Senior Project Manager

Job Title: Senior Project Manager

Location: Suffolk, with travel around South East England (we offer Hybrid working supported by a Smart Working Policy)

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time & Permanent

Salary: Competitive

Directorate Overview: (Consents Management Consultancy)

Ardent’s Consent Management Consultancy (CMC) team are leaders in consent promotion and delivery. Advising and managing the best route to successful project outcomes, with a blend of consenting, construction, and planning experience. Drawing on a wealth of embedded project team experience in client, consultant and contractor roles, we can support your project from feasibility to completion.

We can set up a DCO multi-disciplinary team from scratch, or join an established team to augment strategic resources, to mitigate risks and deliver a secure and fast route to delivery of an implementable consent.

CMC staff embed within client teams lead and bring together diverse specialists in design, engineering, town planning, legal, environment, land, consultation, operations and delivery; encouraging collaboration and dismantling of silo working. We manage and integrate consents into the heart of a holistic and coordinated project delivery strategy.

Ardent has a proven track record in coordinating key project elements to successfully secure consents and transition projects from the pre application stage through to delivery. We ensure project requirements are met through robust assessment and mitigation plans, whilst continuously tracking the future delivery and construction phases to define and mitigate risk, and deliver cost surety.

Key Accountabilities & Job Overview:

We are looking for a Senior Project Manager to work within our Consents Management Consultancy (CMC Directorate).

The role of Project Manager includes the requirement to represent and positively promote the service line both internally and externally.

The Senior Project Management role is to plan, manage and support major consent and land activities across a client’s project programme, at varying stages of the life cycle.

This could be pre-application, post determination, procurement or construction.

The role includes:

• 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.

Knowledge, Experience & 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.

Desirable:

• Experience of working in construction or engineering delivery phase of projects.
• Project management qualification and or legal, town planning, environmental, construction qualification

Behavioral 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 www.ardent-management.com

Interested? Get in touch

Should you be interested in hearing more about the position please contact Stuart Thomas at stuartthomas@ardent-management.com