Job Title: Associate Director of Town Planning
Location: Birmingham
Overview
Penguin Recruitment is delighted to be supporting a leading multidisciplinary consultancy with a highly respected Planning team in Birmingham. The practice is involved in many of the region's most high‑profile and complex developments, working across residential, commercial, mixed‑use, leisure, rural estates, and large‑scale strategic projects.
This Associate Director role is a key strategic and managerial position, offering the chance to lead major projects, shape team direction, and play a central part in ongoing growth across the Midlands.
You will work within an expanding, collaborative office environment that brings together specialists across development, planning, architecture, surveying, and project management – providing a genuine cradle‑to‑completion development experience.
Role Purpose
The Associate Director will help drive the success of the Planning team by winning and delivering projects, managing client relationships, providing technical leadership, and overseeing team performance (both operationally and financially). You will be responsible for coordinating multi‑disciplinary inputs and guiding projects from early strategy through to completion.
Key Responsibilities
* Contribute to team strategy, performance management, and operational planning.
* Lead projects from initial concept through to delivery, including co‑ordinating inputs from multi‑disciplinary teams.
* Build, develop, and maintain strong client relationships.
* Identify opportunities for collaboration with other service lines to support business growth.
* Prepare and present proposals, planning statements, appraisals, and supporting documentation.
* Manage and promote land through the Local Plan process, including representing clients at Examinations in Public.
* Prepare and submit major planning applications and lead on negotiation with planning officers, consultees, and stakeholders.
* Contribute to Design & Access Statements, sustainability documents, and other technical reports.
* Provide expert evidence at appeal hearings and inquiries.
* Maintain detailed knowledge of legislation, planning policy changes, and market trends.
* Attend industry events to build networks and identify business development opportunities.
* Ensure high‑quality, accurate reporting, analysis, and recommendations across all workstreams.
Skills & Attributes
* Excellent written communication and report‑writing skills.
* Strong presentation, verbal communication, and client‑facing skills.
* High attention to detail with strong analytical abilities.
* Highly organised, able to work under pressure and meet challenging deadlines.
* Proficient in MS Office (including strong Excel capability).
* Motivated, proactive, and committed to delivering exceptional client service.
* A strong team player who can lead, support, and mentor colleagues.
* Creative problem solver with a commercial mindset.
Experience & Qualifications Required
* MRTPI qualified with approximately 7+ years post‑qualification experience.
* Extensive and detailed knowledge of the UK Town Planning system.
* Strong track record of leading projects and managing multi‑disciplinary teams.
* Experience providing evidence at public inquiries, hearings, or Examinations in Public.
* Commercially minded with proven business development experience.
* A strong track record in maintaining and growing client relationships.
* Demonstrable ability to win work and contribute to team growth.
* Positive, ambitious, and collaborative approach.
About the Team
* New settlements and Garden Villages
* Strategic Urban Extensions
* Complex urban regeneration and mixed‑use schemes
* Major commercial, leisure, and tourism developments
* Estate and rural landowner portfolios
This is an excellent opportunity to take a senior role within a respected Midlands consultancy team that works across a wide range of sectors and project scales.
Interested?
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