Town Planning Director

Carrington West; Colne; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Director bonus

Annual leave 28 days

Bank holidays

Gifted Christmas days

Life insurance

Private healthcare

Medicash plan

Hybrid working

Job summary

Carrington West is seeking an accomplished Planning Director to lead our Cambridge office's planning team. You will drive business growth, manage a portfolio of strategic schemes, and nurture long-term client relationships across the UK.

In this senior role you will mentor junior staff, shape development strategies, and collaborate with multidisciplinary colleagues to deliver high-quality planning outcomes on complex projects, within a flexible hybrid work pattern.

Qualifications

• Significant experience within UK town planning and leadership roles.
• Established client base with ability to generate new fees.
• Strong leadership and business development skills.
• Commercial awareness and strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning projects from initial instruction through to successful delivery.
• Leverage your client network to generate new business opportunities.
• Support and expand the current client portfolio.
• Provide strategic planning advice across development sectors.
• Mentor and develop junior members of the planning team.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across the wider consultancy.
• Contribute to growth of Cambridge office and national planning business.

Skills

Leadership

Business development

Client relationships

Strategic thinking

Communication

Stakeholder management

Education

MRTPI (or equivalent)

Job description

Planning Director

Location: Cambridge (Hybrid - 3 days per week in the office)

Salary: Competitive + Outstanding Bonus & Benefits

A leading UK development consultancy is looking to appoint an experienced Planning Director to join its thriving Cambridge office. This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially minded planning professional with an established client base and a strong track record of winning work, building relationships, and driving business growth.

As a senior leader within the planning team, you will play a pivotal role in supporting an existing portfolio of projects while identifying and securing new opportunities across a broad range of sectors.

The Opportunity

You will become part of a well-established planning team of approximately 15 professionals, ranging from Graduate Planner through to Executive Director level. The consultancy delivers planning services across a diverse range of sectors, including:

• Residential development
• Strategic land promotion
• Infrastructure projects
• Energy schemes
• Mixed-use developments
• Commercial planning

This role is ideal for someone who combines strong technical planning expertise with commercial acumen and a passion for developing long-term client relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead planning projects from initial instruction through to successful delivery.
• Leverage your existing client network to generate new business opportunities.
• Support and expand the current client portfolio.
• Provide strategic planning advice across a variety of development sectors.
• Mentor and develop junior members of the planning team.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams across the wider consultancy.
• Contribute to the continued growth and success of the Cambridge office and the national planning business.

About You

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Significant experience within UK town planning.
• An established client base with the ability to generate new business and fees.
• Strong leadership and business development skills.
• Commercial awareness and strategic thinking.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Experience leading complex planning projects and applications.
• MRTPI qualification (or equivalent) preferred.

Flexible Working

The consultancy offers a flexible hybrid working model, requiring three days per week in the office, with client meetings counting as office attendance, allowing for greater flexibility and autonomy.

Reward & Benefits

• Director Bonus Scheme - up to 25% of annual salary
  • Performance year runs from April to April
  • Bonus paid in two instalments each year (June and December)
• 28 days annual leave
• Bank Holidays in addition
• 3 additional gifted days over the Christmas period
• Life insurance from day one
• Private healthcare
• Medicash cash plan, including dental and optical cover (available after one month of employment)
• Flexible hybrid working arrangements

Interview Process

• Stage 1: Informal Microsoft Teams interview
• Stage 2: Face-to-face interview

This is an exceptional opportunity for an established Planning Director or an ambitious Associate Director ready to take the next step with one of the UK's leading development consultancies, offering access to a varied project portfolio, genuine leadership responsibility, and excellent long-term career prospects.