Associate / Associate Director – Development Planning
Location: Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol or London (Hybrid – minimum 2 days per week in the office)
Salary: £47,000 – £69,000 (dependent on experience) + £4,000 London allowance (where applicable)
An award-winning, employee-owned environmental planning and design consultancy is seeking an experienced Associate / Associate Director Development Planner to join its growing Development Planning team.
This is an excellent opportunity to work on high-profile projects across the UK, delivering planning advice from initial strategy and feasibility through to planning permission and post-consent support. You'll play a key role in leading projects, supporting colleagues, developing client relationships, and contributing to multidisciplinary teams.
The Role
You will:
- Lead and manage a diverse portfolio of development planning projects.
- Provide strategic planning advice to public and private sector clients.
- Prepare and review planning appraisals, planning statements, and planning applications.
- Develop planning strategies for complex development proposals.
- Build strong relationships with local planning authorities, clients, and project teams.
- Support and mentor junior team members.
- Work collaboratively with specialists in landscape, ecology, heritage, environmental assessment, climate, and design.
- Help identify and secure new business opportunities.
Project Sectors
Current work spans a wide variety of sectors, including:
- Renewable energy (wind, solar, battery storage and grid infrastructure)
- Education
- Housing and mixed-use development
- Sport and recreation
- Historic environment
- Agriculture and forestry
- Public sector regeneration and parks projects
About You
Applicants should have:
- Extensive development planning experience, ideally gained across both the public and private sectors.
- Experience leading planning applications and managing complex development projects.
- Strong planning strategy and project management skills.
- Excellent report writing and communication abilities.
- Proven experience building relationships with clients and local planning authorities.
- A relevant planning degree.
- Chartered RTPI membership.
Experience in renewable energy, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), DCO/NSIP projects, or acting as an expert witness at appeals would be advantageous.
What's on Offer
- Hybrid working with flexible working options available.
- Opportunity to work on nationally significant projects.
- Supportive, collaborative multidisciplinary environment.
- Genuine career progression to senior leadership.
- Employee-owned business, giving everyone a stake in the company's future.
- Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
Candidates must have the right to live and work in the UK.
If you're an experienced planner looking to take the next step in your career within a respected consultancy delivering impactful projects across the UK, we'd love to hear from you.
[email protected] | 01792 677 005
