Job Title: Senior / Principal Town Planner
Location: Bristol (Hybrid Working)
Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a leading global multi-disciplinary consultancy in their search for a Senior or Principal Town Planner to join their established and growing team in Bristol.
This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced planning professional to take a key role in delivering high-profile infrastructure and development projects that positively shape communities, support sustainable growth and contribute to a low-carbon future.
The Company
Our client is one of the UK’s leading planning consultancies, recognised for its expertise in sustainable infrastructure and development. With a strong presence across the UK and internationally, they work at the forefront of thought leadership in Net Zero, ESG, Biodiversity Net Gain and digital transformation.
The Bristol team supports a wide portfolio of major public and private sector clients across energy, water, transport, defence, housing and regeneration. Their collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach enables them to deliver complex projects efficiently and innovatively.
The Role
As a Senior or Principal Town Planner, you will play a pivotal role in leading and delivering planning services across a diverse range of markets and sectors.
Key Responsibilities
- Acting as Planning Lead on a range of infrastructure and development projects.
- Managing projects from inception through to consent and beyond, ensuring delivery on time and within budget.
- Leading and contributing to bid preparation, tender submissions and framework responses.
- Acting as lead consultant on multi-disciplinary projects, coordinating inputs from environmental, engineering and design specialists.
- Providing strategic planning advice to clients across a range of consent regimes.
- Supporting and mentoring junior colleagues and contributing to the wider development of the Planning team.
- Building and maintaining strong client relationships and identifying opportunities for business growth.
- Engaging with market and client leads to support work winning and strategic development initiatives.
You will work within a dynamic, collaborative environment, partnering with professionals across environmental, engineering and design disciplines both in the UK and internationally.
About You
We are seeking an experienced planning professional with a strong technical background and commercial awareness.
Essential Requirements
- A relevant Planning degree.
- Experience working within consultancy, local authority or client-side planning environments.
- Demonstrable experience in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
- Strong understanding of Strategic Planning and Planning Policy.
- Knowledge and experience of TCPA, DCO, TWAO or equivalent consent regimes.
- Experience managing multiple projects and delivering outputs within agreed timescales and budgets.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain and discuss planning issues.
- Confidence working within multi-disciplinary teams across a variety of sectors and geographies.
- Demonstrable ability to develop and maintain client relationships.
- Experience supporting work winning and contributing to business growth initiatives.
Desirable
- RTPI membership (or working towards).
- Experience acting as Planning Lead on major infrastructure or complex development projects.
What’s on Offer
The successful candidate will benefit from:
- Competitive salary (commensurate with experience)
- Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
- Generous holiday allowance
- Comprehensive benefits package tailored to individual lifestyle and wellbeing
- Structured training and professional development opportunities
- Clear career progression pathways
Interested?
The hiring manager is looking to meet with suitable candidates ASAP so if you meet the above criteria, please contact Josh Jones on 01792 362 010 or josh.jones@penguinrecruitment.co.uk
