Town Planning Team Leader

Mott MacDonald; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension matching 4.5–7%

Life assurance 4x basic salary

Income protection

Flexible benefits programme

Annual bonus schemes

Job summary

Mott MacDonald is seeking a Midlands Planning Team Leader to join our Birmingham office, leading a growing town planning team and delivering major projects across rail, defence, energy, water, and regeneration sectors.

You will develop relationships across the business, oversee multidisciplinary work, and mentor staff while reporting to the UK Town Planning team leader. Hybrid links within the city region will be explored.

Qualifications

• Degree and/or Masters in Town Planning.
• Chartered RTPI member.
• Extensive town planning experience across multiple regimes (e.g., Act, DCO, TWAO).
• Experience preparing and submitting planning applications, drafting reports, masterplans.
• Experience with public and private sector clients.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary projects and mentoring juniors.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning team to deliver a range of projects, coordinating with other disciplines.
• Write and review planning deliverables to high standards including apps, licensing, and energy consents.
• Project manage preparation of planning applications and deadlines.
• Liaise with Local Planning Authorities and consultees to support timely determinations.
• Prepare inputs and bid for new work opportunities.
• Mentor junior team members and support chartership progression.

Skills

People leadership

Planning policy

Stakeholder engagement

Report writing

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Budget management

Education

Degree or Masters in Town Planning

Chartered RTPI

Job description

Location/s: Birmingham, UK

Mott MacDonald is a global engineering, management, and development consultancy with over 20,000 employees across more than 50 countries and 140+ offices.

We work across incredible global industries, delivering exciting work that is defining our future and making an important societal impact in the communities we serve. Our people power our performance – we succeed when they do. With countless opportunities to collaborate, learn, and grow, the possibilities for excellence are as varied as every individual.

Whether you want to grow as a subject matter expert or broaden your experience with roles across our international community, you’re surrounded by global specialists who want to combine their expertise and champion you to be your best. As a proudly employee‑owned business, we benefit our clients, our communities, and each other, investing in creating the right space for everyone to feel empowered, included, and valued. Whatever your ambition, Mott MacDonald is where people come to be brilliant.

About the Division

Environmental and social considerations are central to Mott MacDonald’s Purpose and its offerings across all sectors and territories. Our environment and social business provides essential services and innovative solutions which anticipate our clients' needs across all sectors.

Overview of the role

We are seeking an Midlands Planning Team Leader to join our expanding town planning team, to be based at our Birmingham office, supporting us in the delivery of a range of major projects. This is to support and grow our capabilities in providing strategic advice and securing planning approvals across a range of sectors, including rail, defence, energy generation and energy and water infrastructure, climate resilience, education, health, housing, employment, mixed‑use regeneration and waste focused schemes. You will be responsible for leading and helping to grow our Midlands Planning Team based in our Birmingham city centre office, reporting to the UK Town Planning team leader. You will be responsible for developing relationships with colleagues across the business, you will have a particular focus on developing links within your city region.

You will be working alongside the full range of technical disciplines Mott MacDonald offers on some of the largest and complex infrastructure and development projects in the UK. These will cover multiple sectors including energy, water, transport and the built and natural environment, for clients including Network Rail, Severn Trent, local authorities, National Highways, Environment Agency, NHS, and energy generating companies.

Key responsibilities and duties include:

• Leading and working as part of the planning team to deliver a range of planning projects, including working alongside and potentially project managing other disciplines as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Writing and reviewing planning deliverables to a high standard, including options appraisals, planning applications, marine licensing, environmental permitting, energy consents, TWAOs, DCOs and planning policy advice.
• Project managing and coordinating the preparation of planning applications.
• Liaising with Local Planning Authorities and statutory consultees to support the timely registration and determination of applications.
• Preparing inputs and potentially leading bids for new work opportunities.
• Supporting and mentoring junior team members in their professional development and chartership progression.

Candidate Specification

Essential:

• Degree and/or Masters in Town Planning.
• Chartered Member of the RTPI.
• Extensive town planning experience across a range of consenting regimes, including the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Development Consent Order and Transport and Works Act Order processes.
• Experience preparing and submitting planning applications, drafting reports, feasibility studies, masterplans and regeneration strategies.
• Experience working with both public and private sector clients.
• Previous experience delivering infrastructure, regeneration and environmental projects.
• Experience overseeing and/or project managing multidisciplinary projects.
• Experience supporting and mentoring junior team members.
• Strong collaborative approach with experience contributing to successful project delivery.
• Experience managing project finances and delivering projects within budget.

UK Immigration

Mott MacDonald Ltd. are not currently offering sponsorship to candidates under the Skilled Worker visa route in the UK. This decision is as a consequence of the changes made to the Skilled Worker route by the UK Government in April 2024. We continue to welcome applications from candidates who are eligible for alternative immigration routes in the UK, that do not require sponsorship as a Skilled Worker now or in future.

Agile working

At Mott MacDonald, we believe it makes business sense for you and your manager to choose how you can work most effectively to meet your client, team, and personal commitments. We offer a hybrid working policy that embraces your well‑being, flexibility, and trust.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We put equality, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our business, seeking to promote fair employment procedures and practices to ensure equal opportunities for all. We encourage individual expression in our workplace and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels they can contribute.

AI Usage

At Mott MacDonald, we see the value AI can bring, but we take a people‑first approach to hiring. While AI tools can help candidates prepare and build confidence, every application and hiring decision is reviewed by our recruitment and hiring teams. We encourage the responsible use of AI while ensuring we get to know the real person behind the application.

Accessibility

We want you to perform your best at every stage in the recruitment process. If you are disabled or need any support to enable you to apply or attend an interview, please contact us at [e-mail] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.

We offer some fantastic benefits including:

Financial wellbeing

• We match employee pension contributions between 4.5% and 7%.
• Life assurance equal up to 4 x your basic salary, with an option to increase the level of cover to 6 x your salary.
• Our income protection scheme provides a financial benefit, as well as absence and return to work support due to long‑term illness or injury.
• Flexible benefits, including increased life assurance cover, critical illness insurance, payroll saving and will writing.
• As an independently owned business we share the financial success of the business with all our colleagues in various ways including annual bonus schemes.

Employee Ownership

• Our employee ownership model means no external investors, just us, creating a culture of shared success.
• Our employees have a stake and a voice in our business, giving them a direct connection to our success through our personal and group performance bonuses.
• As your career grows, so does your stake, recognising your long‑term impact and contribution.
• Your voice matters, with the opportunity to connect directly with senior leadership through formal channels to help shape our future.
• For our senior roles you will have a direct pathway towards ownership from day one.

Health and wellbeing

• Private medical insurance for all UK colleagues.
• Health cash plan to support you with every day health costs and treatments.
• Access to Peppy, providing free support from menopause experts for all UK colleagues.
• A variety of wellbeing support is available through our comprehensive wellbeing program, including access for you and your family.
• Ability to flex your salary to opt into a wide range of health benefits, many of which can be extended to your family too.

Lifestyle

• A minimum of 33-35 days holiday each year, inclusive of public holidays and dependent on level, with the ability to buy or sell leave through our flexible benefits programme.
• 10 days additional paid leave for Armed Forces Reservists and Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
• Holiday entitlement increased to a minimum of 35 days after 5 years’ service.
• Variety of employee saving schemes and discounts from high‑street retailers.

Enhanced family and carers leave

• Enhanced family leave policies, including 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave, and two weeks paid paternity/partner leave.
• Our shared parental leave matches maternity leave meaning we pay up to 24 weeks at full pay.
• Up to five additional days leave are provided for those with significant caring responsibilities, two of which are paid.
• We offer policies and dedicated support to help military families balance service life with career and wellbeing.

Learning and development

• Primary annual professional institution subscription.
• A broad range of opportunities to enhance both technical and soft skills through mentoring, formal training, and self‑development options.

Networks, communities, and social outcomes

• Join a wide range of groups including our Advanced Employee Networks which support our LGBTQ+, gender, race and ethnicity, disability, and parents/carers communities.
• We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and Gold Award holders in the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme, supported by our dedicated internal Armed Forces Network.
• Make a difference within our communities through our social outcomes.