Project Manager

Role: Project Manager (AM4)

Location: Suffolk with travel as required (we offer Hybrid working)

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

Directorate: CMC

Salary: Competitive

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

Established in 1992, we are a high-growth business, that has doubled in size to c. 200 people during the past 3 years, and 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.

Consents Management Consultancy Overview:

Ardent Management have a dedicated Consents Management Consultancy (CMC) Directorate that supports clients through all stages of project consenting. CMC have extensive experience in advising, managing delivery and working alongside our clients to achieve project focused goals. These objectives include deliverables and actions that's are clearly scoped, programmed and proactively managed in accordance with expectations of an integrated delivery programme. One aspect of delivery that us often underestimated and mis-programmed, is the transition between consent and being granted delivery; CMC can manage this transition, maintaining focus on cost surety and risk mitigation.

As infrastructure project specialist we are experienced in serval consenting regimes, their development, submission management and subsequent construction delivery. The is enhanced with a 'one team' culture where all delivery partners and key stakeholder are briefed, prepared and engaged proportionally from consents applications, to start on site. Despite a common goal, we regularly find that teams have differing, competing sets of priorities, management approaches, and vocabularies that make cross-discipline working challenging. Our specialist integrate these disparate functions together into a holistic delivery team; finding common ways to solve problems that satisfy both office and site-based teams. This approach is achieved through relationship and RACI management, 'ways of working' expectations and efficient communication.

CMC embodies delivery with established Project Management skills (process, control and governance), to proactively manage legal, land, engagement, design, programme, H&S and identify risks/ opportunities to ensure a smooth delivery and, where possible, drive efficiencies. Throughout the development and consenting phases, we ensure projects are correctly defined, KPI monitored, strategic decisions managed, and mitigation/ obligations undertaken.

Purpose of the role:

The role requires an the Project Manager to facilitate consent interface management between a variety of directorates and land disciplines with Ardent, to the satisfaction of the client and project director.

This is a developing service within CMC, so there is an expectation that the successful candidate will develop the service, manage people on other projects, identify other growth opportunities and have a good understanding of utilisation and planning.

The role level could be expected in the future to work across other parts of the consent and project lifestyles promoting integration and managing interfaces between multiple disciplines on major infrastructure projects.

What will you be doing:

• 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.

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

The right person for the role:

• Detailed project management knowledge including APM methods and practices to overcome difficulties in delivering project objectives
• Able to Identify project measures of success and efficiencies. Supports the measurement of expected benefits throughout the project lifecycle.
• Detailed knowledge of stakeholder management to ensure messages are understood by key stakeholders , and checks feedback to confirm understanding.
• Experience and knowledge of the Development Consent Order (DCO) process.

Behavioral Skills Required (Based on our Values) :

• Thirst for Knowledge (We embrace opportunities to learn and improve for personal and professional growth)
• Own It (We do what we say we will. We own our individual actions, are accountable for them and take pride in adding value)
• Be the Difference (Focus energy to make things happen. Be beyond process. Stand up, Stand out)
• Enjoy the Journey (Have fun, be engaged and be proud to be Ardent) -
• Adapt (We drive change and innovation to deliver growth and new opportunities in an ever-changing world)

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.

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 or wish to send your cv in to people@ardent-management.comor contact Stuart Thomas stuartthomas@ardent-management.com