Lead Consents Officer

About the role

Great Britain's electricity infrastructure is undergoing an ambitious, exciting and vital transformation. Together with industry, we are creating a cleaner, greener system, one that protects the planet and serves generations to come.

To play a big part in green energy independence

We are continuing to build our Consenting Teams for both the planning and delivery phases of our Projects and are seeking experienced Planning and Environmental Specialists/Managers to work as Lead Consents Officers to help us obtain and comply with the permissions we need to build the electrical infrastructure that will make net zero a reality. As a National Grid Lead Consents Officer, you will take the lead on getting the necessary planning permissions to make major electricity infrastructure projects happen and ensure legal compliance with any permissions and consents granted.

You will deliver on our consenting strategies, coordinating environmental impact assessments, delivering planning and environmental consents and ensuring legal compliance across a variety of new infrastructure projects throughout England and Wales both during the development and delivery phases. This includes supporting the connection of new generation through the development of new electricity transmission infrastructure together with upgrades to, and replacement of existing infrastructure. Every day you’ll be playing a crucial role in our ability to deliver a greener energy future.

You will be joining a growing team of over 50 consents and environmental specialists that is responding to the challenge to deliver at least 17 major projects worth more than £16bn by 2031 as part of the Great Grid Upgrade.

Offshore Consents Team

This role would be based within the Offshore Consents Team supporting the development and delivery of our Eastern Green Link 3 (EGL 3) and Eastern Green Link 4 (EGL 4) projects. EGL 3 and EGL 4 are two new primarily offshore high voltage electricity links, with associated onshore infrastructure, between Scotland and England. They comprise marine subsea cables buried in the seabed offshore, and underground HVDC cables onshore between the landfall and the projects proposed connection at Walpole in Norfolk. This specific Consents Lead role would focus on the onshore elements of the projects and you will work closely with Marine Consent Leads who are responsible for the offshore marine elements.

The Offshore Consents Team is focused on the development and delivery of projects consented via a Development Consent Order (DCO) under the Planning Act 2008 that are primarily offshore – i.e. marine cables with an element of terrestrial cabling and other infrastructure where the project connects to the grid onshore. In this team you will be a Lead Consents Officer reporting to a Senior Consents Manager providing consents and environmental support for the development and delivery of new onshore electricity transmission You will have major project experience and ideally have taken a leading role delivering DCO projects (consenting or delivery).

About you

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

Is deeply committed to energy security and Net Zero and keen to help us accelerate and make things happen faster. The quicker we gain the consents we need the sooner our projects can go ahead. You are happy to speak up, challenge the status quo, and show us how we could be doing things better.

Whilst on one hand you’re resilient, you are also compassionate. You can understand the concerns a local resident might have about a project and will do whatever you can to help support them. A collaborative mindset is essential.

What you'll do

• Take the lead and direct colleagues to obtain consents for your projects and enabling them to be developed and delivered to programme and cost, whilst maintaining or enhancing the reputation of National Grid.
• Being the consenting expert for your projects, and working with more senior consents managers, you will be responsible for managing all the necessary environmental survey and assessment work across your projects.
• You’ll provide guidance to Project Managers and Engineers on subjects such as consenting strategies and processes, consenting and environmental risks, and associated costs and timelines.
• You will lead on engagement with external technical stakeholders (who can often determine whether a project goes ahead). You know how to bring them along with us and build their considerations into how projects are developed and delivered.
• Ensuring you are very well informed about your projects. When talking or writing about them, you do so in an accessible, understandable way.
• Ensuring external stakeholders understand what a project looks and feels like, and why it has to happen.
• Consulting with a variety of people in a range of different ways. For example, you might be talking to MPs, local residents or local authorities, either face-to-face, in town hall meetings or online webinars.
• Quickly building effective and enduring working relationships with the organisations that make consenting decisions, such as government, local planning authorities, the Planning Inspectorate and the Marine Management Organisation. You will also build relationships with key stakeholders and consultees, such as Natural England, the Environment Agency and Historic England.
• Supporting the management of technical consultants as they produce environmental assessment reports, planning deliverables, consultation reports or other supporting consent applications documents or post application discharge of DCO requirement documents.
• Managing various technical environmental disciplines, including archaeology, ecology, landscape and visual, traffic and transport and others as required. Even if you’re not an expert in such disciplines you will know how and when to ask intelligent questions to ensure we always produce robust, resilient consent applications.
• Forming excellent, enduring working relationships with Engineering, Legal, Lands and External Affairs teams, challenging and collaborating in a mutually supportive way.
• Supporting project managers to ensure they are briefed on the consenting process, informed of progress and regular dialog is held on programme and budgets.
• Developing effective relationships inside and outside the company and tailoring your communication and presentation style accordingly. For example, some stakeholders will require clear, concise information, whereas others may need a softer, more detailed-orientated style.
• Approaching whoever you need to within the organisation - regardless of expertise or seniority - to obtain the information you need.
• Build relationships with external stakeholders including Host Authorities, landowners and local community groups and maintain strong relationships through delivery of a project.
• Work with the appointed contractors and technical specialists to review documents and drawings to discharge planning Requirements/Conditions and ensure all secondary consents are in place to deliver a project. Ensure the quality of submission in terms of accuracy and suitability and track progress through the drafting, submission and discharging process.
• Work with appointed contractors to ensure legal compliance and compliance with any planning consents.
• Compliance monitoring and sensible monitoring on site to ensure compliance with key planning documents such as Construction Management Plans.

What you'll get

A competitive salary, of between £55,000 - £65,000 dependant on your experience

Alongside your annual salary, you will be given an additional £4,500 per year Market Supplement for this role, paid annually.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.

You will also receive;

• A job dependant company car will trigger when you travel over 10,000 miles a year for business purposes.
• Our flexible, hybrid working arrangements. We have a reputation for promoting a healthy work/life balance. If you want to see more of your children, help care for relatives, or simply get to walk your dog in the evening we offer that flexibility.
• You’ll get 26 days annual leave plus statutory holidays. You’ll also have the option to buy or sell holiday days, and benefits such as 26 weeks fully paid parental or adoption leave, and back-up care service are standard.
• Our double-matched pension contribution scheme means your pension could be worth up to 18% of your salary.
• There is the option to buy discounted National Grid shares.
• Financial support for study relevant to your role is available.
• Our Flexible Benefits scheme offers discounts on everything from the weekly shop to your annual summer holidays. You’ll find savings on cinema tickets and at a range of high street retailers, including Sainsburys, John Lewis, Currys, Argos and Marks and Spencer.

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. And by 2035, we want to run 100% clean, green energy, all the time.

Here at National Grid, we connect homes and businesses to power, making sure supply and demand match each other. We make sure the lights are on in schools, operating theatres, and sporting arenas; we’re thousands of people working on behalf of millions of people.

Our investment in Strategic Infrastructure via the Great Grid Upgrade will mean more home grown power, greater energy security and a cleaner future.

Whatever your role, wherever you work with us, you’ll help us hit stretching targets and achieve our far-reaching goal: to secure, clean energy that supports our world far into the future. Here, you will be at the heart of energy.

More Information

This role closes on 4th September 2025, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date.

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. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

We're committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve, and a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

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