Senior Land & Planning Manager
Benefits
- Competitive salary, up to £95,000
- Company car cash allowance (£7,200)
- Annual incentive bonus, up to 20% of salary
- Private health care (self and partner)
- Attractive pension scheme, up to 12% company contribution
- Life assurance cover of 4 times pensionable salary
- 25 days annual leave, bank holidays, and an extra wellness day
- Health cash plan, critical illness insurance, dental insurance, life assurance flex, and partner cover
- Retail savings scheme and online GP service
- Cycle to work scheme and gym membership discounts
Location
Bradford – relocating to Leeds from Summer 2026 (Hybrid Working: normally 2 office days a week).
Job Type
Permanent, 37 hours per week, Monday‑Friday.
Job Overview
Senior Land & Planning Manager in the Land & Property Department, Finance team at Yorkshire Water. This role drives strategic planning and land acquisition for large-scale, nationally significant infrastructure projects, ensuring compliance, risk management, and stakeholder engagement to deliver projects from conception to construction.
Responsibilities
- Lead strategic planning and land acquisition for major Strategic Resource Option and Direct Procurement for Customers projects, ensuring alignment with programme, budget, and business objectives.
- Serve as the technical authority on planning and land acquisition matters, advising on permitted development, Town and Country Planning applications, Development Consent Orders, Compulsory Purchase Orders, and related statutory powers.
- Secure planning permissions and land rights from project inception through construction and delivery across complex national infrastructure programmes.
- Lead, instruct, and performance‑manage external planning and land access/acquisition consultants, defining scopes and KPIs, ensuring quality deliverables and cost‑effective outcomes.
- Collaborate with project teams, delivery partners, regulators, local authorities, landowners, and agents for efficient project delivery.
- Drive stakeholder engagement and build relationships with local authorities, regulators, NGOs, landowners, and communities to achieve positive outcomes.
- Ensure all planning, land acquisition, compensation, and payment activities comply with Yorkshire Water policies, Codes of Practice, and governance requirements.
- Champion the development and delivery of a sustainable Biodiversity Net Gain strategy, in partnership with environmental advisors.
- Provide planning and land access inputs to governance and regulatory reporting, including DPC Steering Groups and OFWAT submissions.
- Represent Yorkshire Water confidently in external meetings and statutory processes.
- Contribute to the leadership of the DPC project team, promoting collaboration, performance excellence, and a strong health & safety culture.
- Develop and build a high‑performing planning and land function, supporting others in the organization.
- Report to the Head of Land and Property, with dotted line to the Head of DPC, demonstrating autonomy and senior level visibility.
Qualifications & Skills
- Professional membership of the RTPI and/or RICS.
- Proven experience securing planning consents and/or land access rights for major infrastructure projects (e.g., T&CP Act, DCOs, CPOs).
- Strong negotiation and stakeholder‑management skills, capable of influencing at a senior level.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams and/or manage external consultants against clear objectives, milestones, and KPIs.
- Track record of identifying, managing, and mitigating planning and land acquisition risks on large‑scale projects.
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
- Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, evolving environment, able to reprioritise and adapt as project needs change.
- Strong IT capability and confidence using systems for information management, reporting, and performance.
- Solid understanding of property legislation and associated processes.
- Clear evidence of delivering results against challenging targets and deadlines.
Additional Information
Applicants may be required to undergo pre‑employment checks, including Basic Disclosure Checks and, depending on the role, a Counter Terrorist Check or Security Check clearance. All roles include a medical questionnaire and further medicals if required. We offer reasonable adjustments to make the recruitment process accessible.
Closing date for this role is 29th May 2026. No agencies please.
Equal Opportunity
Yorkshire Water is committed to equality and diversity. We encourage applications from all demographics.
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