Land Access lead

Role: Land Access Lead

Location: London with travel as required (we offer Hybrid working supported by a Smart Working Policy)

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

Directorate: Land Referencing

Salary: Negotiable DOE

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, Transport Planners and Land Referencers, based in London, Birmingham, Warrington, Leeds, Glasgow and Dublin and supporting projects throughout the UK and Ireland.

Established in 1992 to provide a 'one stop shop’ for land and property matters for major infrastructure projects, 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.

Technical Knowledge, Skills & Experience Required:

• Lead on all survey access elements within complex and major projects
• Manage and develop the survey access processes, instigating and implementing continuous improvement to the processes
• Revising and developing an 'Ardent' standard for land access and documenting this as an manual/guide to sit alongside the Land Referencing Manual
• Build, train and develop the Survey Access team, identifying new talent, building training programmes and scaling up the Ardent provision
• Carry out knowledge sharing activities across all Ardent Directorates to inform and increase the Survey Access team profile
• Carry out Business Development activities to promote Ardent, raising the profile of the company
• Contribute to the strategic development of the Survey Access team, reporting to the Land Referencing MD and support the production of the Business Plan
• Report to Managing Director (Land Referencing)
• Requirement to work cross-Directorate, forging relationships in other Directorates – especially Land Assembly, building project teams on a multi-Directorate basis

Key Business Skills:

People

The role is accountable for the following:

• Demonstrate ability to tailor communication style to meet the needs of a particular audience.
• Confidently communicate with your team regarding business matters (work tasks, giving/receiving feedback, managing performance issues).
• Demonstrates proactive commitment to developing and supporting more junior colleagues, aside from direct reports and including providing advice and support to colleagues in other Directorates where appropriate.
• Provides mentoring and coaching to junior team members to enhance their skills and leadership potential.
• Advocating for inclusivity at all levels of the organization and in client interactions.
• Working as an effective and engaged Coach, training less experienced colleagues and your team on how to become an effective Coach, aligned to the responsibilities of their role.
• Active in promoting the culture of Ardent, leading by example and actively demonstrating the Ardent values.
• Embrace and drive change for the benefit of the business and our people. Embedding requirements of the change journey within your own behavior and that of your team·

Quality

The role is accountable for the following:

• Takes accountability for others complying with ISO9001 (Quality).
• Take ownership of client relationships to build and maintain strong client relationships, taking responsibility for achieving client delight and fostering loyalty.
• Demonstrates capability to lead large meetings and provide advice to clients in a manner that instils confidence and clearly demonstrates added value.
• Perform the role of Project Director on mid-size and large projects and demonstrate aptitude to take on Project Director role, including on projects that involve multiple Directorates.
• Drive improvement of staff engagement, customer service and financial KPIs.
• Seek out efficiencies, including the adoption of new and evolving technology and alignment to a commercial strategy.
• Realisation of commercial benefits and driving to deliver those benefits

Growth

The role is accountable for the following:

• Demonstrate effective Key Account Management with small/medium accounts, employing different approaches to reflect and achieve objectives (i.e. growth, defensive, prospect).
• Leverages networks or works independently to obtain information about other businesses, services lines or sectors.
• Identifying and cultivating strategic partnerships that can lead to business growth.
• Supporting the expansion of the business's market reach through targeted campaigns and outreach efforts.
• Demonstrate ability to know when to involve others, including identification of opportunities to play in colleagues from other Directorates.

H&S/SV

The role is accountable for the following:

• For your team and in any interaction all others compliance with ISO14001 (Environment) ISO45001 (Health & Safety) accreditations and identify opportunities to improve the same.
• Demonstrates leadership in driving ESG initiatives, within Directorate and across the business
• Demonstrate the right behaviors with respect to Health & Safety for yourself and colleagues.
• Lead efforts to transform the organisational culture to one that prioritises safety at all levels.

Finance

The role is accountable for the following:

• Developing strong negotiation skills and commercial acumen in order to be able to price jobs in a manner that achieves commercial objectives.
• Demonstrate ability to undertake in-depth profitability analysis for complex projects and make data-driven recommendations for commercial optimisation.
• Demonstrate capability to lead the development of pricing strategies that consider market dynamics, client value, and competitive advantage.

Behavioural Skills Required (Based on our Values) :

• Thirst for Knowledge (We embrace opportunities to learn and improve for personal and professional growth) - Demonstrate a strong commitment to the development of yourself, and your people, for your role in a growth company and future role. Coach and mentor others (or actively engage with your Coach) to have a deep understanding of their knowledge and experience. Actively supporting with areas of development and career goals, extending beyond a technical remit and actively developing your business knowledge on an on-going basis.
• Own It (We do what we say we will. We own our individual actions, are accountable for them and take pride in adding value) - Act like it matters, take pride and caring about the outcome of people in your team, or who you work with, and your clients objectives.
• Be the Difference (Focus energy to make things happen. Be beyond process. Stand up, Stand out) - Be confident in your decisions and implementing them, taking into account the wider structure and objectives of the business, working with or alongside peers across the business. Be more than any other competent person in your role.
• Enjoy the Journey (Have fun, be engaged and be proud to be Ardent) - Translating goals and visions of the business into meaningful objectives for your team in a positive and engaging manner (delivering excellence in your own objectives), demonstrating your commitment to Ardent and the wellbeing and development of your team and colleagues. Understand the needs of your people and colleagues to have, purpose/fulfilment, personal growth, engagement, team culture and fair pay.
• Adapt (We drive change and innovation to deliver growth and new opportunities in an ever-changing world) - As a growth company Ardent is all about change. You must be a change maker. Demonstrate ability to drive and/or implement change to enable Ardent to continue to excel. Listen to your team and people you work with to actively search for opportunities to create change. Exhibit a resilient attitude, communicate key information in a clear and engaging way to influence others.

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.

With people at the core of our business, we offer employees an unrivalled career opportunity rather than simply a job. In a fast growing organisation, we train, develop and support our staff to grow and achieve their career goals. This is supported by a number of initiatives to look after the wellbeing of our employees whilst allowing employees to work flexibility and maintain a positive work life balance.

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

Interested? Get in touch

Should you be interested in hearing more about the position or wish to send your cv in to or contact Stuart Thomas