Consents & Environment Specialist

We’re the UK's largest ports operator with a network of 21 ports around Britain. We handle around one quarter of the UK's seaborne trade and contribute £7.5 billion to our economy every year.  It’s a story we’re proud of but it doesn’t end there. We’re transforming our business and embracing the future.  We offer a vast range of roles spanning the UK, all rooted in a culture that welcomes diversity, fosters talent, encourages internal movement and progression, and places safety as our number one priority.

Our Southampton port is the largest export port in the UK providing a critical link to our goal of Keeping Britain Trading! We are one of the UK’s largest vehicle handling ports as well as being the home of the UK cruise sector and the nation’s second largest container terminal.

In this role you'll be part of Southampton’s Projects team to add to our team’s internal expertise, allowing the safe, efficient, and successful delivery of a strong pipeline of projects that span the land and marine planning regimes. You will work with the Consents and Environment Lead and a team of Project Managers to manage the planning and consenting workstreams on specific projects up to £20m in value with some crossover to our capital projects team.

We are seeking a highly motivated and pro-active Consents & Environment Specialist to obtain the consents, licenses and permissions required to enable our multi-million projects to be realised. You will have the opportunity to work on industry- leading port development projects as part of an experienced and dynamic project team.

We offer a competitive salary and great benefits including 26 days holiday (plus bank holidays), private healthcare, annual bonus, holiday purchase scheme, excellent pension and lots of employee discount offers!

Accountabilities

• Supporting the Consents and Environment Lead in the management and delivery of project consenting work packages spanning the terrestrial and marine planning regimes
• Managing external consultants to ensure the production of high quality consent applications (including Environmental Impact Assessments) within a robust and appropriately defined envelope
• Supporting Project Managers with programme, cost plan and risk updates
• Representing ABP in stakeholder consultations ensuring feedback is recorded and actioned in a timely and professional manner
• Ensuring ABP is compliant with consent conditions as projects progress into the delivery and monitoring phase

Skills, experiences, qualifications and competencies

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent
• Proven experience working on multi-disciplinary infrastructure consent applications spanning the marine and town planning regimes
• Experience of coordinating multi-disciplinary internal and external teams
• Understanding of and ability to manage and review planning and EIA processes
• Conversant in project planning and delivery processes
• Technical understanding of project environmental requirements with the ability to clearly communicate key requirements, risks and opportunities at a non-technical level
• Understanding of the interaction between design and consenting processes, with experience of integrating likely consent requirements into design solutions
• Excellent communicator with strong inter-personal and presentation skills
• Ability to challenge the status quo in order to overcome obstacles and achieve positive outcomes for ABP
• Ability to prioritise workload with efficiency and effectiveness, coordinating a variety of activities
• High attention to detail as well as being able to take a considered commercial viewpoint
• Full driving licence

Ideal

• Environmental / Town Planning degree
• Experience of working within the shipping / port industry or related industry
• Experience of working on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
• Relevant professional qualification / professional body membership

Additional Information:

When joining ABP you will find an environment that is both welcoming and challenging. We reward our employees well and offer a generous remuneration package, employer pension, private health insurance and a range of other benefits.
Please note that ABP undertake random screening for substance abuse and operate a zero-tolerance policy. A medical will be required before starting this position also.

We are an equal opportunities employer and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their background, which helps us to provide a diverse and inclusive working environment.