Associate / Associate Director – Town Planning

Penguin Recruitment Ltd; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible & hybrid working

Profit sharing

Private medical insurance

Life assurance

Income protection

Learning & professional development

National project exposure

Collaborative environment

Job summary

Penguin Recruitment Ltd is partnering with a leading multidisciplinary consultancy to recruit an Associate / Associate Director – Town Planning for its Bristol office.

You'll lead the Bristol Town Planning team, shaping its growth, winning work, managing client relationships and delivering high‑profile planning projects across the Southwest.

You'll work with regional and national leadership, develop people and help set the long‑term strategy in a dynamic, hybrid working environment.

Qualifications

• Degree in Town Planning or equivalent.
• Chartered MRTPI membership desirable.
• Experience in Bristol/Southwest; development management, infrastructure consenting or policy.
• Strong understanding of regional planning market and stakeholders.
• Consultancy experience with client engagement and business development.
• Experience leading teams through bidding and delivery of projects.
• Strong commercial understanding including fee proposals, budgets and profitability.
• Proven ability to manage client relationships and project programmes.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow the Bristol Town Planning team.
• Build relationships with existing and prospective clients in Bristol and the Southwest.
• Identify new business opportunities; lead bids and develop project pipeline.
• Lead delivery of planning projects with strategic direction and client care.
• Oversee quality, programme management, financial performance and commercial delivery.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and sector leads to deliver integrated solutions.
• Support the wider national planning team and share expertise across the business.
• Raise the consultancy’s profile through networking and business development.
• Help shape the team’s long-term strategy with regional/national leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Business development

Client engagement

Strategic thinking

Team management

Communication

Influencing

Commercial awareness

Education

Degree in Town Planning

MRTPI Chartered Membership

Job description

Job Title: Associate / Associate Director – Town Planning

Location: Bristol

Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be partnering with a leading, award-winning multidisciplinary consultancy to recruit an Associate / Associate Director – Town Planning for its Bristol office.

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious and commercially minded planning professional to take a leading role in the continued growth and development of an established planning team. Working closely with senior planning leadership nationally, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the direction of the Bristol team, strengthen client relationships and contribute to some of the most exciting and challenging projects across the region.

The consultancy has an established national presence and a strong reputation for delivering complex, high-profile projects. This role offers the opportunity to combine technical planning expertise with business development, team leadership and strategic consultancy, while working alongside a highly experienced multidisciplinary team.

The Opportunity

As the Associate / Associate Director – Town Planning, you’ll play a pivotal role in leading and growing the Bristol planning team, working closely with regional and national leadership to identify opportunities, develop the team’s capabilities and strengthen the consultancy’s presence across Bristol and the Southwest.

The successful candidate will ideally bring experience across development management, infrastructure consenting or planning policy and strategy development, alongside a strong understanding of the regional planning market.

You’ll work across a varied portfolio of projects, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and sector specialists nationally. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys leading people, developing business and delivering high-quality planning advice on complex projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and support the continued growth and development of the Bristol Town Planning team.
• Build and develop strong relationships with existing and prospective clients across Bristol and the Southwest.
• Identify new business opportunities, lead bids and support the development of a strong project pipeline.
• Lead the delivery of planning projects, providing strategic direction and maintaining strong client relationships.
• Oversee project quality, programme management, financial performance and commercial delivery.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and sector leads to maximise opportunities and deliver integrated solutions.
• Support the wider national planning team, sharing expertise and developing skills and capabilities across the business.
• Raise the consultancy’s profile across the regional marketplace through networking, client engagement and business development.
• Work closely with regional and national planning leadership to help shape the team’s long‑term strategy.

About You

We’re looking to speak with an experienced Associate / Associate Director – Town Planning who has a strong understanding of the Bristol and Southwest planning market and is ready to take on a leadership position.

Ideally, you’ll bring:

• A degree in Town Planning or a relevant discipline.
• Chartered Membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI).
• Experience working within Bristol and the Southwest, ideally across development management, infrastructure consenting or planning policy.
• A strong understanding of the regional planning market and key stakeholders.
• Proven consultancy experience, including client engagement and business development.
• Experience leading teams through the bidding and delivery of projects.
• A strong commercial understanding, including fee proposals, budgets, financial management and project profitability.
• Experience managing client relationships, project programmes and quality assurance.
• Excellent leadership, communication and influencing skills, with the ability to motivate and develop teams.
• A proactive and commercially driven approach, with the ambition to help grow a successful planning business.

What’s on Offer?

• Competitive salary and an attractive total reward package.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• Profit share, allowing you to benefit from the collective success of the business.
• Private medical insurance.
• Life assurance and accident insurance.
• Income protection cover.
• Flexible benefits supporting health, wellbeing and lifestyle.
• Extensive learning and professional development opportunities.
• The opportunity to work on nationally significant and technically challenging projects.
• A collaborative, multidisciplinary working environment.
• Genuine opportunities to influence the strategic direction and growth of the Bristol planning team.
• The opportunity to work alongside highly experienced planning professionals and sector specialists nationally.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an excellent opportunity for an established planning professional looking to take the next step into a senior leadership position within a highly regarded multidisciplinary consultancy.

You’ll have the backing of an established national planning team while retaining the opportunity to make a genuine impact locally. With responsibility for developing people, winning work, strengthening client relationships and delivering major projects, this role offers an exciting combination of leadership, commercial exposure and technical planning.

For an ambitious Associate / Associate Director – Town Planning, this is an opportunity to help shape the future of an established team and play a key role in its continued success across Bristol and the Southwest.