the needs of communities, customers and the natural environment. This is an opportunity to influence environmental outcomes on a scale few roles can offer.

What you’ll be doing

Reporting to the DCO Development Director, you’ll lead environmental strategy and assurance across both reservoir projects, providing oversight of the Delivery Partner's environmental workstreams and ensuring successful integration across the wider programme. You will:

• Lead the strategic environmental direction for the Reservoirs Programme, ensuring environmental outcomes are embedded throughout project development and into the operational phase.
• Oversee delivery of a substantial environmental work programme, ensuring scope, resources, quality, performance and budgets remain aligned to programme objectives.
• Build and maintain influential relationships with key stakeholders including the Environment Agency, Natural England and other statutory consultees, and to work towards resolution of critical strategic environmental issues for the projects.
• Lead assurance of Environmental Impact Assessments, Habitats Regulations Assessments, Water Framework Directive strategies and Biodiversity Net Gain approaches.
• Provide direction and challenge to ensure environmental assessments are robust, proportionate and support a successful DCO outcome.
• Integrate environmental considerations into programme-wide decision-making and influence technical, commercial and planning strategies.
• Lead a team of specialist environmental professionals and work alongside a broad network of advisors, partners and technical experts.

What we’re looking for

We’re seeking an influential leader with a proven track record of delivering environmental strategy and consenting success on major infrastructure projects. You’ll bring:

• Extensive senior-level experience leading environmental aspects of major infrastructure or Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.
• Significant experience overseeing Environmental Impact Assessments, permitting and planning approvals.
• A degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Planning, Civil Engineering or a related discipline.
• Strong understanding of environmental regulation, consenting and stakeholder engagement.
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills, with the ability to influence regulators, delivery partners and senior stakeholders.
• Experience operating within complex regulated environments.

The opportunity

This isn’t simply about environmental compliance. It’s about defining the environmental legacy of one of the UK's most significant infrastructure programmes. You’ll help shape projects that will support millions of people, protect precious natural resources, unlock future growth and create benefits that extend far beyond the reservoirs themselves. Every decision you make will influence the success of projects that future generations will rely on.

As a valued employee, you’ll be entitled to:

• Personal private health care.
• Life assurance (up to 8 x salary).
• Personal accident cover (up to 5 x salary).
• Car allowance - £650 p/m.
• Double-matched pension (maximum 7% employee/14% employer contribution).
• 30 days annual leave – rising with length of service and the ability to buy more.
• Excellent family friendly policies, such as 26 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave, as well as 4 weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Opportunity for shared parental pay.
• Bonus scheme - up to 25%.
• Flexible benefits to support your wellbeing and lifestyle.

Inclusion at Anglian Water: We value the representation & diversity within our communities. Inclusion is for everyone and we are an equal opportunity employer, which means we’ll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes, and we’re committed to creating an environment where all our colleagues feel they belong. If you have a disability or long-term condition, including neurodiversity and mental health conditions, we’ll support you throughout your application, and make any adjustments to make sure your disability or long-term condition is not a barrier to recruitment. If you need any support, please reach out to our team.