Principal Consultant - Land Referencing

Ardent; West Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave with options to buy or carry over

Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

Health care benefits

Cycle to Work scheme

Electric car leasing

Discretionary annual bonus scheme

Long service leave

Recognition awards

Job summary

A leading consulting firm in the UK is seeking a Principal Consultant in Land Referencing to lead and manage land referencing activities for major infrastructure projects. You will liaise with landowners, provide technical advice, and foster an inclusive team culture. The ideal candidate should have strong skills in building relationships, strategic workforce planning, and delivering technical land referencing outputs. The role offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health care and cycle to work schemes.

Qualifications

• Mid-Senior level role requiring strong interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in land referencing and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience with varied consenting regimes across projects.
• Delivery of land referencing elements across DCO, CPO, and TWAO projects.
• Analytical skills to identify discrepancies between scope and client requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead land referencing activities for major projects.
• Enhance team engagement and promote inclusivity.
• Liaise with landowners and provide technical advice.
• Encourage communication on health & safety issues.
• Demonstrate strong judgment in conflict resolution.

Skills

Strong proficiency in building effective working relationships

Ability to inspire and develop high-performing teams

Strong strategic workforce planning

Proven ability to deliver all technical elements of land referencing projects

Strong analytical skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to contribute to winning work

Job description

Principal Consultant - Land Referencing

Full Time - Permanent

Directorate: Land Referencing

About Us: Ardent is the UK’s leading provider of land, consent management, and stakeholder engagement services, supporting major infrastructure and regeneration projects from concept to delivery. We are passionate about delivering life‑improving change for communities and future generations.

Role Purpose

As a Principal Consultant in Land Referencing, you will lead and manage land referencing activities for major infrastructure and regeneration projects. Your role will involve liaising with landowners, providing technical advice, and ensuring the quality and accuracy of land referencing outputs. You will be pivotal in enhancing team engagement, driving commercial performance, and fostering a culture of inclusivity, health, safety, and wellbeing.

Key Responsibilities

• Boost team engagement by suggesting and supporting targeted initiatives, tracking progress, and contributing to a welcoming and inclusive work environment.
• Liaise with landowners and colleagues, providing technical advice on land referencing outputs to clients and junior team members, strengthening relationships and improving project delivery.
• Support cross‑functional collaboration between Ardent’s directorates and increase the awareness and position of the Land Referencing team within the project team and wider business.
• Promote a culture of wellness within your team, identifying health and wellbeing issues early and proactively engaging with People & Culture to address concerns.
• Encourage regular communication on health & safety issues and performance, ensuring team members have the right PPE and resources when working on site.
• Provide guidance and advice to clients in a technical capacity, demonstrating leadership traits including taking ownership of tasks, confidently advising and reporting to clients, and fostering positive working relationships.
• Demonstrate strong judgment by managing and resolving conflicts diplomatically, finding common ground among stakeholders, and aligning communication efforts with organisational goals.

Skills & Experience

• Strong proficiency in building effective working relationships with clients and other stakeholders, both internally and externally, enhancing cross‑functional teamwork and aligned decision‑making.
• Ability to inspire, develop, and empower high‑performing teams by enhancing productivity and promoting a culture of trust and accountability.
• Demonstrates strong strategic workforce planning by identifying and addressing resource gaps within the team, sourcing candidates by leveraging industry networks, ensuring timely recruitment and alignment of team capabilities with organisational objectives.
• Proven ability to deliver all technical elements of land referencing projects, understanding and advising internally and externally, with awareness of differing consenting regimes across DCO, CPO, and TWAO projects.
• Strong analytical skills in identifying discrepancies between project scope and client requirements, raising potential variations with the Project Account Manager/Director, client, and Finance Director as necessary.
• Excellent communication skills to explain complex technical outputs to non‑technical audiences, translating spatial analysis into clear, actionable insights.
• Ability to contribute to winning work through producing successful tenders and securing repeat business from existing clients.

Pay Range and Compensation Package

25 days of annual leave (with options to buy or carry over); Enhanced maternity and paternity pay; Benenden Health Care (mental health support, 24/7 GP services, physiotherapy, optical and dental cover, personal accident protection); Cycle to Work scheme, electric car leasing, recognition awards, long service leave, discretionary annual bonus scheme.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer, and we’re passionate about creating a workplace where you’re empowered to bring your authentic self to work every day. We are committed to building a diverse, inclusive team where everyone belongs. We welcome talent from all backgrounds and actively encourage applications from under‑represented groups.

Contact

To apply or learn more about this opportunity, please submit your CV to [e-mail] or reach out to Savanna Poselay at [e-mail].

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Consulting