Principal Planner / Associate Director

Ampa Holdings LLP; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK planning consultancy is seeking a Principal Planner / Associate Director in Bristol. This position involves advising clients on development potential, managing planning applications, and working collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams. Candidates should possess a relevant planning qualification and be a member of the RTPI. The role offers competitive salary and benefits, along with opportunities for career progression in a flexible hybrid working environment.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

Payment of relevant subscriptions

Flexibility in working patterns

Opportunity to influence business strategy

Opportunity to work on varied projects

Qualifications

• Experience within the local region in planning.
• Strong desire to develop client relationships.
• Ability to manage planning applications and appeals.

Responsibilities

• Advise clients on development potential.
• Prepare planning applications and appeals.
• Provide policy advice for planning strategies.
• Work closely with clients and other consultants.

Skills

Excellent writing skills

Excellent communication skills

Detailed knowledge of planning process

Team player approach

Ability to advise on development potential

Education

Relevant Planning qualification

Membership of the RTPI

Job description

Principal Planner / Associate Director

Department: Marrons - Marrons - Planning - Planning - 2401

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Bristol

Reporting To: Craig Pettit

Description

Are you a dynamic and talented Planning professional looking to take the next step in your career? Do you want to work for an ambitious consultancy and contribute to our ongoing growth? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Marrons has a fantastic opportunity for a Principal to Associate Director level Planner to join our growing team in Bristol. Our planning teams focus on strategic planning projects, mainly planning applications and land promotions for residential development, and we work closely alongside our colleagues in development economics, design and heritage.

We can offer you:

• A competitive salary with great benefits including private medical & payment of relevant subscriptions
• A culture of trust, empowerment and autonomy over your work
• The chance to work on a variety of projects including land promotions and planning applications for a range of sites and clients.
• The opportunity to join a growing team within an established planning firm, and to help influence our business strategy for the South West and Thames Valley.
• Hybrid working with the flexibility to define working patterns that work for you in and outside the office

Marrons has grown rapidly over the past 5 years to become a top 15 UK planning consultancy, with a team of 50+ town planners across our regional hubs. We also provide complementary socio-economic, heritage, masterplanning and architectural services. We seek ambitious planners to join our team to help drive forward projects and support business development activities.

The opportunity

Our whole team is vital in helping to achieve our ambitions, helping to lead projects, build client relations and champion the Marrons brand.

As a Principal Planner / Associate Director, you will continue to develop your career working collaboratively with colleagues within our multi-disciplinary consultancy, alongside having ample opportunities to build client relationships and start developing your own workload. This is an ideal opportunity for a candidate who is able to demonstrate experience within the region and has a strong desire to develop their own client base, to support the future growth of the business.

You will be involved in projects from the day one, working closely with colleagues, clients and other consultants to manage schemes from initial advice and strategy, represent clients at local plan examinations and appeals, to achieving planning permission and negotiating associated conditions, and planning obligations. There will also be opportunities to publish thought pieces and knowledge‑based press releases to promote your work and our business.

The key duties will be:

• advising on development potential of land and buildings
• assisting with preparing planning applications and appeals
• providing policy advice and research to formulate planning strategies
• drafting representations to plan consultations and examinations
• assisting in identifying land opportunities
• working with clients and other consultants to deliver development
• supporting business development activities

You will need:

• a relevant Planning qualification and previous experience within the local region
• membership of the RTPI
• an in-depth understanding of the planning process and systems
• excellent writing skills with a strong eye for detail and high level of accuracy
• excellent communication skills and a friendly approachable manner
• drive, commitment, enthusiastic and a team player approach

Whether you are an experienced Principal Planner ready to step‑up and assist with leading major projects or an experienced Associate Director looking to expand your capabilities in a new role, we are keen to speak with you. This role offers the right candidate some excellent future prospects.

Benefits, Agile Working and Additional information

We embrace agile working and offer a blended approach to where and how we work.

We appreciate that people have different needs and preferences and we’re keen to be flexible, after all, we value what you do, not where you do it.

We have the following hubs across the UK: Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, London, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Sheffield, Solihull, Stratford upon Avon & Tunbridge Wells.

Please be aware, for some vacancies, where we receive high numbers of applications we may need to bring the close date forward.

Due to the nature of the work undertaken, confirmation of employment will be subject to a variety of checks which will be carried out once an offer of employment is accepted. Details of the checks can be found here.

Equal opportunities

Marrons is a committed equal opportunities employer. We seek to attract, develop and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We value and respect individuality and encourage a culture within our business where people can be themselves and be valued for their strengths and experiences. Everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, regardless of their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.