Associate Director - Landscape Planning

Stantec; Cardiff; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Competitive salary and bonus

Enhanced pension

Private medical insurance

Job summary

Stantec seeks an Associate Director – Landscape Planning to lead high-profile landscape planning projects and drive growth across the UK. You will guide multidisciplinary teams, mentor staff and build strong client relationships while delivering sustainable, context-sensitive solutions.

You will collaborate across UK offices, contribute to bids, and shape the future of our landscape planning capability with technical excellence and strategic insight.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in landscape planning, preferably in consultancy.
• Proven track record leading complex projects and managing client relationships.
• Strong technical expertise in LVIA, TVIA and landscape assessments.
• Strategic advice on landscape capacity, sensitivity and character, incl. Green Belt.
• Excellent communication and leadership, with ability to mentor others.

Responsibilities

• Lead landscape and townscape planning projects delivering high-quality outputs.
• Provide expert input into LVIA, TVIA and strategic landscape assessments.
• Advise on landscape capacity, sensitivity studies and Green Belt evaluations.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams and support complex project delivery.
• Mentor colleagues and develop technical capability and careers.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships and grow accounts.
• Contribute to business development, bids and client engagement.
• Represent landscape team in meetings, inquiries and public consultations.
• Collaborate across UK offices to deliver integrated solutions.
• Support strategic development and growth of landscape planning services.

Skills

Landscape planning leadership

LVIA/TVIA expertise

Client relationship building

Strategic landscape assessment

Team leadership

Mentoring and development

Interoffice collaboration

Education

CMLI Chartered Membership or equivalent

Tools

Landscape assessment methodologies

Job description

The Opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity for an Associate Director – Landscape Planning to join our successful Landscape Architecture team. This is a great opportunity to take a leading role in shaping our landscape planning services, working across a diverse portfolio of high-profile projects and helping to drive the continued growth of our team.

You’ll work on projects across sectors including urban regeneration, new town settlements, tall buildings, residential and mixed-use development, commercial, infrastructure and energy, supporting clients at various stages of the planning process.

Our offices are friendly and sociable, providing a supportive and collaborative environment, with hybrid working offering flexibility between office and home.

About The Role

As an Associate Director, you will provide strategic and technical leadership across a varied portfolio of landscape planning projects. You’ll lead multidisciplinary teams, build strong client relationships and contribute to the continued development of our landscape planning capability.

You’ll have the opportunity to work collaboratively with colleagues across our UK offices, bringing together expertise from across the business to deliver innovative, sustainable and context-sensitive solutions.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Leading and overseeing the delivery of landscape and townscape planning projects, ensuring high-quality outputs and excellent client service.
• Providing expert technical input into Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIA), Townscape and Visual Impact Assessments (TVIA) and strategic landscape assessments.
• Providing strategic advice on landscape capacity, sensitivity studies and landscape character assessments, including Green Belt and Strategic Gap evaluations.
• Leading multidisciplinary teams and supporting colleagues in the delivery of complex projects.
• Providing guidance, mentoring and support to team members, helping to develop technical capability and professional careers.
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships and identifying opportunities to grow existing and new accounts.
• Contributing to business development activities, including bid preparation, client engagement and identifying new opportunities.
• Representing the landscape team at internal and external meetings, planning inquiries and public consultations.
• Collaborating with colleagues across our UK offices to deliver integrated and innovative solutions.
• Supporting the strategic development and growth of our landscape planning services.

Your Impact

You’ll play a key role in shaping how landscape planning contributes to some of the UK’s most significant development and infrastructure projects.

This role offers the opportunity to combine technical expertise, project leadership, client development and people leadership, while helping to shape the future direction of our landscape planning team.

You’ll have the autonomy to make an impact, supported by a collaborative multidisciplinary environment and access to expertise across the wider business.

About You

We’re looking for an experienced Landscape Planner with strong technical expertise and the ability to lead projects, develop client relationships and support the growth of a team.

You’ll Bring

• Extensive experience in landscape planning, preferably gained within a consultancy environment.
• A proven track record of leading complex projects and managing client relationships.
• Strong technical expertise in LVIA, TVIA and strategic landscape assessment.
• Experience providing strategic advice on landscape capacity, sensitivity and character, including Green Belt and Strategic Gap assessments.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to influence, inspire and develop others.
• Experience contributing to business development, bids and client development.
• Chartered Membership of the Landscape Institute (CMLI) or equivalent professional accreditation.
• A proactive and strategic approach, with a passion for delivering sustainable and context-sensitive landscape solutions.
• The ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams and offices.

Why Join Us

• We put people first: We're proud of our friendly, inclusive and collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and driven to succeed.
• We are driven to achieve: Named in the top 50 companies to work by Glassdoor 2025. Recognised by Corporate Knights as one of the world's top 10 most sustainable companies 2025. Named ‘Best Place to Work’ and ‘International Consulting Firm of the Year’ at the NCE Awards 2024.
• We do what is right: Industry leading training and development as well as paid for professional subscriptions. A p rofessional progression plan, supporting you to become chartered with ICE.
• We are better together: A supportive and collaborative team environment and Early Careers peer group and wider ERG network (see more on our ERGs here: Stantec Employee Resource Groups )
• Growth: We're on an exciting growth journey across the UK & Ireland - we want you to be part of it!
• Great Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus schemes, enhanced pension plan, annual leave with the option to buy/sell additional days, private medical insurance, group income protection & life assurance included as standard as well as discounted gym membership and lots more.
• Flexible working: Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with our hybrid approach to flexible working.

About Stantec

The Stantec community unites more than 34,000 employees working in over 450 locations across 6 continents. We have been working with our clients and communities in the UK for over 150 years. We plan, design, deliver and manage the development and infrastructure needed to support the creation of sustainable, healthy and prosperous communities.

Our teams provide effective and relevant solutions, translating our clients’ vision into valued consents, deliverable plans for projects and programmes, and efficient designs for delivery, based on technical excellence and deep market insights. We deal with today’s challenges, but also keep a fairer, better tomorrow in sight, looking at how we deliver clean growth, support radical changes in our economy and meet the needs of future communities.

Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment.

Building an inspired, inclusive work environment that attracts, supports, and develops world-class talent is a crucial key to our success.

If you need any support or require adjustments to be made then please contact [email protected] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.