Associate Town Planner in Edinburgh

Energy Jobline ZR; City of Edinburgh; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Penguin Recruitment is partnering with a leading planning consultancy to appoint an Associate Town Planner in Edinburgh. You will lead complex planning projects, with a focus on renewable energy and infrastructure, and collaborate with clients across Scotland and the UK.

The role offers hybrid working and requires approximately 7–10 years in town planning, with strong project management and mentoring responsibilities for junior staff.

Qualifications

• 7–10 years' experience within town planning.
• Experience delivering complex planning projects.
• Experience with EIA processes.
• Knowledge of Scottish and English planning systems.
• Experience with Section 36/37 consents, NSIPs or other major consenting regimes would be highly desirable.
• Strong project management and client-facing skills.
• The ability to manage workloads, support colleagues and contribute to business growth.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage complex planning applications and consent strategies.
• Support renewable energy projects and EIA processes.
• Advise clients through the planning lifecycle.
• Manage projects across Scottish and English systems.
• Provide expertise on Section 36/37 and NSIPs.
• Support business development and client relations.
• Mentor junior colleagues and contribute to team growth.

Skills

Town planning

Project management

Client-facing

Renewable energy

EIA

Job description

Job DescriptionJob Title: Associate Town Planner Location: Edinburgh Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a leading planning consultancy with the appointment of an experienced Associate Town Planner to join their growing team in Edinburgh. Due to continued business growth and an increasing pipeline of major projects, our client is looking to appoint an experienced planning professional who can play a key role in delivering complex energy and infrastructure projects across Scotland and the wider UK. This opportunity is ideal for an ambitious planner with around 7-10 years' experience who is looking to take on greater responsibility, support junior team members and contribute to the continued growth of a successful planning team. The role will be based in Edinburgh, with hybrid working supported. The successful candidate will ideally be able to attend the office 2-3 days per week to collaborate with the wider team.

The Role

As an Associate Town Planner, you will take a leading role in managing and delivering a range of complex planning projects, with a particular focus on renewable energy and infrastructure developments.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading and managing complex planning applications and consenting strategies.
• Supporting renewable energy projects, including experience with EIA processes.
• Advising clients throughout the planning and development lifecycle.
• Managing projects across both the Scottish and English planning systems.
• Providing expertise on Section 36/37 applications and other energy sector consenting routes.
• Supporting Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and major infrastructure developments.
• Managing client relationships and contributing to business development activities.
• Supporting and mentoring junior colleagues, including line management responsibility for a Consultant.
• Contributing to the continued growth and success of the planning team.

About You

We are seeking an experienced planning professional with a strong background in consultancy and complex development projects. You will ideally have:

• Approximately 7-10 years' experience within town planning.
• Strong experience delivering complex planning projects, ideally within the renewable energy or infrastructure sectors.
• Experience working on EIA projects and large-scale developments.
• Knowledge of both Scottish and English planning systems.
• Experience with Section 36/37 consents, NSIPs or other major consenting regimes would be highly desirable.
• Strong project management and client-facing skills.
• The ability to manage workloads, support colleagues and contribute to business growth.
• A proactive approach with the ambition to develop within a growing team.