Junior Land Consultant, 12 month Fixed Term Contract

at  WSP

Our clients develop major highway, rail, energy and renewable infrastructure and projects all of which impact privately owned land. You will work as part of a team of Land Consultants assisting in the liaison with landowners that may be affected by development, obtaining the appropriate consent, gaining access and where necessary compensating them for the impact caused by the scheme.
As part of our team you will support the delivery of land access and land acquisition projects through the identification of land ownership, consultation with landowners, undertaking property valuation, assessing and negotiating compensation, combining skills in GIS, data management and landowner engagement.
The role would ideally suit someone wanting to develop their skills in the Land sector as they will gain experience across significant infrastructure projects in energy and road sectors and consent regimes including Vesting Order, Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and Strategic Infrastructure Development planning applications. We will support your professional development with a relevant professional organisation such as Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) or the Royal Geographical Society (RGS).

Responsibilities

• As Land Referencer based in our Belfast office, you will be directly supporting the Land team who work alongside engineers, environmental specialists and planners on high profile infrastructure projects providing the level of diligent inquiry needed for the submission of Statutory Orders and the successful acceptance of planning submissions
• Undertake land referencing activities including Land Registry NI and Property Registration Authority research, desktop research, questionnaire analysis, landowner liaison, site visits, data management and archival investigations to identify all legal land interests and rights in land
• Support with site visits to landowners and those people and organisations whose property or rights are affected by development and infrastructure delivery
• Agree access to land so that environmental and other surveys can be carried out
• You will contribute to the WSP Land Team delivery and success of high-profile infrastructure projects within Ireland and the wider UK business. You will be supporting projects in multiple sectors, including the energy sector, where the team supports the development of critical infrastructure that is crucial for the “net zero” economy
• Your work will also support our teams in the delivery of land access, land agreements, landowner engagement, stakeholder engagement, and supporting projects through to the consenting stages.
• You will assist in the preparation of statutory documentation, including Vesting Order, CPO, Hybrid Bill, DCO and support documentation for planning applications across multi-disciplinary teams in managing land & stakeholder risk for infrastructure projects.

Qualifications

• Recently graduated with a degree in geography or another relevant discipline, which has provided you with an understanding of the complexities of land-use and/or landownership in Ireland/UK
• An understanding of the Land Referencing process which would be beneficial.
• Demonstrable experience of desktop researching and problem-solving, so that you can apply your techniques to process of identifying landowners/occupiers, land interests and rights in land.
• Knowledge of the rural environment and farming practices would be an advantage.
• The role will require visits to sites as part of a team, to speak with landowners and stakeholders. This will involve periods staying away from home (accommodation and expenses are provided).
• Effective communication and organisational skills, with demonstrable experience in managing data.
• A degree of comfort in reading and using maps in a technical way.
• Excellent written/verbal communication skills, with a comfort in being able to write and articulate your findings.
• Experience using MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams).
• A full drivers licence is essential

• As Land Referencer based in our Belfast office, you will be directly supporting the Land team who work alongside engineers, environmental specialists and planners on high profile infrastructure projects providing the level of diligent inquiry needed for the submission of Statutory Orders and the successful acceptance of planning submissions
• Undertake land referencing activities including Land Registry NI and Property Registration Authority research, desktop research, questionnaire analysis, landowner liaison, site visits, data management and archival investigations to identify all legal land interests and rights in land
• Support with site visits to landowners and those people and organisations whose property or rights are affected by development and infrastructure delivery
• Agree access to land so that environmental and other surveys can be carried out
• You will contribute to the WSP Land Team delivery and success of high-profile infrastructure projects within Ireland and the wider UK business. You will be supporting projects in multiple sectors, including the energy sector, where the team supports the development of critical infrastructure that is crucial for the “net zero” economy
• Your work will also support our teams in the delivery of land access, land agreements, landowner engagement, stakeholder engagement, and supporting projects through to the consenting stages.
• You will assist in the preparation of statutory documentation, including Vesting Order, CPO, Hybrid Bill, DCO and support documentation for planning applications across multi-disciplinary teams in managing land & stakeholder risk for infrastructure projects