Senior Urban Designer

Urban Design Group; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

22 days holiday + bank holidays + 3 x

Hybrid working

Company pension

Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

Salary sacrifice cycle and EV

CPD support

Annual study trips

Collaborations across UK studios

Job summary

Planit is seeking a driven Senior Urban Designer to support regenerative urbanism across the UK, with a base in the Manchester area and hybrid working arrangements. You will lead ambitious projects, shape places and mentor junior team members within a collaborative studio.

The role requires a minimum of 5 years’ professional experience, strong knowledge of the UK planning system and proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite and CAD; Vectorworks is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate qualification in Urban Design or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience.
• Excellent knowledge of the UK planning system and regeneration processes.
• Strong design leadership and mentoring capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead design-led urban design projects and strategies.
• Mentor junior team members and coordinate studio effort.
• Engage with clients and stakeholders across regions.
• Balance programme, budgets and fees.

Skills

Urban design

Adobe Creative Suite

CAD software

Mentoring juniors

UK planning system

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Post-graduate qualification in Urban Design

Tools

Vectorworks

AutoCAD

Job description

Planit is a place based design practice driven by a simple but ambitious purpose: to design for all life to thrive in balance. As we move into the next phase of our Strategic Plan, we’re building momentum and looking to strengthen and grow our Urban Design team.

Our studios play an active stewarding role within their wider communities and ecosystems. Our established studio in Altrincham, Greater Manchester is the focus of our largest Urban Design team and serves our client based across the northwest. We are proud to play an active role in shaping the city of Manchester and those within the wider region.

Planit is an Employee-Owned business and a certified B Corp, with a clear commitment to balancing people, planet and profit. We actively welcome candidates who share our values and want to use design as a force for positive change.

This is an exciting moment to join Planit, as we continue to expand our influence, capability and impact across the UK.

The opportunity

You’ll join a diverse, collaborative and interdisciplinary studio environment, working on ambitious projects, strategies and places that respond to:

• Social inclusion
• The climate crisis

We are building on a strong portfolio of city-wide and nationally significant work, including:

• Hull City Centre Vision
• Derby City Centre Public Realm Strategy
• Liverpool Waters

As part of our longer-term regenerative ambitions, we are now focused on growing our Urban Design capability across our regions, offering opportunities to contribute meaningfully to places that matter. Discover more about our studios here.

The role

We're looking for a driven, thoughtful and design-led Senior Urban Designer with a passion for regenerative urbanism.

This role will be shaped around experience, capability and ambition, with scope for growth and leadership over time.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has intricate knowledge and experience of the UK planning system and urban regeneration processes
• Demonstrates strategic thinking alongside design excellence
• Brings a genuine passion for urban design and regenerative practice
• Thrives in a studio-based, team-oriented environment with the ability to engage and mentor junior team members
• Is a confident communicator and collaborator across a range of different audiences
• Is proficient in using Adobe Creative Suite and CAD software packages. (Experience in Vectorworks would be an advantage but isn't essential)
• Is capable of running projects over a range of sizes to meet programme and cost requirements
• Has a detailed knowledge of project fees, fee expenditure and budgets
• Possesses a post-graduate qualification (or equivalent) in Urban Design or related subjected.
• Has a minimum of 5 years professional experience (or equivalent).

What we offer

• Minimum 22 days holiday plus bank holidays and 3 Christmas closure days
• Flexible start and finish times (core working hours are 10.00am to 4.30pm)
• Hybrid working (one day per week from home if full-time)
• Company pension
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay
• Salary sacrifice cycle and Electric Vehicle Car schemes
• Support with professional fees and CPD
• Annual study trips
• Opportunities to collaborate across UK-wide studios

Learning and Development

Planit’s Learning and Development Programme equips team members with the regenerative practice knowledge and skills needed to fulfil our Purpose: Designing for All Life to Thrive in Balance. Blending individual growth with practice-wide innovation, the programme offers Masterclasses and workshops across nine learning pathways, drawing on industry expertise and land-based experimentation at our Gloucestershire Studio.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require sponsorship, please check your eligibility against the relevant criteria on theUK Government website before submitting your application.

Closing date: 23:59 on Sunday 13 September