Senior Landscape Design Manager - HS2
Location: Birmingham or London (Hybrid - 3 days office/site - flexible working)
Salary: £70,000 - £77,500 / 75,000 - £83,672 London + 12% Pension + Package
🌿 One of the Most Unique Landscape Roles in Europe
This is not a typical landscape Architect/ Design role.
This is an opportunity to join High Speed Two Ltd and take a client-side leadership position on the largest landscape and ecology programme of its kind in Europe, forming part of HS2.
We're delivering:
* 3,500 hectares of landscape and habitat creation
* 8 million trees and 400km of hedgerows
* A long-term environmental legacy tied to a nationally significant infrastructure programme
This is a rare chance to shape a project that will define the UK's landscape for generations.
🚀 Why This Role Stands Out
* Client-side ownership, you influence outcomes, not just advise
* Strategic leadership role - act as the “strong voice in the room”
* Massive scale & complexity — across multiple contracts and disciplines
* Full lifecycle exposure: design, construction, handover, and long-term asset management
* 30-year asset legacy backed by DfT commitment
* 10+ years remaining on the programme → long-term career security
This is the kind of role that broadens your career beyond pure design into delivery, strategy, and asset management, indeed full estate management.
🌍 The Role
Reporting to the Head of Landscape, you will join a small, high-level team as one of the senior leaders responsible for landscape design assurance and delivery across HS2.
This is a strategic oversight role, not hands-on design.
You will act as the client's subject matter expert, ensuring landscape commitments are delivered to the highest standards across detailed design, construction, and long-term maintenance.
With civils and green asset packages already in detailed design and construction, your focus will be on assurance, verification, and performance across delivery.
🎯 Key Responsibilities
* Act as the Landscape Design Subject Matter Expert, setting direction and assuring quality across multiple contracts
* Provide technical leadership and design verification, ensuring compliant and value-driven solutions
* Influence and challenge Tier 1 contractors and design teams to drive performance
* Work across a complex, multi-disciplinary environment including civils, environment, planning, and delivery teams
* Oversee on-site verification of landscape works and ensure delivery aligns with design intent
* Support handover and transition into long-term asset management and maintenance
* Ensure landscape mitigation commitments are fully realised across the programme
✅ What They're Looking For
* Degree in Landscape Architecture (or equivalent), ideally Chartered (CMLI)
* Proven experience as a landscape/public realm SME on major infrastructure or large-scale projects
* Strong track record overseeing landscape delivery (not just design)
* Experience working across design, construction, and handover phases
* Strong understanding of design assurance, programme, cost, and risk
* Ability to influence, challenge, and hold contractors to account
* Experience in complex environments such as rail, highways, regeneration, or large public realm schemes
🔄 Why Move from Consultancy?
This role is particularly suited to those currently in consultancy who want more ownership:
* Move from advisory → decision-making authority
* Gain exposure across full lifecycle delivery (EIA → design → construction → maintenance)
* Broaden your technical experience - will not be
* Work on multiple phases simultaneously — experience that typically takes 10-15 years to build
* No timesheets, no fee pressure — focus on quality and outcomes