Town Planner

MARKS&SPENCER; Greater London; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

20% colleague discount across products

Competitive holiday entitlement

Discretionary bonus schemes

Defined Contribution Pension Scheme

Life Assurance

Tailored induction and training

M&S Choices discounts

Parental/adoption and neonatal policy

Wellbeing support (24/7 Virtual GP)

Volunteer day

Job summary

Marks & Spencer is seeking a seasoned planning professional to lead planning applications across the UK estate, delivering timely, commercially aware consents. You will collaborate with internal teams and external consultants to support acquisitions, store renewals, relocations and new developments.

You will build strong relationships with local planning authorities, landlords and developers, identify risks early, and provide clear guidance to project teams while contributing to the wider

Qualifications

• Experience with planning policy and development management within UK retail/property environments.
• Ability to engage with councils, developers and landlords to deliver planning outcomes.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage planning applications across the UK estate.
• Support acquisitions, asset management, store renewals, relocations and new store developments with planning input.
• Build relationships with planning authorities, landlords, developers and community stakeholders.

Skills

Planning applications

Stakeholder management

Policy knowledge

UK planning system

Commercial mindset

Project coordination

Communication

Job description

What You’ll Do

• Lead and manage planning applications, securing timely and commercially effective planning consents across the UK estate.
• Work closely with internal teams and external consultants to support acquisitions, asset management, store renewals, relocations, and new store developments.
• Build strong relationships with local planning authorities, landlords, developers, elected officials, and community stakeholders to support successful outcomes.
• Identify planning risks and opportunities early, providing clear updates and recommendations to project teams and senior stakeholders.
• Support the wider property strategy through planning policy engagement, consultant management, and continuous improvement of planning processes and best practice.

Who You Will Be

• An experienced planning professional with a strong understanding of the UK planning system and development process.
• A confident communicator who can influence stakeholders and represent M&S professionally with both internal and external partners.
• A proactive problem solver, able to navigate complex planning challenges and identify practical solutions.
• Highly organised and commercially aware, with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities.
• A collaborative team player who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys building strong working relationships.

What You Will Bring

• Proven experience managing planning applications and delivering successful planning outcomes within retail, property, or development environments.
• Strong knowledge of planning policy, development management, and the wider UK property landscape.
• Experience managing external consultants and ensuring delivery of high-quality advice and value for money.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage confidently with councils, developers, landlords, and project teams.
• A commercial mindset, with the ability to balance planning, operational, and business objectives while driving projects forward.

What’s in it for you

Being a part of M&S is exactly that - playing your part to bring the magic of M&S to our customers every day. We're an inclusive, dynamic, exciting, and ever evolving business built on doing the right thing and bringing exceptional quality, value and service to every customer, whenever, wherever and however they want to shop with us.

Here are some of the benefits we offer that make working for M&S just that little bit more special...

• 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third party brands for you and a member of your household.
• Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days.
• Discretionary bonus schemes awarded based on how you achieve your personal objectives and our performance as a business.
• A generous Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance.
• A dedicated welcome to our teams with a tailored induction and a wide range of training programmes to develop your skills.
• Amazing perks and discounts via our M&S Choices portal to maximise your financial and personal wellbeing.
• Industry leading parental, adoption and neonatal policies, providing support and flexibility for your family.
• Access to a fantastic range of wellbeing support for all colleagues, including our 24/7 Virtual GP and PAM Assist for you and your family.
• A charity volunteer day to support a cause you're passionate about through a dedicated day away from work.

Everyone's welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We're disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We're transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet. Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen.

We are committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best. We support each other and work together to win together. If you feel you'd benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don't hesitate to let us know when completing your application. This information will be picked up by our team, so we can try and put steps in place to help you be at your best through this process.