Associate Town Planner

Associate Town Planner – Belfast or Edinburgh

Deliver High‑Value Planning Solutions Across the UK & Ireland

Tetra Tech is seeking an experienced Associate Town Planner to join our established and growing Planning team, based in Belfast or Edinburgh. This role presents an excellent opportunity to progress your career within a leading multi‑disciplinary consultancy, delivering strategic planning advice across a diverse and engaging portfolio of projects.

As an Associate Town Planner, you will play a key role in the delivery of planning projects from early conception through to consent and post‑consent stages, working under senior guidance while taking increasing ownership of project delivery and client relationships.

The role is client‑facing and will involve leading planning applications, managing consultants and stakeholders, and contributing to multi‑disciplinary project teams. You will be responsible for progressing projects through the planning process, including managing submissions, responding to consultee feedback, and discharging planning conditions.

Through your technical expertise, professional judgement and project leadership, you will directly influence the successful delivery of development proposals across a wide range of sectors. Your work will help clients navigate complex planning systems, manage risk and achieve positive outcomes in a timely and commercially effective manner.

By contributing to projects from inception through determination and beyond, you will help shape sustainable development proposals, support informed decision‑making and strengthen long‑term client relationships.

Planning & Technical Expertise

You will bring a strong grounding in planning practice, with experience leading projects under senior guidance and progressing applications through to consent. Your understanding of planning policy, process and decision‑making will allow you to provide clear, practical advice tailored to client needs. Experience of Environmental Impact Assessment and energy‑related development is advantageous, though not essential.

Project & Consultancy Delivery

You will demonstrate the ability to manage projects effectively from conception through to completion, balancing competing deadlines and priorities. Comfortable working autonomously, you will also contribute positively within collaborative, multi‑disciplinary project teams. Your organisational skills and commercial awareness will support efficient delivery and strong client outcomes.

Client Engagement & Communication

As a client‑facing professional, you will communicate clearly and confidently with clients, stakeholders and project teams. Your written and verbal skills will support high‑quality reports, planning statements and correspondence.

Multi‑Disciplinary Collaboration

You will be comfortable working within and, where appropriate, leading multi‑disciplinary project teams. Your ability to integrate planning considerations with environmental, engineering and design inputs will help deliver coordinated, high‑quality project outcomes.

Professional Communication & Reporting

You will produce clear, accurate and persuasive written outputs, including planning statements, supporting documents and correspondence. Your verbal communication skills will support confident participation in meetings, presentations and client discussions.

You will have substantial experience working in a planning role and be a Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) or Irish Planning Institute (IPI). You will have demonstrable experience of leading projects under senior guidance, taking schemes from early concept through to planning consent and condition discharge. You will be comfortable operating within a professional consultancy environment and contributing to collaborative, multi‑disciplinary teams.

• Renewable energy and/or energy infrastructure consenting
• Experience of both Northern Irish / Irish and Scottish planning systems
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

The role is ideally based in Belfast, although Edinburgh may be considered depending on the successful candidate. Hybrid working is supported, with a phased and flexible approach agreed to suit both individual and project requirements.

In alignment with the Equality Act 2010, reasonable adjustments will be made to support candidates and employees who require additional arrangements throughout the recruitment process or in the workplace. Please let us know if you require any accommodations.