Senior Planner

Urban Edge Planning Limited; Lower Hutt; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration

Job summary

Urban Edge Planning is seeking an experienced Senior Planner to join our Petone-based team on a 12-month fixed-term contract to provide maternity cover.

The role focuses on managing resource consent applications, planning policy work and coordinating multidisciplinary inputs while maintaining strong client relationships and delivering high-quality planning advice.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of planning experience with good knowledge of the NZ planning system.
• Strong resource consent experience; policy planning experience is highly regarded.
• Sound understanding of the RMA and evolving planning framework.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and manage resource consent applications for diverse development projects.
• Process resource consent applications for local authorities.
• Prepare and manage private plan changes, including section 32 evaluations.
• Provide planning and policy advice to public and private sector clients.
• Coordinate input from urban designers, landscape architects, engineers and other specialists.
• Manage projects and client relationships.
• Prepare evidence and assist at hearings when appropriate.
• Mentor and guide junior team members.

Skills

7+ years planning experience

Resource consent experience

Policy planning experience

Report writing

Project management

Client communication

Multidisciplinary collaboration

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Urban Edge Planning is looking for an experienced Senior Planner to join our Petone-based team on a 12-month fixed-term contract to provide maternity cover.

We are a Wellington-based planning, urban design and landscape architecture consultancy working across a wide range of public and private sector projects. Our planning work is varied and includes resource consent applications and processing, private plan changes, policy work and multidisciplinary development projects.

This role would suit an experienced planner who is comfortable managing their own workload and projects, working directly with clients and collaborating with other technical specialists. Ideally, you will have experience across both resource consenting and policy planning, although we are open to candidates whose experience is stronger in one area.

Key responsibilities

• Preparing and managing resource consent applications for a range of development projects
• Processing resource consent applications on behalf of a range of local authorities
• Preparing and managing private plan change applications, including section 32 evaluations and other supporting documentation
• Providing planning and policy advice to public and private sector clients
• Coordinating input from urban designers, landscape architects, engineers and other technical specialists
• Managing projects and client relationships
• Preparing evidence and assisting with or appearing at hearings, where appropriate
• Supporting and providing guidance to less experienced members of the planning team

About you

• Preferably 7+ years' planning experience, with good knowledge of the New Zealand planning system
• Strong resource consent experience, with policy planning experience also highly regarded
• Sound understanding of the RMA and the evolving resource management framework
• Experience processing resource consents for local authorities, or comfortable working from both an applicant and Council perspective
• Can confidently manage projects and communicate directly with clients, councils and other consultants
• Clear and capable report writer
• Good judgement and can work through complex planning issues pragmatically
• Enjoys working collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Eligible to work in New Zealand

About us

Urban Edge Planning has grown to become one of Wellington's larger specialist planning, urban design and landscape architecture consultancies. Having these disciplines within the same team means much of our work is genuinely collaborative, with planners regularly working alongside our urban designers and landscape architects as well as external architects, engineers, ecologists and other specialists.

We care about producing high-quality work, but we also want Urban Edge Planning to be an enjoyable place to work. We value good people, a supportive team environment and maintaining a sensible work/life balance. We have regular team activities, a well-stocked kitchen and a friendly office environment where people are encouraged to share ideas and ask for input.

What we Offer

• Interesting and varied planning work across both the public and private sectors
• Exposure to both applicant-side and Council-side planning work
• The opportunity to work across consenting, private plan changes and policy projects
• A supportive and experienced multidisciplinary team
• Competitive remuneration based on experience
• A workplace that values quality, collaboration and work/life balance

This is a full-time, 12-month fixed-term position to provide maternity cover. We are looking for someone who can be primarily office-based and would prefer the successful candidate to work at least four days a week from our Petone office.