Principal Planning Lead

Ready to Lead Elgin’s Planning Activities Across the UK & Ireland? We’re looking for a Principal Planning Lead to join Elgin — a senior position leading our planning function across the UK and Ireland, reporting to the Head of Development (UK & Ireland). The role is responsible for managing all planning activities for large scale Solar PV, BESS and co‑located projects from early feasibility, permitting through to construction and into operations. The role also ensures all consenting requirements are identified early and aligned with portfolio delivery. You will oversee a team of planners, support Project Managers throughout the development lifecycle, and ensure planning strategy, risk management, and programme delivery are fully integrated and aligned with Elgin’s project pipeline. The role also includes planning due diligence for M&A opportunities, cross‑functional coordination, managing stakeholder engagement and ensuring robust planning outcomes that secure high consent rates across multi‑site portfolios. The role will also involve working closely with the development and construction teams to ensure alignment on the delivery of late‑stage projects. Site travel will be required.

What you will do:

• Planning Leadership & Team Management
  • Lead, manage and develop the planning team, ensuring effective allocation of workloads, delivery of outputs, and adherence to internal project milestones.
  • Set clear planning objectives, standards and procedures across the portfolio.
  • Mentor and guide planners and project teams through complex planning processes, appeals, and public consultations.
  • Foster a strong culture of shared learning and continuous improvement across the planning team, including regular knowledge‑sharing sessions on planning, permitting and licensing matters, emerging risks, and lessons learned across the UK & Ireland portfolio.
• Portfolio Planning Strategy & Execution
  • Oversee planning activities across the full project lifecycle—from origination and feasibility, through planning application, appeal (if required), and pre‑construction discharge of conditions.
  • Develop and execute planning strategies that maximise consent likelihood and minimise programme risk.
  • Lead the integration of planning, permitting and licensing programmes into overall project delivery schedules to minimise consenting risk and avoid downstream delays.
  • Lead planning inputs for multi‑site portfolios and ensure consistency of approach and documentation, including active engagement with planning consultants to achieve this.
  • Develop and maintain a clear, project‑specific and portfolio‑wide understanding of all planning consents, permits and licences required to enable construction, energisation and operation of Solar PV, BESS and co‑located projects.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Public Interface
  • Oversee development of communications and stakeholder engagement plans.
  • Prepare and support delivery of public consultation events and community meetings.
  • Manage relationships with Local Planning Authorities, statutory consultees, and key stakeholders to ensure timely progression of planning applications and permits.
  • Represent Elgin at planning committees, appeals, and public inquiries, where required.
  • Manage relationships with external planning consultants acting as primary point of contact, ensuring clear communication of project objectives, timelines, commercial priorities and value.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with the Head of Development and PMO to ensure planning programmes align with overall pipeline delivery.
  • Collaborate with Development, Legal, Grid, Construction, Operations, Engineering and external consultants to ensure comprehensive and coordinated planning submissions.
  • Provide planning leadership during due diligence for project acquisitions, advising on risk, gaps, and mitigation strategies.
  • Advise on permitting and licensing risk during development, acquisition and investment decision‑making, including interfaces with land, grid, environmental and operational consents.
• Technical Expertise & Compliance
  • Lead preparation and review of planning documents, planning studies, environmental assessments, and supporting technical material.
  • Maintain strong understanding of environmental impacts, assessment methodologies, and mitigation strategies relevant to Solar PV, BESS and co‑located projects.
  • Ensure compliance with planning legislation, environmental regulations, and best‑practice standards.

Your profile:

• Planning & Technical Competencies
  • Significant experience in the UK and/or Irish planning systems, including planning policy, development management, and consenting processes.
  • Strong knowledge of SEA, Sustainability Appraisal, EIA, environmental appraisals, and equivalent impact assessment frameworks.
  • Experience navigating large‑scale infrastructure planning applications, appeals, and public inquiries.
  • Experience bringing projects through to construction and operation including the discharge of conditions and obtaining necessary permits and licences, with UK experience helpful.
  • Experience in obtaining consents/licences from local Councils required in order to implement planning permissions to include access and cabling licences, with UK experience helpful.
  • Demonstrated experience advising on planning issues for a range of project types and stages.
  • Advantageous: understanding of renewables, sustainability, landscape, archaeology, ecology, hydrology, contaminated land and associated environmental constraints.
  • Advantageous: Experience with the NSIPs consenting process.
• Professional Credentials
  • Chartered membership of RTPI or IPI (required).
• Leadership & Soft Skills
  • Strong team leadership skills with experience managing and mentoring planners.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including presenting to committees and stakeholders.
  • Ability to manage complex, multi‑disciplinary teams and maintain strong stakeholder relationships.
  • Commercially astute, highly organised, and process‑driven with the ability to set priorities and meet deadlines.
  • Self‑motivated, proactive and capable of working independently with minimal oversight.
  • Proven ability to lead portfolio‑level planning applications and teams.
• Other Requirements
  • Full driver’s licence.
  • Willingness to travel to project sites across the UK and Ireland.