Associate Planner | Associate Director - Town Planning - #2185452

Associate Town Planner | Associate Director
Location: Edinburgh or Glasgow

Penguin Recruitment is proud to be partnering with a well-regarded multidisciplinary consultancy as they look to appoint an experienced Associate / Associate Director Town Planner to their established Planning and Environment team in Scotland.

This is a fantastic opening for a driven, commercially aware planning professional seeking a senior role within an expanding consultancy, with exposure to a varied portfolio of prominent projects spanning the energy, infrastructure, transport and defence sectors.

You will be central to delivering planning services, building client relationships and helping to drive the continued growth of the wider team. The role offers real scope to shape projects, lead multidisciplinary teams and progress your career to the next level.

The Role
In the position of Associate / Associate Director Town Planner, you will be responsible for:

• Leading and overseeing a diverse workload of planning applications and their supporting documentation.
• Offering strategic planning guidance to a broad range of private sector clients.
• Shaping and delivering planning strategies from initial concept through to completion.
• Owning key client relationships and serving as a trusted planning advisor.
• Spotting new business opportunities and helping the planning team to grow.
• Working alongside multidisciplinary technical specialists to coordinate planning inputs.
• Acting on behalf of clients at meetings, public consultations, hearings and other stakeholder events.
• Coaching, supporting and developing junior and mid-level planners.
• Taking ownership of project delivery, commercial performance and client satisfaction.

Requirements
To be considered for this Associate / Associate Director Town Planner role, you will ideally bring:

• Chartered membership of the RTPI (MRTPI).
• A Town Planning degree or another RTPI-accredited qualification.
• Substantial post-qualification experience in a planning consultancy or comparable setting.
• Sound technical understanding of the UK planning system, planning policy and development management.
• A track record of managing complex planning applications and delivering projects across multiple sectors.
• Outstanding communication, negotiation and client relationship management abilities.
• Experience leading teams, mentoring colleagues and juggling multiple projects.
• A commercial mindset with a keen interest in business development and strengthening client relationships.

Familiarity with Section 36 and Section 37 applications, Development Consent Orders (DCOs) or major infrastructure projects would be a bonus, though it is not essential.

What's on Offer?

• Competitive salary alongside a comprehensive benefits package.
• Flexible, hybrid working.
• Strong prospects for career progression.
• Continuous professional training and development.
• Robust mentoring and leadership support.
• The chance to contribute to nationally significant projects.
• A collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment.

Location
This position can be based in either Edinburgh or Glasgow, and applications are also welcome from candidates elsewhere in Scotland who are able to work flexibly.

Interested?
The hiring manager is keen to meet suitable candidates as soon as possible. If you match the above criteria, please get in touch with Sophie Ferguson on (phone number removed) or (url removed)