You’ll work at the interface between policy, regulation and project delivery, engaging with government, regulators, industry bodies and internal stakeholders to drive consistency, best practice and continual improvement across our marine consenting activities.
This is a hybrid role, giving you the flexibility to work from home and one of our UK office locations, alongside occasional travel for team meetings, stakeholder engagement and industry events.
What you’ll do
As our subject matter expert for marine planning and policy, you’ll help shape National Grid’s approach to marine consenting and ensure our offshore projects are well positioned to respond to a rapidly evolving regulatory environment. You’ll:
- Monitor and influence emerging marine planning and policy developments across the UK and advise on their implications for offshore infrastructure projects.
- Lead National Grid’s input to Marine Plan consultations, National Policy Statement reviews and other strategic planning and policy initiatives.
- Provide expert advice on marine planning, marine licensing, Development Consent Orders (DCOs) and offshore consenting strategy.
- Support project teams in the delivery of key consenting stages, including marine routing and siting, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), stakeholder engagement and post-consent discharge.
- Develop and embed consistent marine consenting processes, standards and lessons learned across a portfolio of offshore projects.
- Act as a critical friend to project teams, undertaking assurance activities and promoting best practice in consenting delivery.
- Coordinate and communicate advice from regulators and consultees, including the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Marine Directorate Licensing Operations Team (MD-LOT) and the Planning Inspectorate.
- Provide marine consenting input into strategic initiatives including the Centralised Strategic Network Plan (CSNP) and Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP).
- Build and maintain strategic relationships with government departments, regulators, industry bodies and key stakeholders.
- Represent National Grid at industry working groups, forums and external engagement events, helping to shape future marine policy and consenting approaches.
What you’ll bring
We’re looking for an experienced marine planning, policy or consenting professional who combines technical expertise with strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills. You’ll have:
- Experience supporting or leading marine planning, marine policy and/or marine consenting activities for offshore infrastructure, subsea cable, offshore renewables or other major marine development projects.
- A strong understanding of marine licensing, DCOs, EIA and wider offshore consenting requirements.
- Experience engaging with government departments, regulators, statutory bodies and influential stakeholders.
- Knowledge of the relationships between marine planning, environmental assessment, stakeholder engagement and project consenting.
- The ability to work across multidisciplinary teams, integrating technical, environmental, commercial, legal and engineering inputs to support project delivery.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex and sometimes contentious issues to a wide range of audiences.
- The credibility to influence senior stakeholders internally and externally.
What we’re looking for
Essential:
- Degree in Marine Biology, Environmental Sciences, Environmental Impact Assessment, Town and Country Planning, Marine Environmental Consultancy or a related discipline.
- Demonstrable experience in marine consenting and/or marine policy development.
Desirable:
- Experience of marine consenting or policy development within Wales or other devolved administrations.
- PIEMA or equivalent professional accreditation.
Salary range: £55,000 – £65,000
Application deadline: November 1, 2026
