About the Company – At Fairhurst, our people are the driving force behind our success. We take pride in the opportunities and environment we create for top talent to thrive and leave a positive impact in our communities and society.
About the Role – Fairhurst is excited to announce that we are expanding our team in Newcastle and are on the lookout for a passionate Principal Planner. As a leading planning consultancy, we work with an impressive range of public and private sector clients, providing expert advice and securing planning permissions for high-profile development projects across the UK.
We have a continuously expanding and diverse workload, offering an exciting variety of projects across multiple sectors. Our expertise in planning and environmental consultancy covers sectors such as residential, commercial, industrial, education, retail, energy, leisure, and employment. At the heart of our service is a commitment to passion and integrity in offering our clients transparent and unparalleled advice. We are dedicated to helping you achieve your career goals and aspirations at every stage of your journey with an emphasis on offering opportunities for learning and growth, enabling you to reach your full potential.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Lead planning projects and workstreams from initial feasibility and strategy through to submission, determination and delivery.
- Provide clear and commercially focused advice to clients, identifying planning risks, opportunities and appropriate consenting strategies.
- Prepare, coordinate and review high-quality planning applications, supporting statements, appraisals and other consenting documents.
- Manage multidisciplinary project teams and technical inputs, ensuring work is delivered to the required quality, programme and budget.
- Work across a range of sectors and consenting regimes, including major development and infrastructure, renewable energy, ports and marine development, and environmental projects.
- Lead and coordinate Environmental Impact Assessment projects, including screening, scoping, technical chapter management and preparation of Environmental Statements.
- Build effective relationships with clients, local planning authorities, statutory consultees, community representatives and other project stakeholders.
- Manage project scope, fees, programmes and resources, identifying potential changes or additional requirements at an early stage.
- Support the preparation of fee proposals, client development and wider business development activities.
- Manage, delegate work to and mentor junior members of the planning team, supporting their professional development.
- Maintain a strong understanding of relevant planning legislation, national and local policy, guidance and emerging best practice.
QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE
- A degree or postgraduate qualification in town planning or a closely related discipline.
- Chartered membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute is preferred. Applications will also be considered from candidates who are working towards chartered membership.
- Strong relevant planning experience, ideally including at least five years in planning consultancy, local government or a comparable development environment.
- A proven ability to manage planning applications and provide clear, commercially focused advice on complex development projects.
- Experience of coordinating multidisciplinary teams and managing projects against agreed programmes, budgets and quality requirements.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to advise clients and engage effectively with local authorities and other stakeholders.
- Experience of managing Environmental Impact Assessment projects is desirable. Experience of major infrastructure, renewable energy, ports, marine or environmental consenting would also be beneficial.
- Strong organisational skills, sound professional judgement and a proactive approach to resolving planning and project delivery issues.
- Experience of managing, delegating work to and mentoring junior colleagues.
- A collaborative and client-focused approach, together with a commitment to sustainable and responsible development.
WHAT WE OFFER YOU
- Competitive salary and excellent flexible benefits package
- Comprehensive training opportunities and reimbursement of professional fees
- Contributory pension, personal health care plan and life insurance
- Interest-free travel loan scheme
- 33 days annual leave (inclusive of Public Holidays)
- Annual leave purchase and buy-back scheme
- Bonus Schemes including loyalty bonus and qualifications award
- Additional benefits may vary between offices
You can learn more about our staff benefits here.
ETHOS
We, at Fairhurst, know that progress within the industry is all about people. That’s why we’re working together to build a better, more inclusive and diverse future for engineers and the engineering industry.
We are committed to providing a workplace that is respectful, fair and inclusive for all employees. We recognise the value of different perspectives and backgrounds, and we are committed to creating an environment where everyone can contribute and succeed.
