Senior​/Principal Planner; Planning Policy

Salary:

Dependent on experience

Waterman Aspen is a specialist professional services provider, supporting the delivery of development management, infrastructure and place‑shaping projects across the UK, particularly where organisations are facing skills shortages, increasing caseloads and complex delivery pressures. We work in partnership with both public and private sector clients, providing experienced planners and technical specialists to strengthen capacity, improve outcomes and support confident decision‑making at the point it matters most.

Our model is intentionally flexible. Through secondments and project‑based support, we place the right people with the right skills into client teams at the right time—whether that’s helping organisations manage sustained capacity pressures, progress backlogs, support critical projects, or navigate organisational and policy change.

Our clients include local authorities, government bodies, consultancies and developers, and we work as trusted, embedded members of their teams to support confident, defensible decision‑making.

We are a people‑centred organisation and take pride in supporting our colleagues throughout their careers. Mutual respect, professionalism and trust sit at the heart of how we work. This is reflected in our commitment to wellbeing, family‑friendly policies, inclusion and social value, alongside our focus on sustainability and net‑zero ambitions. We are a Disability Confident Employer and an accredited Real Living Wage Employer.

We have clear ambitions for the future and a growing Town Planning offer that plays a key role in supporting our clients and communities. If you’re looking to make a tangible impact, support organisations under real delivery pressure, and gain wide‑ranging experience across the planning sector, we’d like to hear from you.

Joining Waterman Aspen as a Senior / Principal Planner means becoming part of a supportive, experienced Town Planning team while working on a diverse range of public and private sector projects across the UK, often in environments where additional capacity, experience and judgement are critical. You’ll enjoy the stability and benefits of permanent employment, combined with the variety, challenge and professional breadth that comes from working across different organisations and project environments.

You can expect a role that offers exposure to a wide client base, allowing you to apply your expertise, develop new skills and build a strong professional profile. Our clients actively value the contribution of Waterman Aspen colleagues, creating opportunities for meaningful technical involvement and professional growth.

The secondment‑led model also offers flexibility—giving you the chance to broaden your experience with each new assignment, step into different planning contexts quickly, and add value from day one, without the disruption of changing employer. We support career development at every stage, with access to training, mentoring and guidance from experienced managers and peers, helping you progress towards your professional or academic goals.

Alongside this, we offer paid professional subscriptions, regular social and volunteering opportunities, and a culture that values balance, wellbeing and long‑term development.

• Degree qualified in Town Planning or a related discipline, with Chartered Membership of the RTPI (or working towards chartership at Senior level where appropriate).
• Significant post‑qualification experience in a Planning Policy role within a local authority, consultancy or client‑facing planning environment, operating at Senior or Principal level.
• Strong, up‑to‑date knowledge and practical application of planning legislation, national planning policy and statutory procedures, including emerging changes.
• Proven experience in the preparation, review and delivery of Development Plan documents, including Local Plans and associated policy documents.
• Experience preparing evidence for, and participating in, Local Plan Examinations, including responding to Inspectors’ questions and giving evidence at hearings where appropriate.
• Highly organised…