Principal Land Consultant
WSP
At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.
WSP’s Land team is seeking talented Land professionals to join what is already the largest and most successful team in our industry. This is an exciting opportunity to develop or begin a career with a team that enjoys a successful reputation for the successful delivery of major strategic infrastructure projects across the UK and Ireland through the support provided by land referencing, urban and rural landowner engagement, consultation management, land access, formal consents, statutory orders, compensation agreements and land acquisition. Apply and come and discuss the contributions you can make in the delivery of the widest portfolio of projects across all sectors in the UK and Ireland.
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We offer flexible working patterns, competitive salaries and other benefits.
To find out more about our Land business click on the following link and discover what awaits you at WSP: Land referencing and land assembly | WSP
Scotland
Our Scotland team consists of land consultants, property specialists, and utility/topographical surveyors working across our Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth offices. We work closely with over 300+ Land colleagues across the UK, Ireland and India delivering land services on a variety of projects across the energy, water, road, rail and active-travel sectors. Our clients develop major highway, rail, energy and renewable infrastructure projects all of which impact privately owned land. We are the largest land referencing business in the UK and Ireland, with recent high-profile projects include A9 Dualling; SSEN; and various onshore renewable schemes.
As part of our Land team, you will combine office, home and on-site working deliver components for the delivery of land consenting projects ensuring the validity, accuracy and auditability of information collected. You will work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment, working with a team of Land Consultants to deliver the necessary information required to identify, notify, engage, and gain access to lands and secure required consents with landowners affected by infrastructure projects.
We work locally, making a difference to projects across the whole of Scotland as well as nationally with other WSP teams, using our in-house land information and consultation databases alongside GIS systems, with a focus on innovation and quality. Our colleagues are from a diverse range of careers backgrounds including estate management, forestry, agriculture, project management, liaison officers, site supervision, land agency and more. The diverse range of skills all combine to provide a full and comprehensive skillset.
The role can be based in one of our offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow or Perth with the flexibility of hybrid working between one of these locations and from home.
Land Referencing
We are the largest and most successful Land business supporting infrastructure development in the UK and Ireland, with 300+ specialist professional colleagues consisting of land consultants, property specialists, project managers and utility and topographical surveyors. We have the widest portfolio of projects available in our industry, offering unrivalled opportunities to both develop and diversify careers, working on some of the most exciting and challenging projects across the whole of the UK and Ireland.
Our clients rely on us to deliver the essential land elements of their infrastructure projects and we enjoy a hard-earned reputation of success. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of this success, delivering land referencing, land acquisition, land access, formal consents, statutory orders and landowner engagement across all infrastructure sectors and make a positive impact on economy and communities these projects serve.
Our land referencing professionals, identify land and legal interest in land and use this data to secure powers and/or negotiate land acquisition and land access to support infrastructure development. We provide clients with all the land-related statutory documentation the need to comply with planning processes as they develop, plan, securing and exercise powers to construct, operate and maintain their infrastructure assets. Using the land referencing data, we ensure projects not just comply with legislation but also fulfil their data security obligations, engage meaningfully with landowners and other affected stakeholders, and maximize their benefits of the landed data we provide throughout project lifecycle, ultimately registering the new rights in the name of the client.
WSP Land supports the highest-profile infrastructure projects across the Energy, Highways, Water, Rail, Local Government and Aviation sectors.
Our Energy projects are critical for the deployment of renewable energy and helping the economy to achieve net zero carbon emissions. We support a range of energy generation (nuclear and renewable) and transmission and distribution projects across the UK and Ireland, including distribution and carbon capture.
WSP Land’s history started in the Highway sector in the 1980s and we have been supporting road schemes throughout the UK and Ireland ever since, including the M4 Smart Motorway project, the A5 in Ireland and the A9 in Scotland.
WSP Land has a 30+ year history of supporting major Rail projects including the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL or HS1); Central Railway; the Thameslink Programme, the first major Transport & Works Act project; West Coast Mainline Four Tracking; HS2 Phases 1, 2a and 2b; TransPennine Route Upgrade (TRU) and East West Rail (EWR). Our track record also includes successes in light rail and metro schemes including Manchester Metrolink, Nottingham Express Transit, Edinburgh Tram, Luton Translink and the current Dublin MetroLink project, Ireland’s largest ever infrastructure project.
Assisting with the UK’s and Ireland’s Water resilience and distribution needs, WSP Land supports a number of projects promoted by water companies. We were the only land referencing service provider appointed to support the 25km Tideway Tunnel, the first major DCO project, supporting the project from planning, submission and examination to implementation, delivery and operation.
Mirroring WSP’s support of many Local Government authorities across the length and breadth of the UK and Ireland, WSP Land provides support to local government clients in the management of their land and property assets.
In Aviation, WSP Land continues to support the Heathrow Expansion project. Since our original appointment in 2026, we have remained the only land referencing service provider appointed to the project, demonstrating our capacity to address what will be, in land referencing terms, easily the largest project ever undertaken in the UK. We have also supported Birmingham Airport and the successful Luton Airport DCO.
Principal Land Consultant
Ensure successful delivery of projects securely, on time, within budget and to high standards
Be a trusted advisor to clients (externally and internally) and manage relationships
Advise on Land issues across the UK and Ireland, including at least some of the relevant statutory processes to acquire land such as DCOs, DNOs, hybrid Bills, Scottish Bills, TWA, T&CPA, CPOs, Motorway Orders, Vesting Orders, etc
Secure land rights for high profile, strategic infrastructure projects across all sectors
Liaise with landowners, land agents, legal representatives, planning authorities, key stakeholders, contractors and clients
Work with Land team colleagues and collaborate with engineering, environmental, and planning teams both within WSP and as part of project supply chains
Undertake quality assurance of deliverables in relation to the identification of land interests and rights, negotiation of access to land for surveys, consents and acquisition of land rights for large scale development projects, as well as land acquisition and planning applications.
Support quality and the sharing of knowledge and lessons across regions and projects
People management as a leader and role model
Manage, motivate, mentor and develop staff and contribute to the development and delivery of the business strategy
Support the writing of bids/tenders to secure opportunities from internal and external clients
Delivery of training on technical topics by contributing to and participating in our CPD-accredited Land Academy
UK and Ireland travel plus the possibility of travel to WSP’s Global Capability Centre (GCC) in India
What we will be looking for you to demonstrate
Expertise in urban and/or rural environment, property, communities and stakeholders
Experience in working on infrastructure development schemes with multi-disciplinary teams across a range of sectors and locations
Experience of negotiating commercial terms with landowners and knowledge of the legal process for the acquisition of wayleaves and easement and negotiated access
Demonstrable experience of reducing land risk for clients and advising them on land-related matters throughout all stages of a project lifecycle
Track record of the development of Orders, etc and/or acquisition of consents and interests in land, and knowledge of relevant legislation
Ability to communicate effectively with strong influencing and negotiating skills
Ability to work in a team and on own initiative, being able to work under pressure and deliver high quality outputs
Strong landowner and public engagement skills
Good business and IT skills
Adherence to quality assurance and good document management skills
A degree in Geography, Land/Estate Management, Agriculture or similar
Chartership or membership of a relevant professional body would be advantageous
The ability to travel effectively to various sites/locations is a necessary function of this role.
Don’t quite meet all the criteria? Apply, and we can see how your experience aligns to this role and other opportunities within the team. Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all
Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.
With us, you can. Apply today.
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