Associate Surveyor, Land Rights - Ardent

Joshua Robert is delighted to be working with Ardent to recruit an experienced Associate – Land Services (Land Rights) to join its growing East of England team in Cambridge.

About

The Role
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced Land Rights professional to play a key role in building Ardent's presence across Cambridge and the wider East of England.

The successful candidate will provide senior land rights and technical leadership across major infrastructure programmes, with exposure to projects spanning the solar, wind, transport and utilities sectors.

This is a delivery-led position with genuine commercial responsibility. You will work closely with clients, landowners and multidisciplinary project teams, providing technical leadership across land, legal, engineering and consenting interfaces.

The role will suit someone with the confidence and judgement to represent both Ardent and client land teams, while building constructive relationships with landowners and their representatives.

Key Responsibilities
 
Lead land acquisition strategy and land rights delivery on major infrastructure programmes across the East of England
Represent Ardent on client projects, maintaining high standards and managing interfaces across land, legal, engineering and consenting
Lead negotiations with landowners and their representatives
Secure easements, wayleaves and access rights
Manage complex land acquisition and land rights work streams
Provide advice to senior project and client-side stakeholders
Contribute to bids and business development activity to support regional growth
Build your own professional network across the region
Spend time in both the Cambridge and London offices during the early stages of the role
Mentor and develop more junior colleagues as the regional team grows  About Ardent
Ardent is an infrastructure and regeneration specialist focused on delivering life-improving change for communities and future generations.

With more than 35 years' experience, Ardent has established itself as a market leader in Land Assembly & Compulsory Purchase and Development Consent Order (DCO) land advice.

The business has the largest team of CPO surveyors in the UK and Ireland and has:
 
Submitted more than 100 DCOs
Been involved in more than 150 major DCO, CPO and TWAO projects
Acted as the property expert at more than 100 DCO examinations
Supported 15,000 new homes
Powered 15 million homes through Ardent projects  Ardent is now investing heavily in its regional growth, with the East of England representing a key part of its long-term strategy.
This is an opportunity to join one of Ardent's newest regional teams at an early stage and play a meaningful role in shaping its continued development.

About You
We are looking for an experienced land professional with a strong background in land acquisition and land rights across major infrastructure projects.
You will ideally have:
 
Proven experience leading land acquisition strategies on major utility, energy, transport or linear infrastructure projects
DCO, CPO or equivalent statutory acquisition experience
CPO experience under the Electricity Act would be advantageous
Strong understanding of land acquisition and access processes, including easements, wayleaves and rights over land
A proven track record of leading complex stakeholder and landowner negotiations
Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and external supply chains
Strong programme, cost and risk management capability
Experience managing land risk registers, trackers and project reporting
Confidence advising and collaborating with senior project and client-side stakeholders
An understanding of planning, consenting and environmental processes within infrastructure development
Chartered status (MRICS, FAAV or equivalent) is preferred but not essential
Experience at Associate level, or the potential and ambition to step up into the role
The potential to progress towards Associate Director  A background in energy, utilities and linear infrastructure is ideal. Rural practitioners and candidates with transferable land rights experience from telecoms will also be considered.

You will also need a commercial mindset, with the ability to identify opportunities with existing and prospective clients, alongside a genuine interest in helping to build and shape a growing regional team.

Why Join Ardent?
Ardent places genuine emphasis on career development, with structured training, professional development and a strong track record of promoting…