Senior Planning Engineer (9‑Month FTC) – Hybrid, Leeds

Yorkshire Water; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary £42,881–£50,710

Annual incentive bonus (£1,000 max)

Pension up to 12%

Development opportunities

25 days annual leave + 2 wellness days

Life assurance 4x pensionable salary

Health/cash plan options

Retail savings scheme

Online GP/cycle to work/gym discounts

Job summary

Yorkshire Water invites applications for a Senior Planning Engineer on a fixed-term basis in Leeds, blending technical planning with stakeholder engagement to influence regional development. The role sits in the Town Planning Team and requires delivering robust planning solutions with a customer-focused approach.

The position offers hybrid working (up to two days in the Leeds office per week) and a 37-hour week, with a competitive salary and an attractive benefits package.

Qualifications

• A degree in a science or engineering discipline, ideally Civil Engineering, or equivalent industry experience.
• Strong understanding of sewerage networks, flood risk management and challenges associated with supporting new development.
• Knowledge of planning legislation, including the Town and Country Planning Act, and its application within a development management, infrastructure or utility environment.
• Appreciation of the design, operation and management of water and wastewater networks and their interaction with future growth and development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical information clearly and confidently.
• Proven experience of building relationships, influencing stakeholders and negotiating successful outcomes with both internal and external partners.
• Experience of coaching, mentoring or developing colleagues, with a passion for sharing knowledge and building capability within a team.
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise competing demands and deliver high-quality work to challenging deadlines.
• A proactive, resilient and customer-focused approach, with a genuine commitment to delivering excellent service.
• Strong IT skills, including Microsoft 365 applications. Experience of Yorkshire Water systems such as ICE, Odyssey and Lotus Notes would be beneficial but is not essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical assessment of complex planning applications promoting sustainable surface water drainage solutions, safeguarding existing YW infrastructure and work collaboratively with internal stakeholders to promote asset re-enforcement.
• Act as a subject matter expert on sewer network infrastructure and flood risk, resolving complex and escalated issues with confidence and credibility.
• Build trusted relationships with Local Planning Authorities, developers, consultants, and other key stakeholders, representing Yorkshire Water at a senior level.
• Influence planning outcomes by negotiating solutions that balance sustainable development, environmental protection and operational requirements.
• Provide coaching, mentoring and technical guidance to Development Technicians and colleagues, helping to develop capability and drive service excellence across the team.
• Support forecasting, performance reporting and delivery against key business targets, ensuring the team continues to provide an efficient and high-quality service.
• Champion continuous improvement by sharing expertise, promoting best practice and helping to enhance planning and development management processes across the business.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Technical planning expertise

Communication skills

Negotiation

Coaching/mentoring

Organisational skills

Customer-focused approach

IT skills (MS 365)

Education

Degree in science or engineering (Civil preferred)

Tools

MS 365

ICE system

Odyssey

Lotus Notes

Job description

Yorkshire Water invites applications for a Senior Planning Engineer on a fixed-term basis in Leeds, blending technical planning with stakeholder engagement to influence regional development. The role sits in the Town Planning Team and requires delivering robust planning solutions with a customer-focused approach.

The position offers hybrid working (up to two days in the Leeds office per week) and a 37-hour week, with a competitive salary and an attractive benefits package.