Senior Development Manager UK

Job Title: Senior Development Manager 
Location: Midlands, UK (Hybrid/Flexible Working)
Contract Type: Permanent or Fixed-Term – minimum 12 Months
Reports To: Head of Development UK

Background to Aukera:

Aukera is a leading pan-European renewable energy developer and Independent Power Producer (IPP), dedicated to accelerating the energy transition across the continent. Headquartered in Belgium, with offices in Brussels, Bucharest, London, Edinburgh, Rome, and Berlin, we manage a diversified pipeline of over 15 GW in onshore wind, solar, and battery energy storage system (BESS) projects.

We pride ourselves on our values and our collaborative, supportive working environment. Our team is friendly, caring, highly professional, and deeply committed to making a real impact on the planet. As a rapidly growing company, we seek high performers from all backgrounds who are self-motivated, take ownership, and are passionate about driving improvements. We value diversity and are proud to have an international team representing 14 nationalities, with around 30% female employees. At Aukera, mutual respect and effective collaboration are at the heart of everything we do.

Role Overview:

We are seeking an experienced Senior Development Manager to join our team with a focus on the delivery and coordination of Solar Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) under the Development Consent Order (DCO) regime. This is a critical role within our development team, requiring excellent project management and/or planning skills, keen attention to detail, and the ability to operate flexibly in a dynamic environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the planning and development of large-scale solar projects through the DCO process from pre-application to submission and examination.
• Manage multidisciplinary consultant teams, legal advisors, and internal stakeholders to ensure successful and timely delivery of project milestones.
• Oversee the production and review of Environmental Statements, Planning Statements, and all other documentation required for DCO submissions.
• Coordinate and contribute to stakeholder engagement, including with local authorities, statutory consultees, and landowners.
• Ensure all development activities comply with UK planning regulations and renewable energy policy frameworks.
• Support project risk management, budget tracking, and resource planning throughout the project lifecycle.
• Report progress to senior leadership and provide expert input to strategy development for future DCO solar projects.

Requirements:

• Minimum 7 years of experience in the UK renewable energy sector or within the DCO/NSIP regime.
• Proven track record in developing or supporting the development of major infrastructure projects, ideally solar.
• Strong project management or planning background; professional certification (e.g., APM, PRINCE2, RTPI, RICS) is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and technical disciplines.
• Exceptional attention to detail, with a proactive and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Flexible working style with the ability to adapt to evolving project needs and priorities.
• Ideally based in the Midlands , with flexibility to travel to sites or offices as required.

Contract Terms:

• Start Date: ASAP or negotiable
• Salary : £80k - £100k or equivalent day rate
• Working Pattern: Fully Remote/Hybrid

Employee Benefits

• 25 days annual leave plus public holidays
• Private Healthcare for you and your family
• Company pension: 12% of qualifying earnings
• Life Insurance 4x Salary