Planning Senior Associate

JMC Legal Recruitment; Bristol; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a leading planning team in Bristol as a Planning Senior Associate with over 5 years of PQE. Ensure the success of major infrastructure projects while enjoying a competitive salary and benefits package in a firm known for its supportive work culture.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Exceptional benefits package

Flexible working arrangements

Work-life balance

Varied workload with autonomy

Qualifications

• 5+ years PQE in planning law, with extensive experience.
• Solid understanding of Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
• Experience with Environmental Impact Assessments is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Advising on high-profile planning projects and managing development consent orders.
• Handling compulsory acquisitions and strategic planning advice.
• Involvement in contentious planning work such as Judicial Review.

Skills

Planning law experience

Environmental law knowledge

Managing junior team members

Judicial review experience

Job description

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Planning Senior Associate 5+ Years PQE | Top 50 Firm | Bristol

The Firm:

This well-established firm has a unique transatlantic heritage, combining scale and profitability similar to top-tier UK firms. Their impressive client base includes FTSE 350 companies, large corporations, and government organisations across various sectors such as energy, infrastructure, life sciences, technology, transport, and more. They are highly regarded for their commitment to innovation and continuously find new ways to improve client outcomes.

Despite being a robust corporate firm, they offer a partner-friendly, approachable environment with a strong sense of community among their lawyers. With a focus on accessibility and social mobility within the legal profession, the firm is renowned for championing diversity and inclusion across all levels.

The Role:

This opportunity is ideal for a Planning Senior Associate (5+ years PQE) seeking to join one of the UK's leading planning teams, based in the firm's Bristol office.

The team is widely regarded as one of the best in the country, advising on some of the most high-profile and ambitious planning projects, including offshore wind farms, major residential developments, transport infrastructure, airport projects, and waste and mineral schemes. They are involved in large-scale and complex planning work and are seeing a significant increase in mandates from major infrastructure clients.

The role involves working on a variety of high-profile matters, including large-scale development consent orders, compulsory acquisitions, strategic planning advice, environmental statements, and project management. The team also handles contentious work such as Judicial Review and Lands Chamber proceedings. The opportunity offers exposure to premium-level planning projects and offers an unrivalled chance to contribute to the success of large-scale infrastructure projects outside of London.

The Ideal Candidate:

The firm is looking for a highly motivated Planning Senior Associate (5+ years PQE) who can bring strong experience in planning, infrastructure, and environmental work, along with a genuine enthusiasm for further developing the team. The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience: 5+ years PQE, with significant experience in planning law, including large-scale development consent orders, compulsory acquisitions, and planning agreements.
• Knowledge: A thorough understanding of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 . Knowledge of the Planning Act 2008 and experience with Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) is highly desirable.
• Skills: Experience managing junior team members, handling inquiries/examinations, and engaging in judicial reviews and planning-related litigation.
• Motivation: A strong desire for professional growth, with the ability to deliver high-quality service to clients and drive forward the success of the practice.

What's on Offer:

• Competitive salary: Negotiable based on PQE and experience, along with an exceptional benefits package.
• Varied and interesting workload: High-profile planning work with a good level of autonomy and responsibility from the outset.
• Work-life balance: Flexible working arrangements and a supportive, down-to-earth firm culture.

This is an exciting opportunity for a Planning Senior Associate (5+ years PQE) to join a well-respected planning team in Bristol . If you're looking to work on major infrastructure projects with top-tier lawyers and advance your career in a dynamic, supportive environment, apply today or contact Tom Amer at