A Senior Project Developer - quick!

After 20 years recruiting, I’ve got a pretty good idea of how long it will take to fill a job. But some roles just take longer. And sometimes the candidate is right there, and it all happens very quickly….

A Wind developer in Scotland called me on a Wednesday afternoon, with a vacancy for a Senior Project Developer. They know how I work – on a retained basis and with fair placement fees – so we agreed those terms quickly and got into discussion about the sort of capabilities they were looking for. I was ready to go the next morning.

I start my research with a fresh page every time, aiming to be inclusive about who I approach. There are no delays though, and I start making those approaches straight away. That’s just as well because that next morning (Thursday) one of the first contacts replied, explaining they had been thinking of a move and would like to know more.

We spoke. They sent their CV. The client Interview took place within days. The day after the Interview, they made an offer that the candidate accepted. I even knew the three-month notice period wait was going well because, when I checked-in, they had been for coffee and cake with their new employers the previous day!

Great client. Great candidate. From start to offer acceptance, the recruitment and selection stages of this key hire took less than ten days. If only it was always so straightforward!

For context, the Job Spec included:

• Leading the delivery of projects through the consenting phase, resulting in well-designed sites being consented and delivered.
• Oversee and instruct the preparation of preliminary and detailed multidisciplinary technical studies during the prospecting, site assessment, EIA, consenting, and design phases of all renewable developments.

And the right candidate needed to demonstrate:

• Strong knowledge and understanding of planning policies and environmental impact regulations.
• Hands-on experience of the production and submission of planning applications and the consenting process, with a focus on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) for major projects, including Section 36 applications.
• Skilled in managing external contracts and multiple stakeholders and overseeing framework contracts.

Not always do situations work out as serendipitously but it’s great when they do.  I am delighted for all concerned!