Who We Are
Join the Southern Region where your work truly matters.
Covering Wessex, Sussex, and Kent, the Southern Region is one of the busiest and most dynamic parts of the railway. Our teams keep some of the UK's most vital passenger and freight routes moving every single day.
This is a place where collaboration, innovation, and resilience are key and where your contribution will directly impact millions of journeys. We are entering an exciting new chapter as we integrate with train operating companies under one national leadership, creating even greater opportunities to shape the future of rail.
From supporting major modernisation programmes to improving performance for local communities and enhancing safety across complex operational environments, Southern offers a fast-paced, rewarding environment to grow your career and make a real difference.
Safe behaviour is a requirement of working for Network Rail. Applicants should be able to demonstrate their awareness of our safety vision.
About the role
Lead the strategy that helps major investment programmes move from ambition to delivery.
We're looking for an experienced and collaborative Head of Consents & Environment Planning to provide strategic leadership across development powers, environmental assessment and statutory consents.
In this senior role, you'll lead the development and delivery of the consents strategy for major capital investment schemes, making sure the right approvals, powers and agreements are secured safely, effectively and in line with programme requirements.
Working across multidisciplinary teams, you'll bring together expertise from areas including Property, Town Planning, Legal Services, Liabilities and Parliamentary Agents. You'll also build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, including local authorities, political stakeholders and suppliers.
What you'll be doing
You'll:
- Lead the development and delivery of programmes covering Development Powers, including TWAO, DCO and Hybrid Bill processes, statutory consents and Environmental Impact Assessment.
- Develop strategies to secure the statutory consents, legal agreements, property requirements and sustainability outcomes needed to support successful programme delivery.
- Manage budgets and provide guidance on programme and project costs relating to consents and property requirements.
- Lead and develop a team of consents professionals, making sure the programme has the right capability and resources in place.
- Coordinate expertise across Property, Town Planning, Liabilities, Legal Services and Parliamentary Agents.
- Identify emerging opportunities and risks, using your expertise to help programmes make informed decisions.
- Champion best practice and identify opportunities to improve quality, efficiency and ways of working.
- Monitor the consents programme and its links with wider programme activities and contractual requirements.
- Build strong strategic relationships with key stakeholders, including senior local authority representatives, political stakeholders and suppliers.
- Act as a trusted authority on development powers and statutory consents, providing expert advice and leadership to programme executives and delivery teams.
- Develop and integrate effective programme management systems covering statutory consents, legal agreements, sustainability and property.
- Support a safe and capable team by ensuring appropriate resources, communication, training and competency arrangements are in place.
Who we're looking for
You'll be someone who can combine technical expertise with strong leadership and stakeholder management. You'll be comfortable working in a complex programme environment, bringing different professional disciplines together and translating statutory and regulatory requirements into clear, practical strategies. Just as importantly, you'll be an inclusive leader who creates an environment where people can contribute, challenge and succeed.
You'll be confident influencing senior stakeholders, managing competing priorities and making informed decisions where there are complex risks and dependencies. We recognise that great candidates will bring experience from different sectors and career paths. You don't need to have followed one particular route to be successful in this role. If you have relevant experience in major infrastructure, planning, development consent, environmental assessment or another complex regulatory environment, we'd encourage you to apply.
Why this role matters
This is an opportunity to have a significant influence on how major capital investment schemes are developed and delivered. Your leadership will help programmes navigate complex statutory requirements, manage risk and secure the powers and consents needed to progress.
You'll work with a wide range of specialists and senior stakeholders, while leading a team that plays an important part in turning major infrastructure plans into deliverable programmes.
Your experience and skills
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent and Member of a relevant professional body at chartered level
- Significant Post Qualification Experience including experience of complex statutory consent programmes in the construction and/or rail industries.
- Extensive knowledge of TWAO, DCO and/or Hybrid Bill procedures and associated requirements e.g. environmental legislation,
- Experience of managing consultants and budgets
- Excellent communication with demonstrable delivery of leadership and behavioural change.
- Experience of Public Inquiry procedures
- Experience of Environmental Impact Assessment
- Demonstrable experience of actively building internal and external networks to support delivery.
- Demonstrable experience of partnering across functions and boundaries.
- Demonstrable experience of translating business's goals into clear priorities and responsibilities.
- Demonstrable experience of managing interrelated and complex issues across business processes and teams
- Significant experience of communicating with and supporting others to understand how their function's business goals and activities support the broader business strategy
Desirable
- Knowledge of the principles of investment processes and procedures.
- Experience of the rail industry and/or transport industry
- Knowledge of public consultation and consents regarding Town Planning and Property.
Band & Salary: £71,163 - £86,801 per annum
Vacancy type: Permanent
Location: London Puddle Dock
Closing date: 19/11/2026
We're an organisation where people matter. We matter to millions.
We offer excellent benefits, including:
- Generous annual leave with the option to buy/sell days.
- Defined benefit pension scheme.
- 75% subsidy on rail and underground season tickets.
- Up to 75% off leisure travel.
- Carer's leave to support those who matter.
- Healthcare Scheme, GymPass discounts, Cycle to work plus more.
- We offer generous maternity, paternity, and adoption leave to support our employees during significant life moments
Discover all our benefits and what life is like at Network Rail.- click here
Click apply now to apply.
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We're proud to champion a diverse and inclusive workplace that reflects the communities we serve. To explore our ED&I commitments, https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/diversity-and-inclusion/.
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All offers of employment are conditional upon satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks. Click here for more information
***Some of our roles require face to face Drugs & Alcohol testing. Further details will be shared with you as part of your formal offer.****
For further information please contact Damian Hajnus - 07720512725
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