Strategic Manager – Project Procedure & Environmental Permitting

To support our client on one of the most ambitious energy transition programmes in the Netherlands, we are looking for a Strategic Manager – Project Procedure & Environmental Permitting. We are seeking a senior professional who can lead the development and execution of project procedures and environmental permitting activities required to successfully progress into the construction phase.

This is a senior role requiring strong strategic leadership, regulatory expertise, and stakeholder management experience within a complex and highly regulated environment.

Main Responsibilities:

• Strategically shaping and leading the development and execution of spatial planning, project procedures, and environmental permitting strategies, ensuring timely and legally robust project decisions and permit approvals.
• Leading the preparation and execution of the project procedure, including oversight of all permitting‑related activities.
• Providing strategic advice to senior management on regulatory preconditions, risks, constraints, and opportunities during early‑phase decision‑making.
• Building, developing, and leading a multidisciplinary team covering spatial planning, environmental permitting, legal, engineering, and stakeholder management.
• Coordinating closely with the Technical Support Organisation to align technical, environmental, and regulatory inputs.
• Acting as the key interface with external stakeholders, including ministries, competent authorities, regulators, and local governmental bodies.
• Facilitating cross‑disciplinary alignment and translating regulatory and environmental insights into actionable guidance for decision‑makers.
• Contributing to organisational development within a growing and dynamic project environment.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Master’s degree in a relevant discipline such as spatial planning, environmental sciences, engineering, or permitting/regulatory fields.
• Significant experience in leadership and/or project management roles within complex infrastructure or energy projects.
• Proven experience delivering project procedures, permitting, and environmental approvals in highly regulated environments.
• Strong expertise in the Dutch Omgevingswet or comparable project procedures, spatial planning, MER/EIA studies, and regulatory processes.
• Experience in nuclear energy projects and/or other large‑scale, capital‑intensive infrastructure projects.
• Demonstrated experience acting as a strategic advisor in politically sensitive, multi‑stakeholder environments.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to assess regulatory risks, dependencies, and stakeholder dynamics.
• Proven team leadership experience in multidisciplinary and international project environments.
• Fluency in Dutch and English, both written and spoken.