DCO Development Director

Job Description

Salary: Circa £150,000

Full-time, with flexibility for part-time

37 hours per week/permanent

Location: Peterborough and London - Hybrid Working 2-3 days in office weekly, with attendance at both locations as required

Private health care

Double-matched pension

Life assurance at 8 times salary

Shape the future of water and leave a legacy for generations

At Anglian Water, we’re delivering one of the most ambitious infrastructure programmes in the UK, a multi-billion-pound investment that will secure water resilience for millions of customers, protect the environment, and support sustainable growth across the region.

Our Reservoirs Programme, including the Fens and Lincolnshire reservoir projects, are the most complex capital projects in our history. These are Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) that will redefine how water is stored, managed and supplied for decades to come.

We are now seeking an exceptional DCO Development Director to lead the programme through one of its most critical phases: securing Development Consent Orders (DCOs) to unlock delivery.

The role: a critical leadership opportunity

This is a rare opportunity to operate at the highest level of infrastructure development, leading the consenting strategy and execution for projects of national importance. Reporting to the Reservoirs Programme Director you will:

• Lead the end-to-end DCO strategy, shaping how these schemes are defined, positioned and consented
• Drive successful DCO applications, ensuring they are robust, fundable and aligned with national policy and regulatory requirements
• Engage at senior level with regulators and government bodies, including the Planning Inspectorate and key statutory stakeholders
• Oversee a complex, multi-disciplinary delivery model, spanning planning, engineering, environmental assessment, land, legal and consultation
• Influence national infrastructure thinking, managing risks and shaping how large-scale water resource projects are delivered in the UK

Why this role matters

This isn’t just another infrastructure project.

• A once-in-a-generation programme to secure future water supply across the East of England
• Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), delivered under the DCO planning regime
• Multi-billion-pound investments, with development funding already secured to progress to consent
• Complex stakeholder landscape, from government and regulators to local communities and industry partners
• Direct route to delivery, influencing projects that will ultimately be designed, built and operated into the 2030s

About you

We’re looking for a highly credible, strategic leader who can operate with authority at executive level and thrive in complex environments. You will bring:

• Proven senior leadership experience developing and delivering major infrastructure programmes, ideally NSIPs
• Strong DCO expertise, including leading projects through pre-application, examination and approval
• A track record of leading large, multi-disciplinary teams across organisations and supply chains
• Deep understanding of planning, environmental, legal and regulatory frameworks
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills, with experience influencing government, regulators and investors
• The ability to balance strategy with delivery, making decisions that unlock progress while managing risk

Above all, you will bring the gravitas, judgement and vision needed to lead one of the UK’s most high-profile infrastructure programmes.

Why Anglian Water?

At Anglian Water, we’re not just building infrastructure, we’re building resilience, sustainability and stronger communities. You’ll be part of an organisation that:

• Puts environmental leadership at the heart of everything we do
• Invests in innovation and long-term thinking
• Empowers leaders to shape strategy and deliver meaningful impact
• Lives its values: Build Trust, Do the Right Thing, Always Exploring
• All within the commitment to live Safer Every Day

As a valued employee, you’ll be entitled to:

• Personal private health care
• Life assurance (up to 8 x salary)
• Personal accident cover (up to 5 x salary)
• Double-matched pension (maximum 7% employee contribution/14% employer contribution)
• 30 days annual leave
• Excellent family friendly policies, such as 26 weeks full pay for maternity / adoption leave, as well as 4 weeks paid paternity / partner leave. Opportunity for shared parental pay
• Bonus scheme, up to 25%
• Flexible benefits to support your wellbeing and lifestyle.

Inclusion at Anglian Water:

We value the representation & diversity within our communities. Inclusion is for every one and we are an equal opportunity employer, which means we’ll consider all suitably qualified applicants regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnic origin, nationality, religion or beliefs, age, sexual orientation, disability status or any other protected characteristic. We recruit and develop our people based on merit and their passion for creating better outcomes, and we’re committed to creating an environment where all our colleagues feel they belong.

Apply now and be part of delivering the Fens & Lincolnshire Reservoirs Programme.

Closing date: Thursday 4th June

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