Land Access Manager
On-siteBengaluru, Karnataka, India or New Delhi, Delhi, India
Job Summary
Lead the land access workstream on assigned UK capital projects, owning strategy, programme, budget, and risk for landowner engagement, access agreements, and wayleaves. Negotiate and secure voluntary access agreements, options, licences, and wayleaves with landowners, tenants, and their agents, in line with client mandates. Manage and quality-assure land referencing outputs (Book of Reference, Land Interest schedules, Land Plans) to support DCO, TWAO, and planning submissions, coordinating with GIS and consenting leads. Act as the primary interface between ERM project teams, client project managers, external legal advisers, and landowners/agents, ensuring clear, timely, and professional communication. Provide input into feasibility, routing, and consenting decisions by flagging land access risks, constraints, and mitigation options early in the project lifecycle. Ensure compliance with ERM's health, safety, quality, and ethics standards on all fieldwork and landowner engagement, including lone-working and land access risk assessments. Maintain accurate records, audit trails, and evidence of engagement to support future consent examinations, compulsory purchase inquiries, or dispute resolution.
Required Qualifications
- Demonstrable experience (typically 7+ years) in land access, land referencing, wayleaves, or right-of-way acquisition on UK linear infrastructure, energy, utilities, or major development projects
- Proven ability to lead landowner negotiations end-to-end — from initial engagement through to signed agreement, damage settlement, and post-works reinstatement
- Working knowledge of the UK legal and regulatory framework for land access, including the Electricity Act 1989, New Roads and Street Works Act, Planning Act 2008 (DCO), Compulsory Purchase, and voluntary wayleave regimes
- Experience delivering land referencing outputs to support DCO, TWAO, s.36, or planning applications, including Book of Reference and Land Plans
- Strong stakeholder management skills across landowners, agents, solicitors, statutory undertakers, and client project teams
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, budgets, and workstreams to time, cost, and quality — with commercial awareness of utilisation, margin, and negative variance management
- Confident user of GIS, land data platforms, and Microsoft 365; comfortable interpreting title, deeds, and plans
- Experience on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), offshore transmission onshore works, or large renewables portfolios
- Prior line management or team leadership experience within a consultancy, developer, or utility land team
- Familiarity with post-consent land activities including construction access, crossings, and reinstatement
- Exposure to global delivery or shared service environments, with experience working alongside offshore/CDH delivery teams
- Experience using automation, GIS-linked land databases, or AI-enabled tools for land referencing and stakeholder tracking
Desired Qualifications
- Experience on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), offshore transmission onshore works, or large renewables portfolios
- Prior line management or team leadership experience within a consultancy, developer, or utility land team
- Familiarity with post-consent land activities including construction access, crossings, and reinstatement
- Exposure to global delivery or shared service environments, with experience working alongside offshore/CDH delivery teams
- Experience using automation, GIS-linked land databases, or AI-enabled tools for land referencing and stakeholder tracking
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