Associate | Associate Director of Town Planning in Leeds

Location: Leeds

Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a leading planning consultancy with the appointment of an experienced planning professional at Associate to Director level to lead and grow their presence in Leeds. This is a rare opportunity for an ambitious planning professional to take ownership of a regional presence, develop new business, build strong client relationships and play a key role in shaping the future growth of the team.

The successful candidate will be based from a shared office space in Leeds, working independently while remaining closely connected to the wider planning team and benefiting from access to junior resource and expertise across the business. Regular travel to offices in Kent and London will also be required.

This position would suit a self-starter who enjoys building something from the ground up and is confident representing a consultancy at client meetings, networking events and industry gatherings.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and represent the consultancy across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region.
• Provide high-quality planning advice and deliver a range of planning projects for clients.
• Identify, develop and secure new business opportunities and client instructions.
• Attend networking events, industry meetings and client meetings to raise the profile of the business.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local authorities, consultants, developers and other key stakeholders.
• Develop the Leeds presence and, over time, help build the case for and recruit additional team members.
• Manage your workload autonomously while working collaboratively with the wider planning team.
• Travel periodically to Kent and London for team meetings, collaboration and wider business activities.
• Contribute to the company's profile through networking, speaking opportunities, articles and involvement with relevant professional bodies.

About you

• Essential: Proven experience working within a private planning consultancy.
• Strong knowledge of the Leeds/Yorkshire planning market.
• Existing relationships and connections across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region.
• Familiarity with relevant local authorities and key stakeholders.
• A self-starter who is comfortable working independently and managing their own workload.
• Confident representing a consultancy at client meetings, networking events and industry gatherings.
• Commercially minded with a proven ability to develop and maintain client relationships.
• Able to commute to Leeds regularly and willing to travel to Kent and London periodically.

• Desirable: Chartered membership of the RTPI or working towards chartership.
• Experience of working within or alongside a local authority.
• Existing experience of business development and winning new instructions.
• A track record of mentoring, managing or developing junior planning professionals.

What's on offer

• Associate to Director-level opportunity, with the position and package tailored to the successful candidate's experience.
• The opportunity to lead and develop a new regional presence.
• Significant autonomy and responsibility from day one.
• Access to support, expertise and resources from an established wider planning team.
• Opportunity to build and grow a Leeds-based team over time.
• Excellent scope for career progression and business development.
• A varied workload and the opportunity to play a key role in the continued growth of the business.

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