Associate / Principal Town Planner

SLR has a successful and growing Planning and Environmental Impact Assessment team that works across all business sectors throughout the UK, along with international businesses. We are looking to further expand the planning team based in London with the appointment of someone with relevant town planning qualifications and experience.

You will be involved in a variety of projects from major planning and EIA applications to smaller submissions, site promotion work, planning appeals, planning appraisals, and more, for a wide range of clients. You will help to support the team in supplying the full range of planning services to clients, working alongside our internal technical teams as well as external consultant/project teams. In addition, you will be expected to win new clients where the opportunity arises, helping grow the portfolio and professional development of the London Planning Team.

SLR’s London Planning Team leads a range of diverse planning projects, from residential, to leisure, tourism, logistics and offices, in London and across the rest of England for both national and regional clients. You’ll be an integral part of a dynamic and growing team that values collaboration, innovation, and delivering high-quality planning advice. You’ll contribute to shaping sustainable communities, managing complex projects, and supporting clients through every stage of the planning process.

The role will comprise a mixture of home working and working from our London office near Holborn. The planning team is usually in the office three days a week.

About us: SLR is a global leader in environmental and advisory solutions, helping our clients achieve their sustainability goals. We are a consultancy with over 4,500 staff across six regions, including over 1,700 in Europe. Our ‘one team’ culture is at the heart of our business, providing a collaborative and supportive environment for professional development.

Along with competitive salaries, our staff enjoy a comprehensive benefits package with a company pension plus excellent healthcare offering, travel and life insurance, critical illness cover and a structured career framework with regular reviews offering outstanding opportunities for progression. Alongside 25 days’ annual leave, SLR offers flexible, agile and hybrid working, which enables staff to tailor hours worked around core hours, and our family-friendly policies help balance the needs of professional and family life.

The role: You will work within an experienced team, with the opportunity to work with the SLR offices around the UK and be involved in a series of exciting challenges with one of the leading environmental consultancies in the UK. While our London planning team is focused on residential and commercial development, our wider planning team work on a wide range of logistics, energy, minerals, leisure and other types of schemes, offering involvement in a broad range of planning, should you wish to be involved.

• Lead and manage a range of planning projects from initial inception and early strategy development, including site promotion, through to consent and development stages.
• Work alongside the planning director and wider team to lead and coordinate a range of in-house and external technical specialists.
• Lead on the management, preparation and review of a range of planning and technical reports and supporting documentation.
• Represent the business and its clients to key stakeholders, local authorities and regulators.
• Participate in business development and networking activities to promote SLR and the London Planning Team to new and existing clients, and other development professionals.

You will also be supported in growing your professional experience through work on a range of projects and access to CPD opportunities, within a supportive and friendly team.

About you: If you have prior town planning experience and a UK driving licence and are interested in applying, we’d love to hear from you! We are looking for someone with:

• Planning-related degree or post-graduate qualification, along with a sound knowledge of the planning system.
• Five years’ private sector experience (or demonstrable experience at a comparable level) in the town planning sector and RTPI Chartership (those candidates working towards this will be considered on a case-by-case basis).
• Excellent organisational, communication, report writing and interpersonal skills.
• Proven team leadership and stakeholder/client management skills.
• Proven ability to work to deadlines and budgets and manage programmes.
• Ability to travel to sites/meetings independently and/or with clients and team members.

Culture & Inclusion at SLR: We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer, and our expectations go beyond purely complying with legislation. Through our Regional C&I Committees, Global Council and Employee Networks, we foster an inclusive environment where all people regardless of their background can thrive.

We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of their background, including those from groups that are currently under-represented at SLR, such as people identifying as 2SLGBTQI+, Indigenous peoples, ethnic minority groups, women, and people with visible or invisible disabilities, including those who are neurodivergent. Should you require any special adjustments throughout the recruitment process with us, please let us know. As a Disability Confident Committed employer, we seek to ensure all applicants have equitable support when applying to SLR.