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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead complex projects in infrastructure planning, ensuring compliance and effective delivery.
- Company: Join a top-tier legal firm known for its inclusive culture and innovative approach.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, generous leave, private healthcare, and a contributory pension.
- Other info: Opportunities for mentorship and career growth in a dynamic environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on significant infrastructure projects while developing your project management skills.
- Qualifications: Experience in Development Consent Orders and strong stakeholder management skills required.
The predicted salary is between 43200 - 72000 ÂŁ per year.
The Opportunity
We are looking for a Senior Legal Project Manager (DCO) to join our Legal Project Management (LPM) team, working closely with our marketâleading Infrastructure Planning practice on complex Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). This role focuses on the endâtoâend project management of the Development Consent Order (DCO) lifecycle, from preâapplication through examination and, where required, postâexamination activity. You will play a critical role in guiding clients and internal teams through the Planning Act 2008 regime, ensuring delivery is structured, compliant and wellâgoverned throughout.
Contract: 12âmonth fixedâterm, any UK office, with potential to become permanent.
What You Will Do
- Project Coordination & Delivery: Support the strategic planning and dayâtoâday coordination of DCO/NSIP matters, ensuring that timelines, examination deadlines, key activities and dependencies are accurately maintained and communicated. Facilitate the delivery of all workstreams by organising inputs, monitoring progress, and ensuring legal teams and workstreams remain aligned to the agreed programme. Maintain robust control, including project plans, action logs, risk and issue registers, and specifically designed DCOâreporting tools. Track changes in project timelines, resource needs, risks and deliverables, escalating impacts to client.
- Governance, Meetings & Communication: Arrange and manage governance forums including KickâOff Meetings, Project Team Meetings and various Workshops as needed. Prepare agendas and ensure actions are captured, assigned and followed through. Provide clear, consistent communication across project teams, clients, counsel and external consultants, ensuring all parties understand what is required and by when.
- Stakeholder Management & Process Navigation: Apply advanced stakeholder management skills to coordinate complex interactions across legal teams, planning specialists, environmental consultants, and client organisations. Guide project teams through the procedural demands of the Planning Act 2008 and the DCO examination process, ensuring deadlines and statutory requirements remain frontâofâmind. Promote collaboration between all workstreams and support issue resolution through proactive engagement and crossâteam communication.
- Risk, Issues & Programme Assurance: Identify programmeâlevel risks and issues, ensuring they are captured, assessed, monitored and escalated appropriately. Contribute to postâproject reviews and lessons learned exercises, feeding improvements back into the DCO PMO and wider LPM processes.
- Tools, Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Support the development and enhancement of project templates, trackers, tools and standard operating procedures for DCO matters. Promote lean working practices and process efficiencies to improve the consistency and quality of DCO project delivery. Identify improvement opportunities and support ongoing innovation within the Infrastructure Planning team.
- Broader Team & Organisational Support: Collaborate with pricing and legal teams by providing delivery insights needed to support client proposals and matter initiation. Support large bids and tenders where DCO project management expertise is required. Mentor more junior project managers. Provide general project management support across other teams/matters where required, while maintaining a primary focus on the DCO portfolio.
About You
- Demonstrable experience delivering key stages of Development Consent Orders.
- Experience coordinating complex, multiâworkstream and multiâorganisation projects.
- A strong understanding of the Planning Act 2008, the NSIP regime and DCO process.
- A project management qualification (desirable).
- Excellent planning, coordination, communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities.
- Confidence using Microsoft Office tools including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, SharePoint and Copilot.
- Commercial awareness, sound judgement and a proactive, problemâsolving mindset.
- The ability to challenge constructively and question assumptions.
- Resilience, flexibility and comfort working with limited supervision.
- Sensitivity to cultural differences across project teams.
What We Offer
- Agile working options, including home working.
- Carers' leave of up to five paid days.
- 25 days' annual leave, with the option to buy or carry over up to five additional days.
- Contributory pension (up to 5%).
- Private healthcare and deathâinâservice cover (4x salary).
- Access to benefits including an electric car scheme, cycleâtoâwork scheme, and interestâfree loans for season tickets, gym membership or rental deposits.
Next Steps
Once you apply, our Recruitment team will review your application and keep you updated by email. The interview process typically consists of two stages.
Our Commitment to Inclusion
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer, a top Stonewall employer, and a signatory to multiple inclusion charters. We value diverse perspectives and encourage everyone to bring their authentic selves to work.
Contact
If you would like an informal conversation about the role, an alternative format of this advert, or to discuss reasonable adjustments, please contact Victoria Greaves at careers@pinsentmasons.com.
Senior Project Manager, DCO in Edinburgh employer: Pinsent Masons
Contact Detail:
Pinsent Masons Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice đ¤Ť
We think this is how you could land Senior Project Manager, DCO in Edinburgh
â¨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend events, and connect with professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can refer you directly.
â¨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and understanding their projects. Tailor your responses to highlight your experience with Development Consent Orders and the Planning Act 2008. Show them youâre the perfect fit!
â¨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or mentors to refine your answers and boost your confidence. The more comfortable you are, the better you'll perform when it counts.
â¨Tip Number 4
Donât forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can leave a lasting impression and show your enthusiasm for the role. Plus, it keeps you on their radar as they make their decision.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Project Manager, DCO in Edinburgh
Some tips for your application đŤĄ
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter to highlight your experience with Development Consent Orders and the Planning Act 2008. We want to see how your skills align with what weâre looking for in a Senior Project Manager.
Showcase Your Project Management Skills: Donât forget to emphasise your project management qualifications and experience. We love seeing examples of how youâve coordinated complex projects and managed multiple workstreams successfully.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your key achievements and skills stand out without unnecessary fluff.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply directly through our website. Itâs the best way to ensure your application gets into the right hands and shows us youâre serious about joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Pinsent Masons
â¨Know Your DCO Inside Out
Make sure you have a solid understanding of the Development Consent Order (DCO) lifecycle and the Planning Act 2008. Brush up on key stages, processes, and any recent changes in legislation. This will not only show your expertise but also demonstrate your commitment to the role.
â¨Showcase Your Project Management Skills
Prepare specific examples from your past experiences where you've successfully managed complex, multi-workstream projects. Highlight your planning, coordination, and stakeholder management skills, as these are crucial for the Senior Project Manager role.
â¨Communicate Clearly and Confidently
During the interview, practice clear and concise communication. Be ready to discuss how you would facilitate meetings and ensure all parties are aligned. Good communication is key in managing stakeholders and ensuring project success.
â¨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Abilities
Be prepared to discuss how you've identified and managed risks in previous projects. Share examples of how you've navigated challenges and implemented solutions, showcasing your proactive mindset and resilience.