Senior Town Planner

Penguin Recruitment; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Penguin Recruitment is seeking a Senior Town Planner to join their Kent-based team. You will lead planning projects from inception to determination, manage client relationships, budgets, and programmes, and mentor junior team members.

You should have a strong UK planning knowledge, at least 3 years' experience, MRTPI or working towards chartership, and a full UK driving licence. Residential, commercial, and belt policy experience is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of the UK planning system and local government processes.
• 3+ years' experience in planning consultancy or local authority.
• MRTPI qualification or currently working towards chartership.
• Experience in residential, commercial, green belt or grey belt planning advantageous.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with clients.

Responsibilities

• Lead smaller planning projects from inception to determination, managing programmes, budgets and client relationships.
• Support medium and large-scale developments with multidisciplinary teams.
• Attend and lead client meetings and stakeholder discussions.
• Liaise with local planning authorities and statutory consultees.
• Prepare and review planning applications, appeals and supporting documentation.
• Stay up to date with evolving planning legislation and policy, including green/grey belt guidance.
• Mentor and support junior team members.

Skills

Town planning

Client liaison

Project management

Stakeholder meetings

Mentoring junior staff

Driving licence

Education

MRTPI qualification

Job description

Job Title: Senior Town Planner

Location: Kent

Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a growing and highly respected planning consultancy in the search for an ambitious Senior Town Planner to join their Kent-based team.

This is an exciting opportunity for a planner who enjoys variety, autonomy, and the chance to work across a genuinely diverse portfolio of projects - from residential schemes through to commercial development, including projects involving green belt and emerging grey belt policy considerations.

The successful candidate will play a key role in leading projects from initial client instruction through to planning decision, while also contributing to larger and more complex multidisciplinary developments. This position offers real ownership, strong career progression prospects, and the opportunity to work within a collaborative and forward-thinking environment.

The Role

As Senior Town Planner, you will:

• Lead smaller planning projects from inception through to determination, managing programmes, budgets, and client relationships.
• Support medium and large-scale developments alongside a multidisciplinary team.
• Attend and lead client meetings and stakeholder discussions.
• Liaise with local planning authorities and statutory consultees.
• Prepare and review planning applications, appeals, and supporting documentation.
• Keep up to date with evolving planning legislation and policy, particularly around green belt and grey belt guidance.
• Mentor and support junior members of the team.

About You

To be considered for this role, you should have:

• A strong understanding of the UK planning system and local government processes.
• A minimum of 3 years' experience within a planning consultancy or local authority environment.
• MRTPI qualification or be actively working towards chartership.
• Experience within residential, commercial, green belt, or grey belt planning would be highly advantageous.
• A full UK driving licence.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with confidence in client-facing situations.

Why Apply?

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a supportive and expanding consultancy where your ideas, expertise, and career progression will be genuinely valued. You'll gain exposure to a broad range of high-quality projects while working in a collaborative and ambitious team environment.

Interested?