Associate Director – Town Planning - MRTPI

Overview

Associate Director – Town Planning - MRTPI

Regional Team Lead – Hertfordshire

A standout opportunity has arisen for an ambitious Associate Director-level Planner to join one of the UK’s most respected independent planning consultancies, taking a lead role within their high-performing Hertfordshire office.

With the planning and development market continuing to gain momentum — particularly across the South East where housing delivery, strategic land, commercial development and infrastructure proposals remain highly active — this is the perfect time to step into a role offering real leadership, profile-building opportunities, and genuine influence.

This position would suit a commercially minded planner ready to take the next step into a senior leadership role, managing client relationships, overseeing delivery, and helping shape the growth of an already well-established regional team.

You’ll be joining a consultancy known for its high-quality advice, strong client service, and realistic planning strategies, working across a diverse project portfolio spanning:

• Residential & strategic land
• Commercial and mixed-use schemes
• Heritage and sensitive planning environments

This is a role with variety, responsibility, and a clear pathway for progression — ideal for someone who wants to build a long-term platform in one of the UK’s most active planning markets.

• Leading and developing the Hertfordshire planning team
• Managing projects from inception through to determination and delivery
• Preparing planning appraisals, applications, appeals and written representations
• Acting as a key contact for major clients and stakeholders
• Playing a central role in business development, networking and work-winning
• Supporting the strategic direction and continued growth of the wider business
• Mentoring junior planners and helping shape a strong team culture

• Chartered Town Planner / MRTPI
• Strong consultancy experience with broad technical capability
• Proven ability to manage a varied workload and deliver commercially
• Confident client-facing communicator with strong relationship-building skills
• Evidence of supporting or leading business development initiatives
• A leader-in-the-making — or already operating at Senior Associate / Associate Director level

Full UK driving licence

The planning market is buoyant, workload levels remain high, and consultancies with strong reputations are seeing significant demand across both private and public sector clients. That means one thing: projects are flowing, opportunity is real, and progression is happening quickly for the right people.

This role offers the chance to step into a visible leadership seat, grow your personal profile, and play a key part in shaping the direction of a thriving regional office — all while working on a genuinely high-quality project portfolio.

A highly competitive salary c. £75k, and benefits package is on offer, alongside flexible working, strong internal support, and a clear route to further progression.

All applications will be handled in strict confidence.