Development Manager in Edinburgh

We’re Nadara. We work harmoniously with the power of nature and the communities around us to power lifetimes to come. We call our approach ‘living energy’. We don’t just produce renewable energy, we live it – recognising our relationship with the people touched by our business and supporting social, educational, cultural, and environmental initiatives that contribute to the development of the communities we work alongside.

Nadara is an innovative place to work. We work in a stimulating and challenging environment, where every day we explore the unknown with curiosity, make decisions with quality and take action and deliver with courage. For us diversity is a real value, and we encourage connecting different perspectives with respect.

Job Description Summary: The Development Manager will play a pivotal role within Nadara’s Growth function, leading the origination and delivery of renewable energy projects across the UK. The role is responsible for identifying, securing, and advancing new development opportunities through to ready-to-build status, ensuring commercial optimisation, stakeholder alignment, and adherence to Nadara’s strategic, environmental, and HSQE objectives. This role requires strong commercial awareness, stakeholder engagement capability, and experience across the development lifecycle within the renewable energy sector.

Key Responsibilities:

• Project Origination & Pipeline Growth: Identify, originate, and evaluate new greenfield, acquisition, and co-development opportunities aligned with Nadara’s growth strategy. Leverage industry networks to generate and support a robust pipeline of renewable energy projects. Undertake early-stage feasibility assessments, including site identification, constraints analysis, and high-level commercial review.
• Land & Commercial Alignment: Work closely with the Land team to support the negotiation, review, and progression of land agreements (options, leases, exclusivity arrangements). Ensure alignment between land strategy and development objectives to enable efficient project progression. Provide development input into commercial structures for co-development agreements and acquisitions.
• Project Development & Delivery: Manage projects through all development phases, from early-stage concept through to ready-to-build status. Optimise programme, budget, and risk to ensure efficient and successful delivery. Secure key consents and agreements, including grid connections, planning permissions, aviation clearances, and other regulatory approvals.
• Stakeholder & Community Engagement: Work closely with the Community team to develop and implement stakeholder engagement strategies to build strong relationships with local authorities, communities, and consultees. Support efforts to secure community and council backing, proactively addressing concerns and managing risks.
• Planning & Consenting: Lead the preparation and submission of planning applications in collaboration with internal teams and external consultants. Manage appeals processes where required and oversee timely discharge of planning conditions.
• Consultant & Partner Management: Appoint and manage external consultants (e.g. environmental, planning, technical, grid) to ensure high-quality outputs aligned with project objectives. Manage development partners and third-party consultants in line with contractual agreements.
• Health, Safety & Governance: Ensure compliance with Nadara’s HSQE policies and industry standards across all project activities. Promote a strong safety culture, including the effective management of consultants and contractors. Maintain robust reporting, governance, and internal alignment across the project lifecycle.

Key Requirements:

• Degree (or equivalent) in Engineering, Environmental Science, Planning, or a related discipline.
• Typically 4–7 years’ experience in renewable energy development.
• Experience progressing projects through planning and consenting stages.
• Strong understanding of UK planning systems, grid processes, and regulatory frameworks.
• Good knowledge of the commercial, environmental, and technical aspects of renewable energy development.

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Commercial awareness with the ability to contribute to negotiations and deal structures.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a dynamic environment.
• Strong problem-solving capability and sound judgement.
• Well-organised with attention to detail.

Network & Industry Engagement: Established or developing network within the renewable energy sector. Proactive approach to identifying opportunities and supporting pipeline growth.

Other Requirements:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools.
• Willingness to travel for site visits and stakeholder engagement.
• Ability to work effectively across regions and with diverse stakeholder groups.

Desirable:

• Experience across multiple renewable technologies (e.g. wind, solar, storage).
• Exposure to co-development or joint venture structures.
• Chartered status (or working towards) in a relevant discipline.

What Success Looks Like:

• Delivery of a high-quality and scalable renewable energy project pipeline.
• Efficient progression of projects to ready-to-build status.
• Strong collaboration with internal teams (including Land and Community) and external stakeholders.
• Commercially sound development outcomes aligned with Nadara’s growth strategy.

Location: Edinburgh

Time Type: Full time

Worker Subtype: Regular