Associate Town Planner Associate Director of Town Planning

Job Title: Associate Planner Associate Director of Town Planning

Location: Wilmslow
Practice: Employee-Owned Multidisciplinary

Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting an employee-owned, multidisciplinary planning consultancy of around 50 professionals in their search for an Associate Planner.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Associate Planner to join a collaborative and forward-thinking team working on a diverse portfolio of high-profile projects for prestigious clients.

As an Associate Planner, you will play a key role in the delivery of complex planning schemes, providing expert advice to clients and supporting the continued growth of the business. The successful Associate Planner will work closely with Directors, taking responsibility for managing projects and contributing to team leadership and mentoring.

The Associate Planner position typically involves working on and managing a variety of schemes, providing direct client advice on sites and projects, and drafting high-quality planning reports and submissions. The Associate Planner will assist with the management of the team's caseload while taking financial responsibility for medium-sized projects from inception through to completion.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assisting Directors to drive forward major projects
• Managing medium to large-scale planning applications
• Undertaking research and analysis
• Preparing planning appraisals of land, buildings, and development concepts
• Preparing planning reports, planning applications, development plan representations, and Environmental Statements
• Liaising with planning officers, statutory consultees, and third parties
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients, colleagues, and fellow professionals
• Developing creative and original planning solutions
• Remaining informed about planning policy and practice
• Attending external events and delivering presentations

To be successful in this Associate Planner role, you will demonstrate:

• A relevant degree and full Chartered Membership of the RTPI (or equivalent professional body)
• Relevant experience in the private or public sector
• Excellent technical writing and presentation skills
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach and strong communication skills
• Creativity, commercial awareness, and the ability to manage projects independently

This is a fantastic opportunity for an Associate Planner to progress their career within an employee-owned consultancy, working on a varied and challenging portfolio of projects alongside some of the best planning professionals in the industry. The role offers long-term career development, meaningful responsibility, and the chance to directly contribute to the success of the business.

The hiring manager is looking to meet with suitable candidates ASAP so if you meet the above criteria, please contact Josh Jones on or