Associate Associate Director of Town Planning

Penguin Recruitment; Leeds; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Penguin Recruitment is seeking an experienced Associate Director to lead and grow its Leeds-based town planning presence. The role involves owning the Leeds regional footprint, acquiring new clients, and delivering high-quality planning projects alongside a wider national team.

The successful candidate will be a self-starter with strong relationships in Leeds/Yorkshire, comfortable representing the consultancy at meetings, networking events and industry gatherings.

Qualifications

• Experience in a private planning consultancy.
• Strong knowledge of Leeds/Yorkshire planning market.
• Existing relationships across Leeds and Yorkshire.
• Familiar with local authorities and key stakeholders.
• Self-starter who can work independently and manage workload.
• Confident representing a consultancy at client meetings and events.
• Commercially minded with ability to develop and maintain client relationships.
• Able to commute to Leeds regularly and travel to Kent/London as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead and represent the consultancy across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region.
• Provide high-quality planning advice and deliver a range of planning projects for clients.
• Identify, develop and secure new business opportunities and client instructions.
• Attend networking events, industry meetings and client meetings to raise the profile of the business.
• Build and maintain relationships with local authorities, consultants, developers and other stakeholders.
• Develop the Leeds presence and help recruit additional team members over time.
• Manage workload autonomously while collaborating with the wider planning team.
• Travel periodically to Kent and London for team meetings and activities.
• Contribute to the company profile through networking, speaking opportunities and industry involvement.

Skills

Private planning consultancy

Leeds/Yorkshire planning market

Client relationships

Business development

Self-starting / independent

Willing to travel to Kent/London

Commercial mindset

Job description

Job Title: Associate Associate Director of Town Planning

Location: Leeds

Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a leading planning consultancy with the appointment of an experienced planning professional at Associate to Director level to lead and grow their presence in Leeds.

This is a rare opportunity for an ambitious planning professional to take ownership of a regional presence, develop new business, build strong client relationships and play a key role in shaping the future growth of the team.

The successful candidate will be based from a shared office space in Leeds, working independently while remaining closely connected to the wider planning team and benefiting from access to junior resource and expertise across the business. Regular travel to offices in Kent and London will also be required.

This position would suit a self-starter who enjoys building something from the ground up and is confident representing a consultancy at client meetings, networking events and industry gatherings.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and represent the consultancy across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region.
• Provide high-quality planning advice and deliver a range of planning projects for clients.
• Identify, develop and secure new business opportunities and client instructions.
• Attend networking events, industry meetings and client meetings to raise the profile of the business.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local authorities, consultants, developers and other key stakeholders.
• Develop the Leeds presence and, over time, help build the case for and recruit additional team members.
• Manage your workload autonomously while working collaboratively with the wider planning team.
• Travel periodically to Kent and London for team meetings, collaboration and wider business activities.
• Contribute to the company's profile through networking, speaking opportunities, articles and involvement with relevant professional bodies.

About you

Essential:

• Proven experience working within a private planning consultancy.
• Strong knowledge of the Leeds/Yorkshire planning market.
• Existing relationships and connections across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region.
• Familiarity with relevant local authorities and key stakeholders.
• A self-starter who is comfortable working independently and managing their own workload.
• Confident representing a consultancy at client meetings, networking events and industry gatherings.
• Commercially minded with a proven ability to develop and maintain client relationships.
• Able to commute to Leeds regularly and willing to travel to Kent and London periodically.

Desirable:

• Chartered membership of the RTPI or working towards chartership.
• Experience of working within or alongside a local authority.
• Existing experience of business development and winning new instructions.
• A track record of mentoring, managing or developing junior planning professionals.

What's on offer

• Associate to Director-level opportunity, with the position and package tailored to the successful candidate's experience.
• The opportunity to lead and develop a new regional presence.
• Significant autonomy and responsibility from day one.
• Access to support, expertise and resources from an established wider planning team.
• Opportunity to build and grow a Leeds-based team over time.
• Excellent scope for career progression and business development.
• A varied workload and the opportunity to play a key role in the continued growth of the business.