Role: Project Manager

Location: Manchester with travel as required (we offer Hybrid working)

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

Directorate: CMC

Salary: Competitive

Company Overview:

Ardent is the UK’s leading provider of land, consent management and stakeholder engagement services to support major infrastructure and regeneration projects from concept to delivery.

We are Project Managers, Chartered Surveyors, Engagement specialists and Land Referencers, based in London, Birmingham, Warrington, Leeds, Glasgow and Dublin and supporting projects throughout the UK and Ireland.

Established in 1992, we are a high-growth business, that has doubled in size to c. 200 people during the past 3 years, and our client portfolio includes some of the biggest players across our four core sectors of transport, renewables, utilities and regeneration.

We are passionate about delivering life-improving change for communities and future generations and we are proud to play a key role in facilitating and delivering the UK and Ireland’s net zero agenda, improving connectivity, enabling the repurposing of high streets and town centres and delivering new homes for the people who need them most.

We are problem-solvers, can-doers and solution-drivers working collaboratively with our clients to provide proactive and strategic advice to identify and mitigate risks, deliver efficiencies and, ultimately, achieve deliverable consents and build projects that positively impact people’s lives and the world that we live in.

Consents Management Consultancy Overview:

Ardent Management's Consent Management Consultancy (CMC) Directorate supports clients through all stages of project consenting. CMC advises on the promotion of consents and manages delivery to achieve project-focused goals. These objectives include clearly scoped, programmed, and proactively managed deliverables and actions, ensuring integrated delivery.

One often underestimated aspect is the transition between consent and delivery. CMC manages this transition, maintaining focus on cost surety and risk mitigation. As infrastructure project specialists, we are experienced in various consenting regimes, their development, submission management, and subsequent construction delivery. This is enhanced by a 'one team' culture where all delivery partners and key stakeholders are briefed, prepared, and engaged proportionally from consents applications to start on site.

Despite a common goal, teams often have differing priorities, management approaches, and vocabularies, making cross-discipline working challenging. Our specialists integrate these disparate functions into a holistic delivery team, finding common solutions that satisfy both office and site-based teams. This approach is achieved through relationship and RACI management, 'ways of working' expectations, and efficient communication.

CMC embodies delivery with established Project Management skills, proactively managing legal, land, engagement, design, programme, H&S, and identifying risks/opportunities to ensure smooth delivery and drive efficiencies. Throughout the development and consenting phases, we ensure projects are correctly defined, KPI monitored, strategic decisions managed, and mitigation/obligations undertaken.

Purpose of the role:

Ardent CMC have recently been successful in the award of a number of nationally significant infrastructure projects including renewable energy, energy infrastructure and Carbon Capture / Storage, each of which contribute to the governments mandate of moving the UK economy towards net zero . These projects are genuinely groundbreaking in terms of their scale and desired impact

We are looking for motivated individuals to support projects through their development and planning approval phases into construction. While direct experience is desirable, a willingness to learn about the NSIP planning and consenting regimes, and the Development Consenting Order (DCO) process, is essential.

The roles are crucial, and the ideal candidate should be able to communicate effectively with clients and stakeholders, considering both project and political factors. Key to the success of these schemes will be the ability to support various workstreams, including Engineering, Legal, Communications and Engagement, Land referencing, and Programming.

What will you be doing:

• Managing and bringing together various disciplines such as planning, legal, land, environmental and stakeholder management to secure consent, or maintaining compliance post award.
• Input and management of the consent project schedule, risk register and budget.
• Management of post award deliverables to ensure compliance including discharge of requirements, commitments, conditions and obligations.
• Production and updating of strategies, project execution plans, work package plans, reports and risks, costs, programme and quality metrics.
• Communication with varying stakeholders. Internal, external, residential, statutory or governmental as required.

Experience, Knowledge & Skills required:

• Project management experience working with high profile, complex, diverse projects, in consented construction works, with proven and recent experience in a management role.
• Experience of a large planning consent such as a Transport & Works Act Order, Development Consent Order, parliamentary or Hybrid Bill.
• Experienced at working with lawyers or legal matters, environmental issues or understanding, and/or Town & Country Planning consents.
• Experience of coordinating and managing a varied team of specialist consultant’s, advisors and contractors.
• A good understanding of the transition from preconstruction planning consent through to commencement on site, with the allocation and handover of consents and obligations.
• Ability to identify key risks and opportunities associated with a large-scale consent with appropriate mitigation and recording skills.
• Knowledge and understanding of contractual issues and agreements
• Knowledge, understanding and active experience of planning and project management processes, compliance and tools and techniques (inc MS Excel, MS Project, ARM or equivalent)
• Previous Line Management experience.
• Strong relationship building and negotiation skills.
• Ability to build effective relationships with clients and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with people at all levels.
• Mind-set and ability to develop a positive Health Safety and Welfare culture
• Ability to lead, motivate, effectively manage and develop a team of people. Leading by example in line with the Ardent guiding principles.
• Experience of working in construction or engineering delivery phase of projects.
• Project management qualification and or legal, town planning, environmental, construction qualification

The right person for the role:

• Detailed project management knowledge including APM methods and practices to overcome difficulties in delivering project objectives
• Able to Identify project measures of success and efficiencies. Supports the measurement of expected benefits throughout the project lifecycle.
• Detailed knowledge of stakeholder management to ensure messages are understood by key stakeholders , and checks feedback to confirm understanding.
• Experience and knowledge of the Development Consent Order (DCO) process.

Behavioral Skills Required (Based on our Values) :

• Thirst for Knowledge (We embrace opportunities to learn and improve for personal and professional growth)
• Own It (We do what we say we will. We own our individual actions, are accountable for them and take pride in adding value)
• Be the Difference (Focus energy to make things happen. Be beyond process. Stand up, Stand out)
• Enjoy the Journey (Have fun, be engaged and be proud to be Ardent) -
• Adapt (We drive change and innovation to deliver growth and new opportunities in an ever-changing world)

Ardent is an equal opportunities employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of race, colour, religion or belief, age, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability status or other legally protected characteristics.

We offer an attractive benefits package to include :-

• Hybrid working
• Smart Working Policy
• Medical health plan
• Career progression
• Coaching
• Cycle to Work
• Electric Car Scheme
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

For more information, please see our services page on our website at www.ardent-management.com

Interested? Get in touch!

Should you be interested in this position, please send your CV to Stuart Thomas stuartthomas@ardent-management.com