Principal Consultant - Offshore Post Consent Compliance Manager (Mid-Senior Level)

Shape the Future of Offshore Infrastructure with ERM

At ERM, we help our clients deliver some of the world's most significant energy and infrastructure projects responsibly and sustainably. As the global leader in sustainability consulting, we are supporting the transition to a low-carbon future through major offshore wind, transmission and distribution, renewable energy, and hydrogen developments.

We are looking for an experienced Principal Consultant - Offshore Consents & Post-Consent Compliance Manager to join our growing UK Capital Project Delivery team.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in the delivery of nationally significant infrastructure projects, guiding clients through the critical transition from consent approval to construction. You'll help ensure projects remain compliant, environmental commitments are fulfilled, and regulatory risks are proactively managed, enabling successful project delivery.

If you're passionate about delivering complex offshore projects, collaborating with leading developers and regulators, and influencing positive environmental outcomes, we'd love to hear from you.

The Opportunity

As a Principal Consultant, you will act as a trusted advisor to clients, leading post-consent compliance and consent management activities across major offshore infrastructure projects.

Working closely with project developers, regulators, engineers, contractors and multidisciplinary technical teams, you will help translate consent requirements and environmental commitments into practical delivery solutions throughout construction.

You'll take ownership of compliance strategies, provide regulatory leadership, and support the continued growth of ERM's expanding post-consent services offering.

What You'll Be Doing

Project Leadership & Compliance Management

• Lead Environmental Consents Manager and Post-Consent Compliance Manager roles on major offshore infrastructure developments.

• Develop and implement compliance and consent management strategies that support efficient project delivery and minimise environmental and regulatory risk.

• Establish and manage consents, commitments, and obligations registers, ensuring requirements are tracked, communicated, and discharged effectively.

• Oversee the implementation of consent conditions, environmental commitments, monitoring requirements, and mitigation measures during project delivery.

• Coordinate applications for discharge of requirements, planning conditions, licences, and other regulatory obligations.

Stakeholder & Regulatory Engagement

• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients, project teams, contractors, regulators, and statutory consultees on consent and compliance matters.

• Build strong working relationships with organisations including the Planning Inspectorate, Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Natural England, and other regulatory bodies.

• Lead compliance audits, inspections, and regulatory reviews, ensuring projects remain aligned with consent requirements.

Strategic Advisory

• Provide clear and pragmatic advice on managing environmental risk throughout construction.

• Prepare concise reports and compliance updates for project leadership, clients, and regulators.

• Collaborate with engineering, planning, environmental, legal, and construction teams to integrate consent requirements into project delivery programmes.

Growth & Team Development

• Support business development through client engagement, proposals, presentations, and thought leadership.

• Mentor and develop junior consultants, contributing to a collaborative and high-performing team culture.

Why Join ERM?

At ERM, you'll have the opportunity to work on some of the UK's most complex and high-profile offshore projects while being part of a global organisation committed to sustainability and innovation.

You'll benefit from:

• Exposure to industry-leading offshore wind, renewable energy, and infrastructure projects.

• The opportunity to shape and grow a rapidly expanding post-consent services team.

• A collaborative, supportive, and inclusive culture.

• Access to world-class technical expertise across environmental, engineering, planning, and sustainability disciplines.

• Clear career progression and professional development opportunities within a global consultancy.

What We're Looking For

We're interested in hearing from experienced environmental and consenting professionals who can demonstrate:

• Experience in offshore consent management, post-consent compliance, environmental planning, or environmental project delivery.

• Proven involvement in the discharge and management of consent requirements, planning conditions, licences, and environmental commitments for major infrastructure projects.

• Strong understanding of UK offshore consenting frameworks, including:

  • Development Consent Orders (DCOs)

  • Electricity Act Section 36 Consents

  • Marine licences and associated environmental permitting regimes

• Knowledge of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and the practical implementation of mitigation and monitoring commitments.

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills and experience working with regulators, developers, contractors, and multidisciplinary teams.

• Excellent communication, organisational, project management, and problem-solving abilities.

• A degree in Environmental Management, Environmental Planning, Geography, Ecology, Engineering, Law, or a related discipline.

Desirable

• Experience supporting environmental compliance during construction phases of major infrastructure projects.

• Experience within offshore wind, electricity transmission and distribution, renewable energy, or hydrogen sectors.

• Professional membership such as IEMA, RTPI, CIWEM, CEnv, or equivalent.

• Previous mentoring, coaching, or line management experience.

About You

You're a commercially aware and solutions-focused environmental professional who enjoys working at the interface between development, regulation, and project delivery.

You thrive in collaborative environments, build trusted relationships with clients and regulators, and are motivated by helping major infrastructure projects achieve successful environmental outcomes. Most importantly, you're ready to play a key role in delivering projects that support the energy transition and create lasting positive impact.

Join ERM and help deliver the next generation of offshore infrastructure projects while shaping a more sustainable future.