Associate Director - Town Planning

AECOM; Cork; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

AECOM is seeking an Associate Director to lead and grow our Town Planning team in Ireland, based from Cork or Dublin with hybrid working. The role involves managing major planning applications, delivering high-quality planning advice, and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams on diverse infrastructure projects across the country.

The successful candidate will bring significant experience in planning consent across Ireland, strong client relationships, and a track record in leading complex

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading planning consent applications within Ireland for large infrastructure projects across energy, transport or rail sectors.
• Strong client and stakeholder engagement and ability to develop new business opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning consents service and grow the team.
• Provide planning strategy and expert advice to clients and internal teams.
• Ensure project delivery on time and within budget with multi-disciplinary coordination.
• Oversee quality assurance and compliance across deliverables.
• Support business development and tender preparation with strategic insights.

Skills

Leadership

Team management

Strategic planning

Client relations

Business development

Education

Degree in Town Planning

Irish Planning Institute membership

Job description

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

Due to significant infrastructure planning wins and new opportunities, we are looking to bring in an Associate Director to work with the leadership team in managing and growing our planning team in Ireland. Based from our offices in Cork or Dublin, whilst taking advance of our hybrid working policy.

As one of the world’s leading multidisciplinary consultancies, AECOM offers the opportunity to work alongside leading experts across a wide range of disciplines, both locally and internationally. You will contribute to complex, high-profile projects while developing your expertise and progressing your career.

We are passionate about delivering innovative and effective planning solutions that support complex projects and help shape sustainable communities and infrastructure.

Our team has an impressive portfolio of experience delivering major linear infrastructure projects, and we are currently supporting multiple planning applications across a diverse range of sectors, including rail, water, transport, data centres, electricity transmission and thermal generation.

By joining AECOM, you will have the opportunity to work on significant projects for leading clients, including EirGrid, Uisce Éireann, Transport Infrastructure Ireland, the National Transport Authority (NTA) and many others.

If so, read on…

Here’s what you’ll do:

Team Leadership and Development

• Manage and grow our planning consents service.

Planning Strategy and Expertise

• Lead major development applications in Republic of Ireland
• Offer strategic planning advice to both clients and internal teams.

Project Management

• Ensure projects are delivered successfully on budget and within programme timelines.
• Coordinate multi-disciplinary teams for seamless project execution.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

• Oversee the deliverables produced by the planning consents team.
• Implement and uphold quality assurance and health and safety principles.

Business Development

• Contribute to the business development strategy, nurturing client relationships.
• Lead the preparation of commercial tenders to secure new opportunities.

Does this sound like something you can do, and do well?

About our team

AECOM’s rapidly growing Town Planning team plays a key role in delivering major infrastructure and development projects.

AECOM is a top ten Ireland & UK planning consultancy by size, employing more than 70 Chartered or Licentiate Planners. AECOM is also a worldwide leader in environmental and engineering consultancy and working as a planning consultant within AECOM means access to some of the highest profile and prestigious development projects in the UK, working with colleagues operating at the cutting edge of their disciplines as part of the largest UK environmental consultancy.

Become part of our Environment business, and collaborate with top-tier planners, impact assessment specialists and project managers to consent a variety of captivating projects, from local developments to major and national infrastructure, from developing planning strategies to obtaining consent and post consent work. At AECOM, you’ll thrive in an inclusive and forward-thinking environment where your contributions are valued.

Come grow with us.

Qualifications

Experience

• Significant relevant experience of leading applications for planning consent within Ireland for large infrastructure projects across a range of consenting regimes, ideally within the energy, transport or rail sectors.
• Expert witness experience would be advantageous.

Client & Stakeholder Relations

• Client focus, with good interpersonal skills and a collaborative working approach.
• Existing relationships with clients and local authorities.
• A business development mindset, with demonstrable experience of work winning and developing relationships with existing and new clients.

Skills

• Ability to write clearly and concisely.
• Ability to work on your own initiative and under pressure.

Quality & Commitment

• High level of commitment to quality.

Education & Professional Memberships

• Degree in Town Planning or a related discipline, and membership of the Irish Planning Institute, Chartered Member of the RTPI or equivalent professional body.

Additional Information

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!

Why not follow our AECOM Environmental services page on LinkedIn to stay updated on the impactful projects we're working on and see firsthand the difference we're making in the industry!

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously.

To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [e-mail] if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.