Head of Estate Planning & Consent

awepeople; Reading; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9-day working fortnight

270 hours annual leave

Pension scheme

Job summary

AWE is seeking a senior leader to head Estate Planning & Consent, overseeing planning, consents and external stakeholder engagement to evolve sites to meet mission needs. You will define requirements, monitor delivery, and provide guidance on major programmes across the estate.

You will secure and manage planning consents, engage with regulators and local authorities, and provide strategic leadership on site policies. The role integrates biodiversity and net-zero commitments across the business.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in town and country planning, estate development or consenting.
• Strong knowledge of planning legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Experience leading complex applications and securing development consents.
• Proven ability to engage senior stakeholders and regulators.
• Experience managing planning-related risks and governance.
• Understanding of sustainability, biodiversity and environmental planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and consent strategy and provide expert advice to leadership.
• Define standards for planning applications and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee applications from submission to approval and implementation.
• Ensure compliance with planning conditions across sites.
• Manage external planning commitments and site development activities.
• Review policies and assess impacts on operations and programmes.
• Advise on developments affecting sites and interests.
• Represent the organisation with regulators and local authorities.
• Lead site-wide consenting on biodiversity, sustainability and net zero.
• Coordinate planning and consent activities with cross-functional teams.
• Identify future requirements and support robust submissions.
• Advise on risks, issues and opportunities in planning processes.
• Support Establishment Master Plan and long-term estate strategy.
• Lead management of planning appeals and inquiries when needed.
• Develop and maintain Travel Plan to enhance sustainability and accessibility.

Skills

Town and country planning

Estate development

Regulatory engagement

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Leadership

Job description

Head of Estate Planning & Consent

Location: RG7 4PR , located between Reading and Basingstoke, with free onsite parking .

Package: A competitive salary aligned with the seniority and impact of this role.

Working Pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight, with every other Friday as a non-working day. For this role, employees are required to work fully onsite. We support flexible working arrangements where possible, including part-time and varied working hours, while maintaining an onsite presence. Please let us know if you would like us to consider an alternative working pattern as part of your application.

As Head of Estate Planning & Consent, you will lead AWE's approach to estate planning, development consents and external stakeholder engagement, ensuring our sites can evolve to meet current and future mission requirements. Working at the forefront of estate strategy, you will define planning requirements, oversee critical consent activities and provide expert guidance on major development programmes across the estate.

You will be responsible for securing and managing planning consents, monitoring delivery against AWE's Establishment Master Plan, and leading engagement with local authorities, regulators and external stakeholders. The role also provides strategic leadership on wider site policies and consenting activities, including biodiversity, sustainability and net zero commitments, ensuring these priorities are effectively integrated across the business.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities include:

• Lead AWE's planning and consent strategy, providing expert advice to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Define and maintain standards for planning applications, consents and regulatory compliance across the estate.
• Oversee planning applications from development through submission, approval and implementation.
• Ensure compliance with planning conditions and associated consents across AWE sites.
• Manage AWE's external planning commitments and site development activities.
• Review local and national planning policies, assessing potential impacts on AWE's operations and future programmes.
• Provide planning advice to AWE and MoD on external developments that could affect AWE sites and interests.
• Represent AWE with regulators, local authorities, government bodies and community stakeholders.
• Lead site-wide consenting activities relating to biodiversity, sustainability, net zero and other strategic initiatives.
• Act as the central point of coordination for planning and consent activities across the business.
• Work closely with legal, environmental, engineering and project delivery teams to ensure aligned and efficient approvals processes.
• Identify future planning and consent requirements and support stakeholders in developing robust submissions.
• Advise on key planning risks, issues and opportunities, ensuring these are effectively managed and communicated.
• Support the development of AWE's Establishment Master Plan and long-term Estate Strategy.
• Lead the management of planning appeals and inquiries, including acting as an expert witness where required.
• Develop and maintain AWE's Travel Plan, identifying opportunities to enhance sustainability and site accessibility.

Who are we looking for?

• Significant experience in town and country planning, estate development, infrastructure planning or consenting.
• Strong knowledge of planning legislation, policy and regulatory requirements.
• Experience leading complex planning applications and securing development consents.
• Proven ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders, regulators and local authorities.
• Experience managing planning-related risks, governance and compliance activities.
• Strong understanding of sustainability, biodiversity and environmental planning considerations.
• Ability to interpret national and local planning policy and assess its impact on business operations.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic plans that support long-term organisational objectives.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong leadership capability, with experience leading teams and delivering outcomes in complex organisations.

Work hard, be rewarded:

• We ask a lot and set the bar high because our work truly matters. In return we offer balance, with award winning benefits including:
• 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
• Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable