Consents Officer

Consents Officer

Location: Warwick, Warrington, Bristol, Nottingham

Salary: £49,855 - £63,052

About the role

This is an opportunity to work on some of the most ambitious and high‑profile infrastructure projects in the UK, helping to unlock investment that will shape the country’s energy system for generations.

As a Consents Officer, you’ll be at the forefront of delivering planning and environmental consents for nationally significant infrastructure and Net Zero programmes, including complex Development Consent Order (DCO) applications. Your work will directly enable major projects to move from concept to construction navigating challenging regulatory environments while balancing programme, cost, environmental responsibility and stakeholder expectations.

This role offers real autonomy and influence. You’ll be trusted to apply your expertise, challenge thinking and guide project teams with confidence. If you enjoy operating where planning, policy, environment and delivery intersect, this role offers scale, complexity and purpose in equal measure.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Working with the Lead Consents Officer and Consents Manager to deliver consents for nationally significant infrastructure projects, ensuring they are secured to programme, cost and specification
• Applying expert knowledge across different planning regimes, such as DCO, Town & Country Planning Act and/or Permitted Development Rights. 
• Working collaboratively with engineering, land, environmental and stakeholder teams to embed consents into project design
• Advising, influencing and constructively challenging project teams to promote compliant, high‑quality outcomes
• Coordinating external consultants and technical specialists, ensuring quality, value for money and timely delivery
• Representing the organisation at DCO hearings and stakeholder events, acting as a credible professional voice
• Ensuring EIA, consultation and consent documentation is produced to a high standard within demanding timescales
• Working proactively and independently day‑to‑day, while knowing when and how to escalate complex issues to the Lead Consents Officer and Consents Manager.

Essential experience & skills

Essential experience and skills:

• Proven experience delivering planning consents and EIA activities for complex projects
• Strong understanding of UK planning and consenting regimes, particularly the Planning Act 2008
• Experience coordinating external consultants and specialist suppliers
• Excellent understanding of how consents, EIA, land and stakeholder engagement interact
• Strong project management capability across programme, cost, scope and resourcing
• Confidence working independently in complex environments with sound professional judgement
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with experience engaging a wide range of stakeholders

Qualifications (or equivalent experience):

• Degree in Planning, Environmental Impact Assessment, Environmental Sciences, Landscape, Surveying or similar
• Chartered or working towards chartership (MRTPI, MISEP, CENV, CIEEM, CSCI or equivalent) or relevant experience

What we can offer

• Annual bonus of up to 6% based on personal and company performance
• 26 days’ holiday plus statutory holidays - option available to buy extra holiday days
• Generous double-match pension scheme - for every £1 you put in, we'll add £2 (max company contribution 12%)
• An optional flexible benefit scheme, including private healthcare, dental insurance, technology plans, travel insurance
• Death in service 10x your basic salary
• Financial protection if you're unable to work due to long term illness or injury
• Excellent family friendly provisions - maternity/paternity/adoption/shared parental leave
• Professional development and career progression
• Employee assistance programme offering free confidential professional counselling 24 hours per day
• Financial support to help you cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions, relevant to your role

Inclusive recruitment

At National Gas, we are disability confident and signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant. We are committed to building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage you to let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may need.

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