Senior Third Party Agreements Manager
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
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Shaping and delivering the project-wide strategy for Third Party Agreements (TPAs) – from early engagement to close-out.
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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.
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Collaborating closely with legal, engineering, stakeholder, and environmental teams to embed third-party requirements into both the DCO and the wider delivery programme.
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Developing and maintaining the TPA Management Plan, and making sure it aligns with project governance – from environmental assessments to design sign-offs.
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Keeping a firm grip on tracking tools and registers (Mitigation Tracker, Commitments Register, etc.) and ensuring everything is properly documented.
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Representing the project in meetings and negotiations with stakeholders – including technical working groups, legal workshops, and public consultations.
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Providing senior-level reporting on progress, spend, and risk – particularly where external parties are involved.
What You’ll Need to Bring
Must-Haves:
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Proven experience managing statutory undertaker engagement and Third Party Agreements on major infrastructure schemes.
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Solid understanding of the DCO process or similar statutory consenting routes.
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A good commercial and legal head – especially when it comes to drafting and negotiating formal undertakings with utility companies, public bodies, and landowners.
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A history of getting things done across complex, multi-stakeholder environments and within tight statutory timescales.
Nice-to-Haves:
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Membership (or progress toward) a relevant professional body like RICS or RTPI.
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Practical knowledge of infrastructure planning and delivery.
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Experience drafting or reviewing legal documentation such as licences, MoUs, and protective provisions.
Your Day-to-Day Could Include
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Writing and owning the project’s TPA strategy and governance framework.
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Taking charge of the drafting process – including negotiation, conflict resolution, and final wording.
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Running the TPA register, prioritising risks, and tracking programme impact through regular reporting cycles.
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Setting the engagement approach for a wide range of third parties – utilities, Network Rail, ports, local authorities, private landowners, and more.
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Monitoring TPA-related spend and tracking exposure against programme budget.
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Ensuring that no work starts without executed agreements in place – and flagging any issues that could delay delivery.
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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:
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A robust TPA Management Plan
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A weekly dashboard and live register of third-party agreements
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Monthly reporting on accepted cost estimates
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A clear stakeholder engagement plan
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Up-to-date risk and opportunity logs
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Close-out packs for each agreement, including liabilities, cost, and IP documentation