Senior Third Party Agreements Manager (Infrastructure / Utilities Focus) The Role This is a senior-level post within a nationally significant infrastructure programme (NSIP), where you’ll take the lead on all things related to third-party legal agreements. Think high-stakes coordination, multidisciplinary interface management, and a healthy amount of legal and commercial negotiation. You’ll be the thread that connects technical requirements with stakeholder expectations and regulatory obligations - all while keeping the programme moving. You’ll need to be confident working in the thick of a complex delivery environment, helping to untangle risk, bring clarity to negotiations, and ensure that every agreement is watertight before a single shovel hits the ground. What You'll Be Doing * Shaping and delivering the project-wide strategy for Third Party Agreements (TPAs) - from early engagement to close-out. * Leading on the legal and commercial interface with statutory undertakers. You’ll be the point person for negotiating, drafting, and resolving issues in protective provisions, side agreements, and other legal instruments. * Collaborating closely with legal, engineering, stakeholder, and environmental teams to embed third-party requirements into both the DCO and the wider delivery programme. * Developing and maintaining the TPA Management Plan, and making sure it aligns with project governance - from environmental assessments to design sign-offs. * Keeping a firm grip on tracking tools and registers (Mitigation Tracker, Commitments Register, etc.) and ensuring everything is properly documented. * Representing the project in meetings and negotiations with stakeholders - including technical working groups, legal workshops, and public consultations. * Providing senior-level reporting on progress, spend, and risk - particularly where external parties are involved. What You’ll Need to Bring Must-Haves: * Proven experience managing statutory undertaker engagement and Third Party Agreements on major infrastructure schemes. * Solid understanding of the DCO process or similar statutory consenting routes. * A good commercial and legal head - especially when it comes to drafting and negotiating formal undertakings with utility companies, public bodies, and landowners. * A history of getting things done across complex, multi-stakeholder environments and within tight statutory timescales. Nice-to-Haves: * Membership (or progress toward) a relevant professional body like RICS or RTPI. * Practical knowledge of infrastructure planning and delivery. * Experience drafting or reviewing legal documentation such as licences, MoUs, and protective provisions. Your Day-to-Day Could Include * Writing and owning the project’s TPA strategy and governance framework. * Taking charge of the drafting process - including negotiation, conflict resolution, and final wording. * Running the TPA register, prioritising risks, and tracking programme impact through regular reporting cycles. * Setting the engagement approach for a wide range of third parties - utilities, Network Rail, ports, local authorities, private landowners, and more. * Monitoring TPA-related spend and tracking exposure against programme budget. * Ensuring that no work starts without executed agreements in place - and flagging any issues that could delay delivery. * Leading and mentoring a small team, and supporting package engineers with advice on statutory processes and consent pathways. You’ll also be expected to deliver: * A robust TPA Management Plan * A weekly dashboard and live register of third-party agreements * Monthly reporting on accepted cost estimates * A clear stakeholder engagement plan * Up-to-date risk and opportunity logs * Close-out packs for each agreement, including liabilities, cost, and IP documentation