Associate Planning Consultant

Job Title:
Senior / Principal Town PlannerLocation:
Bristol (Hybrid Working)

Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a leading global multi-disciplinary consultancy in their search for a Senior or Principal Town Planner to join their established and growing team in Bristol.

This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced planning professional to take a key role in delivering high-profile infrastructure and development projects that positively shape communities, support sustainable growth and contribute to a low-carbon future.

Our client is one of the UK's leading planning consultancies, recognised for its expertise in sustainable infrastructure and development. With a strong presence across the UK and internationally, they work at the forefront of thought leadership in Net Zero, ESG, Biodiversity Net Gain and digital transformation.

The Bristol team supports a wide portfolio of major public and private sector clients across energy, water, transport, defence, housing and regeneration. Their collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach enables them to deliver complex projects efficiently and innovatively.

As a Senior or Principal Town Planner, you will play a pivotal role in leading and delivering planning services across a diverse range of markets and sectors.

• Acting as Planning Lead on a range of infrastructure and development projects.
• Managing projects from inception through to consent and beyond, ensuring delivery on time and within budget.
• Leading and contributing to bid preparation, tender submissions and framework responses.
• Acting as lead consultant on multi-disciplinary projects, coordinating inputs from environmental, engineering and design specialists.
• Providing strategic planning advice to clients across a range of consent regimes.
• Supporting and mentoring junior colleagues and contributing to the wider development of the Planning team.
• Building and maintaining strong client relationships and identifying opportunities for business growth.
• Engaging with market and client leads to support work winning and strategic development initiatives.

You will work within a dynamic, collaborative environment, partnering with professionals across environmental, engineering and design disciplines both in the UK and internationally.

We are seeking an experienced planning professional with a strong technical background and commercial awareness.

• A relevant Planning degree.
• Experience working within consultancy, local authority or client-side planning environments.
• Demonstrable experience in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process.
• Strong understanding of Strategic Planning and Planning Policy.
• Knowledge and experience of TCPA, DCO, TWAO or equivalent consent regimes.
• Experience managing multiple projects and delivering outputs within agreed timescales and budgets.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain and discuss planning issues.
• Confidence working within multi-disciplinary teams across a variety of sectors and geographies.
• Demonstrable ability to develop and maintain client relationships.
• Experience supporting work winning and contributing to business growth initiatives.

• RTPI membership (or working towards).
• Experience acting as Planning Lead on major infrastructure or complex development projects.

The successful candidate will benefit from:

• Competitive salary (commensurate with experience)
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
• Generous holiday allowance
• Comprehensive benefits package tailored to individual lifestyle and wellbeing
• Structured training and professional development opportunities
• Clear career progression pathways

Interested? The hiring manager is looking to meet with suitable candidates ASAP so if you meet the above criteria, please contact Josh Jones on or