Planning and Licencing Manager

We are currently looking for an experienced Planning and Licensing Manager to join our Property team on a full time, fixed term (Maternity Cover) basis. In this pivotal role, the successful candidate will be the go-to expert for all planning and licensing matters across the Southbank Centre estate, ensuring compliance, advising key teams, and managing applications and projects. You’ll work closely with internal and external stakeholders, including local authorities, community groups, and our in-house teams, to deliver high-quality planning and licensing outcomes.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead on all planning and licensing applications, ensuring they align with regulatory requirements.
• Manage the development and submission of planning applications and licensing requests.
• Provide expert advice to departments and stakeholders on planning issues, from compliance to strategy development.
• Liaise with local authorities, planning consultants, and external stakeholders, including residents and community groups.
• Coordinate stakeholder consultation and represent Southbank Centre in external meetings.
• Oversee planning and licensing documentation, and monitor & report on conditions, timelines, and approvals.
• Drive best practices in planning and licensing, offering training and guidance to internal teams.
• Limited preparation of CAD drawings and architectural plans is an advantage but not essential.

We are seeking a candidate with a solid background in town planning, licensing, or building science, and experience in a similar role. The ideal candidate will be a proactive problem-solver who excels in a fast-paced environment and takes a meticulous approach to planning processes. Expertise in planning and licensing laws and processes will enable the successful candidate to lead effectively on planning matters, balancing both commercial and regulatory constraints. Strong communication skills are essential, with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and influence outcomes.

Please download the attached Job Description for a full overview of this role responsibilities. We welcome applications from people from a Black, Asian or Ethnically Diverse background or those who are D/deaf or disabled. If you wish to discuss reasonable adjustments such as a BSL interpreter for your interview please indicate this on your application form. Interviews will take place at The Southbank Centre. If you would like to speak to someone about any adjustments or concerns you can also email hrteam@southbankcentre.co.uk and we will be in touch with you to make the necessary arrangements.

By attracting people to work for us from a broad range of backgrounds with diverse attitudes, opinions and beliefs we can continue to look at the world with fresh eyes and find new ways of doing things. The Southbank Centre is a warm and welcoming place to work, with great aspirations and ambitions to create great and accessible work for all. We pride ourselves in building a supportive environment to enable the development of our staff. If you feel you have just some of the required skills and experience but meet the person specification, we would still encourage you to apply; we are very open to continuing the training and development of individuals who are self-motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to the role.