Land and Consents Consultant (all levels) in Birmingham

Land and Consents Consultant (all levels)

Join to apply for the Land and Consents Consultant (all levels) role at WSP in the UK & Ireland.

At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

WSP is one of the UK\’s largest suppliers of Land Services and is looking to broaden and strengthen its team of experienced land professionals across the UK with immediate vacancies for Land and Consents Consultant (all levels) to join our established teams. Are you ready to contribute to major infrastructure projects in the UK and Ireland? We’re excited to offer opportunities within our multidisciplinary firm.

As a valued member of our Land team, you’ll play a crucial role in delivering essential services related to land acquisition, valuation, compulsory purchase, compensation, landowner engagement, land access, wayleaves, consents, and negotiations. We are currently delivering an exciting portfolio of projects across the UK and Ireland, driving expansion across all areas to expand our current teams and locations. We deliver land services across various sectors and with a variety of clients such as National Grid, East West Rail Co, Network Rail, Heathrow Airport, Eirgrid, Transport for Infrastructure Ireland, National Gas, SSE, Transport Scotland, amongst others. This role can be based in any of our offices across the UK and Ireland with the flexibility of hybrid working between one of these locations and home.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate access to and acquire complex land for high profile, strategic infrastructure projects across the UK, including drafting and preparing consent documents.
• Secure appropriate land rights for large scale development projects and provide strategic land advice to clients.
• Utilize statutory powers and other available mechanisms to acquire land (such as DCO, CPO, TCPA, TWAO, Hybrid Bills) across highways, rail, aviation, water, gas and all energy sectors including renewables.
• Negotiate Heads of Terms for large scale, complex landowners to secure land for projects in a timely fashion.
• Liaise with major landowners’ land agents, legal representatives, planning authorities, key stakeholders, contractors and clients.
• Manage and settle compensation claims (e.g., DCO, CPO, land damage, voluntary).
• Work with multi-disciplinary teams across a range of sectors and locations across the UK.
• Support and/or develop a team of early career professionals, providing technical training and career development support.
• Participate within the management team, propelling the team forward and advancing its growth and development.

Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Proven track record in leading delivery of land and property related services.
• Experience negotiating with complex landowners and robust knowledge of the legal process for the acquisition of property and rights.
• Understanding of landownership and occupation across the UK and the implication this can have for securing agreements for DNOs and developers, including structure of agricultural tenancies/agreements.
• Experience managing and settling a range of voluntary and compulsory purchase compensation claims (e.g., HOTs, wayleaves, easements, EA Agreements, Option Agreements).
• Experience of high‑profile infrastructure development schemes in particular the road, rail, gas, electricity or renewable energy sector.
• Broad knowledge across legislation and procedures, including Town & Country Planning Act, Electricity Act, Transport and Works Act Orders, Hybrid Bills, Development Consent Orders.
• Effective, concise communication with strong influencing and negotiating skills.
• A full UK driving licence is required.
• Associate or full Membership to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors or other professional membership (desirable but not essential).

We will consider candidates that have relevant transferable skills in land and consents management therefore fully demonstrating all of the above role requirements is not essential.

Your Team

As part of the WSP Land Team you would work to deliver land acquisition, land access, formal consents, statutory orders and compensation agreements. Our clients develop major highway, rail, energy and renewable infrastructure projects, all of which impact privately owned land. You will work as part of a team of Land Specialists assisting in the liaison with landowners that may be affected by development, obtaining the appropriate land consents, gaining access and where necessary compensating them for the impact caused by the scheme.

As part of our Land Team you will combine office, home and on‑site working to support the delivery of land access and land acquisition projects through the identification of land ownership, consultation with landowners, undertaking property valuation, assessing and negotiating compensation, combining skills in GIS, data management and landowner engagement.

Don’t quite meet all the criteria? Apply, and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities within the team.

Equal Opportunities

Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.