Associate Director - Planning Policy Leader North

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Do you want to join an award-winning town planning team, delivering some of the most complex and challenging projects?

We are helping clients across the public sector to develop plans and strategies which help them to realise their ambitions for their areas. We are seeking to recruit an Associate / Associate Director who will be passionate about growing our policy and spatial strategy business in the North of England and take advantage of the opportunities that the re-introduction of strategic planning and reformed local plan system provide.

We provide a holistic service to meet the aspirations and needs of developers, communities, local planning authorities, combined authorities and central government. You will have the opportunity to work across a portfolio of projects that includes preparing national, sub-regional and local planning policy, evidence and guidance, delivering consultation and engagement, and undertaking research and evaluation.

We are looking for an individual with the ability to provide quality technical guidance, argue strategic cases, articulate complex issues concisely and manage projects combined with strong influencing and interpersonal skills. You will have a strong blend of leadership, consulting and technical skills.

At Arup, you will work with planners, designers, economists, transport specialists and infrastructure experts to shape policy that supports sustainable, inclusive and deliverable places. You will join a collaborative team with access to high-profile commissions, multidisciplinary expertise and structured professional development.

At Arup, you belong to an extraordinary collective – in which we encourage individuality to thrive. Our strength comes from how we respect, share and connect our diverse experiences, perspectives and ideas. You will have the opportunity do socially useful work that has meaning – to Arup, to your career, to our members and to the clients and communities we serve.

The role is to develop client relationships, identify project opportunities, lead teams in bidding and delivering projects, develop team members, raise Arup’s profile in this area, and promote our work in the marketplace.

You should have a knowledge of policy and spatial strategy legislation and policy requirements including the legacy and new local plan systems and strategic planning. You should also have established relationships with one or more of our key clients, such as MHCLG, Homes England, Combined Authorities or major local authorities and property developers.

As Policy Lead for the North of England, you will play a key leadership role in the following areas:

• Growing our market share across our policy and spatial strategy business by identifying and leading the successful pursuit of prospects and projects which are critical to Arup’s positioning in the market.

• Engaging with existing and potential clients, to ensure there is a strong pipeline of repeat work and identifying opportunities for new work.

• Leading the delivery of projects in terms of client interface, providing strategic direction to the team, undertaking QA and ensuring projects are profitable.

• Interfacing with multi-disciplinary project teams across Arup to ensure client/project opportunities are maximised and integrated delivery of projects.

This role is required in support on an existing pipeline of strategic and local planning policy work and to support work winning across the North of England. This role would be…