Senior Town Planner

Penguin Recruitment; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and hybrid working

Generous annual leave

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Penguin Recruitment is seeking a Senior Town Planner to lead a varied project portfolio in the South West, with Bristol or Exeter as the base. You will provide commercially focused planning advice, guide developments through the process and mentor junior colleagues while supporting business development.

You will work closely with clients, authorities and stakeholders, leveraging your UK planning expertise to unlock planning challenges and push for successful outcomes.

Qualifications

• Significant experience within a planning consultancy, developer, housebuilder or local authority.
• Strong knowledge of UK planning legislation, planning policy and development management.
• Experience securing planning permissions on a range of development projects.
• Experience managing planning applications independently.
• Experience preparing and submitting planning appeals.
• Knowledge of highways, ecology, drainage or heritage.
• Degree or postgraduate qualification in Town Planning or related discipline.
• MRTPI qualified or working towards chartership.
• Excellent communication, client management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A proactive, commercially aware and collaborative approach.

Responsibilities

• Managing planning applications from feasibility through to determination.
• Providing strategic and commercially focused planning advice to clients.
• Preparing and managing planning appeals.
• Securing planning permissions and supporting Section 106 negotiations.
• Liaising with local authorities, stakeholders and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships.
• Supporting business development and identifying new opportunities.
• Keeping up to date with planning legislation, policy and industry developments.

Skills

Town Planning

Client management

Stakeholder engagement

Project leadership

Commercial awareness

Education

Degree in Town Planning

MRTPI (qualified or near qualification)

Job description

Overview

Job Title: Senior Town Planner

Location: Bristol or Exeter

Penguin Recruitment is supporting a respected planning consultancy in its search for a Senior Planner to join their expanding Bristol team.

The Role

As a Senior Planner, you will take ownership of a varied project portfolio, providing commercially focused planning advice and guiding developments through every stage of the planning process. Projects include mixed-use developments, regeneration schemes, agricultural diversification projects, residential developments and community-led initiatives. You will work closely with clients, consultants, local authorities and stakeholders, using your technical expertise to help unlock planning challenges while mentoring junior colleagues and contributing to business development.

Responsibilities

• Managing planning applications from feasibility through to determination.
• Providing strategic and commercially focused planning advice to clients.
• Preparing and managing planning appeals.
• Securing planning permissions and supporting Section 106 negotiations.
• Liaising with local authorities, stakeholders and multidisciplinary project teams.
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships.
• Supporting business development and identifying new opportunities.
• Keeping up to date with planning legislation, policy and industry developments.

Requirements

• Significant experience within a planning consultancy, developer, housebuilder or local authority.
• Strong knowledge of UK planning legislation, planning policy and development management.
• Demonstrable experience securing planning permissions on a range of development projects.
• Experience managing planning applications independently.
• Experience preparing and submitting planning appeals.
• Knowledge of related technical disciplines including highways, ecology, drainage or heritage.
• Degree or postgraduate qualification in Town Planning or a related discipline.
• MRTPI qualified or working towards chartership.
• Excellent communication, client management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• A proactive, commercially aware and collaborative approach.

What’s on Offer

• Opportunity to work on high-profile and community-shaping developments.
• A supportive, collaborative and progressive team environment.
• Genuine opportunities for career progression and professional development.
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• Generous annual leave.
• The opportunity to take on greater client responsibility and help shape major projects across the South West.

How to apply

The hiring manager is looking to meet with suitable candidates ASAP; if you meet the above criteria, please contact Josh Jones on (phone number removed) or (url removed).