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The Company

Buchan Offshore Wind is the developer of a major floating offshore wind farm 75 km to the northeast of Fraserburgh on the Aberdeenshire coast.  With an anticipated capacity of close to 1GW and a connection date of 2033, the project would feature up to 70 turbines and has the potential to generate the equivalent of the annual power needs of some 1.4 million British homes.

A dynamic, committed and focused project team has seen the project deliver on its key milestones to date, with  both the offshore and onshore consent applications submitted to the Scottish Government and Aberdeenshire Council respectively, in Autumn 2025. The focus is now making preparations for moving toward CfD submission phase, enhancing the supply chain programme and delivering on the project’s engineering roadmap.

The project’s key differentiator is the selection of BW Ideol’s patented Damping Pool® floating substructure in concrete which has the potential to both accelerate delivery and generate significant levels of employment in Scotland, with BW Ideol actively working to establish a manufacturing centre at the former oil and gas fabrication yard at Port of Ardersier.

The joint venture has three equal partners, with highly relevant and complementary capability and expertise: BayWa r.e., a global renewable energy business with UK offices in Glasgow and Edinburgh; BW Ideol, a proven floating technology leader and international floating wind project co-developer; and Elicio, an experienced Belgian offshore wind developer, owner and operator.

This major multi-billion-pound infrastructure project will include up to 70 WTGs and associated floating foundations, up to 3 offshore substation platforms, 1 intermediate reactive compensation platform, a cable route of circa 90km offshore, 30 km of onshore cable and a HVAC substation connecting to SSE’s onshore transmission system.   More information on the project, including the related planning applications can be found at www.buchanoffshorewind.com.

 

The Role

The Head of Consents and Land is a critical role driving land and consenting strategy and delivery for the Buchan Offshore Wind project, reporting directly to the Project Director. The successful candidate will be responsible for all consenting and land aspects associated with the onshore and offshore infrastructure for the Buchan Offshore Wind project.

The project submitted applications for both its  offshore and onshore consents in Q3 2025 having undertaken detailed and robust surveys and assessments, and extensive engagement with key stakeholders and local communities.  The Head of Consent and Land will be responsible for taking the project through to Final Investment Decision (FID) in 2029 and into the construction phase and beyond, ensuring successful determination of key consents, progressing detailed planning / matters specified for onshore consent, voluntary negotiation of a complex interacting land acquisition campaign, and discharge of consent conditions – a critical and complex phase for the project.

The Head of Consents and Land will work with an integrated engineering, planning and project team to identify a deliverable and de-risked consenting and land solution for this critical infrastructure project that meets the projects commercial and technical objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Buchan Offshore Wind has an agile and experienced development team which will grow as the project progresses through development and construction. In this role, the candidate will lead a number of critical aspects of the project, including:

Land Acquisition

  • Land Strategy Development – the project land strategy will require ongoing development and refinement, and the Head of Consents and Land will ensure that the land priorities meet the requirements of the project and reflect the wider development strategy and project de-risking.
  • Land Negotiations – the successful candidate will:
    • work with specialist advisors and have oversight of and lead commercial negotiations with landowners to conclude land deals that meet the project development programme.
    • Represent the project in collaborative discussions and workstreams with other land interests in the region including other offshore wind and energy developers and other third parties; and
    • Secure crossing and interface agreements with existing and proposed third party land interests as required for both onshore and offshore infrastructure.
  • Manage Landowner Relationships – through all aspects of the project development, including negotiations, site access and management of third party interactions, the individual will be responsible for ensuring that the project builds strong and positive relationships with landowners that de-risk the development and delivery of the project.

Offshore and Onshore Consents

  • Support the project through to successful timely and positive determination of the offshore and onshore consents driving progress on key risk items including ornithology compensation, civilian and military aviation mitigation and engagement with commercial fisheries. This may also include the production and timely delivery of any additional environmental information and/or responses to representations to the offshore application by Scottish Ministers and/ or Aberdeenshire Council.
  • Continue engagement with MD-LOT, Aberdeenshire Council and key consultees and stakeholders to inform consent conditions to reduce delivery risk to project, ensuring that requirements of consent conditions are understood across the wider team to effect timely discharging
  • Oversee strategy development and deliver the next phase of the onshore consent application taking the project from planning permission in principle to full planning (or matters specified), with submission(s) of a quality application that reflects the projects technical and commercial requirements, targeted in 2027.
  • Lead discharge of consent conditions and manage interfaces between engineering and commercial teams to ensure that consenting requirements are understood, agreed and reflected in design and procurement activities
  • Work alongside the stakeholder, communication and policy lead and continue to deliver consent related stakeholder, local and community engagement to continue the positive and engaged perception of the project which are critical to successful determination and the ongoing positive relationship with the project and local communities and stakeholders.
  • Provide subject matter expert support to the stakeholder communication and policy lead to ensure that the project is influencing and/or informed of key policy and regulatory developments that will have a material impact on development and delivery of the project. Represent the project through trade associations and industry groups including SOWEC, SR, RUK etc.

General

  • Supporting the Project Management team in development and delivery against the programme. Ensuring the consenting and land activities are delivered against the programme milestones, that programme risks are identified, key programme interfaces are managed, and that critical path activities are derisked,
  • Creation and control the consenting and land budgets within the annual budgeting period and for the period up to FID. The individual will ensure that the budget strategy balances the needs to accelerate the programme, derisk delivery, and create value while appropriately prioritising at risk pre-FID development spend.  They will be responsible for delivering the consenting and land aspects of the project on time and in budget, supporting the project management and finance teams in tracking spend against budget and programme,
  • Ensuring that the consenting and land activities of the project put Health, Safey and Environmental best practice as central to its success. The candidate will drive a positive HSEQ culture ensuring that HSEQ is integrated into the project outcomes, processes, and attitudes.
  • Be a visible and vocal part of the project leadership group, working alongside the project director, commercial director, technical and engineering director and wider project leadership to ensuring that collaboration and integration is a core part of the team culture. They will be responsible for driving forward project and organisational initiatives that enable the project to deliver against its core objectives,
  • Collaborating with the Project Shareholders as part of the project governance processes, supporting reporting to and engagement with the shareholders and directors at board meetings and as part of the project delivery.
  • Be an externally facing advocate for Buchan Offshore Wind, supporting the influence strategy of the project, ensuring that the project is recognised by the appropriate key decision makers and stakeholders as critical to delivering Scottish and UK Governments Net Zero and Just Transition objectives. Ensuring that the engineering and technical teams are ambassadors of technical excellence and engaged with the wider industry and supply chain.

Candidate Requirements

The role is anticipated to be filled by an experienced Consents and Land professional who has demonstrable experience in supporting the development of major energy projects or industries in the UK.

While experience of offshore wind projects is desirable, it is considered that experience on other energy/ renewable projects would provide relevant and transferable skills.

Essential skills for the role include:

  • Degree in relevant discipline
  • 10 years + experience of consents and land roles in a relevant development or industry role with a focus on development stages up to FID
  • Strong communicator, able to work effectively with a range of people across engineering, consenting, commercial and related disciplines and an open and collaborative team member
  • Strong people management skills with a proven track record in creating and maintaining high functioning teams.
  • Agile and adaptable, with experience in working in major project environments in collaborative organisations.
  • Strong written and visual communication skills
  • Knowledge and experience of the UK offshore wind and/or renewable sectors
  • An existing strong network of relevant stakeholders

Desirable skills include:

  • Member of a relevant professional body.
  • Experience in offshore/onshore transmission and fixed and/or floating offshore wind development.
  • Post consent to construction phase experience for offshore and/or energy projects

Location and Working Arrangements

The post will be:

  • Full time
  • Based in Glasgow
  • Hybrid working arrangements available

Benefits Package

In addition to a competitive salary our wider package of rewards include:

  • Private Health Insurance
  • Life Assurance Cover
  • Company Pension Scheme
  • Flexible Working Environment
  • Yearly Discretionary Performance Bonus Scheme
  • Excellent Company Culture
  • Health & Wellbeing support
  • Access to an online benefits portal which includes
  • travel and shopping discounts, healthy living advice & a well-being resource bank
  • an Employee Assistance Programme which provides all employees with 24/7 access to telephone counselling

We look forward to your application which should be submitted to info@buchanoffshorewind.com

At Buchan Offshore Wind Limited we are fully committed to fostering equity and inclusion and embrace the diversity, of all our people.  We welcome applications from everyone, irrespective of gender, gender identity, national origin, religion, social, cultural, or ethnic-background, sex, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other status protected by appropriate law. All hiring decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and qualifications. We are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer for all by providing an inclusive environment free of discrimination or harassment.

If you as an applicant require additional assistance or accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please reach out to us.