Remote Technical Director Town Planning in High Wycombe

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

We have an opportunity for a Technical Director to lead infrastructure planning projects across the UK, with a particular expertise and focus on DCO projects. Due to significant infrastructure planning wins and new opportunities, we are looking to bring in a Technical Director to help manage and grow our planning consents team across the UK. We have an impressive portfolio of involvement in major infrastructure projects, including lead roles in the consenting and delivery of projects through various consenting regimes including DCOs. We are currently leading on planning applications for renewables and wider energy/electricity related infrastructure, transport, defence, water and much more.

You will be joining a great team; you will have an interesting and diverse workload and you will be given the opportunity to make the most of your abilities.

Here’s what you’ll do:

• Technical Leadership: Be a technical authority providing technical direction on frameworks and major projects and be a go to person for technical reviews. Lead technical solutions to deliver best possible solutions. As part of the senior leadership team, you will work with the practice lead and other directors to direct the planning business. Performing the Planning Lead and DCO Lead role for NSIP development applications. Leading other development planning work and providing authoritative planning advice to colleagues and clients.
• People Development & Mentoring: Provide mentoring to more junior staff supporting their technical development in project delivery and in appreciation of risks including how to manage and eliminate these on projects. As an inclusive people developer, you will: Demonstrate your dedication to driving our inclusion strategy by instilling a culture of respect within your team. Build a diverse and inclusive workforce by recruiting and retaining the best talent and nurturing the next generation of leaders who will do the same. Lead with empathy, respect and understanding, actively seeking out diverse points of view. Provide all employees the freedom they need to grow, develop, innovate and be their whole selves at work.
• Governance: Act as lead verifier (in accordance with AECOM’s quality assurance process) on major design projects and programmes providing technical direction on solutions ensuring these meet clients brief and expectations with risks adequately managed. Be able to lead design of large and complex projects including design and build projects with significant commercial risks.
• Commercial & Technical Support: Be able to demonstrate commercial awareness with regards to project delivery with an understanding of technical risks and how to manage these to offer value to clients and AECOM. Collaborative working, devising and managing programmes and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams. In a Project Director role, ensuring successful delivery of projects to budget and programme.
• Bid Support: Support technical development of bids including delivery of growth through the identification of opportunities and successfully leading major project bids. Overseeing deliverables produced by the planning consents team and implementing quality and health and safety principles.

AECOM’s rapidly growing Town Planning team plays a key role in delivering major infrastructure and development projects. AECOM is a top ten UK planning consultancy by size, employing more than 70 Chartered or Licentiate Planners. AECOM is also a worldwide leader in environmental and engineering consultancy and working as a planning consultant within AECOM means access to some of the highest profile and prestigious development projects in the UK, working with colleagues operating at the cutting edge of their disciplines as part of the largest UK environmental consultancy.

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible? Here’s what we’re looking for:

• Substantial experience of leading development consents applications for large infrastructure projects across a range of consenting regimes. Experience of DCO regime essential.
• Client focus, with good interpersonal skills and collaborative working approach. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
• Strong, proven consultancy skills in multi-disciplinary design, delivery and consents team environments and an ability to work closely with clients to define and implement effective consenting strategies.
• Established client relationships and experience of the successful pursuit of prospects and delivery of projects. A business development mindset, with demonstrable experience of work winning and developing relationships with existing and new clients.
• Experience of developing and implementing business strategies and client development plans in order to ensure that bidding opportunities are maximized.
• Experience of working within a commercial environment (leading successful multi-disciplinary bids and projects), including client liaison, programme and time management, quality assurance and financial/budget control.
• Expert witness experience would be advantageous.
• A thorough understanding of Environmental Impact Assessment and its relationship with the development consent process.
• Critical thinker and strong analytical skills with a solutions focused mindset to resolve complex issues. Ability to work on your own initiative and under pressure.
• High level of commitment to quality, ability to work in a fast-paced environment and to work on multiple projects/business initiatives at any one time.
• Relevant degree and full Chartered Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

We celebrate diversity, including neurodiversity, and believe it enriches our team. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and abilities. If you are an applicant with a disability that requires reasonable accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us.