Job Title: Planning Consultant
Location: Birmingham (Agile Working)
Employment Type: Full-time
The Role
An award-winning, market-leading specialist consultancy is seeking a Planning Consultant to join its expanding Professional Services Team during a period of sustained growth across its products and services.
Based in central Birmingham, the role operates under an Agile Working Policy, offering flexibility while requiring attendance at a state-of-the‑art Birmingham office as business needs dictate.
You will be responsible for providing expert planning advice, guidance, and informed recommendations to a wide range of customers, including planning professionals, developers, local planning authorities, applicants, and members of the public, often via a national online planning platform.
Key Responsibilities
* Providing online and remote planning advice on general and scheme‑specific planning matters
* Preparing for customer meetings through research of local planning policy and planning history
* Producing concise written summaries following customer meetings, subject to quality assurance
* Preparing detailed Planning Consultancy reports following pre‑application consultations, including:
o Planning policy analysis
o Planning history and constraints
o Advice and recommendations
* Completing delegated and committee planning application reports in line with agreed KPIs, including:
o Household residential extensions
o Lawful Development Certificates
o Prior Notifications
o Advertisement Consents
o Changes of Use
* Communicating and negotiating effectively with applicants and agents on applications, queries, and post‑refusal advice
* Updating back‑office systems with application progress, site visits, and evaluations
* Maintaining customer enquiry databases in line with performance targets
* Attending monthly team meetings and weekly one‑to‑one case conferences
* Meeting daily, weekly, and monthly KPI and production targets
* Ensuring a “right first time” approach through high‑quality, efficient output
* Updating project documentation, including daily production and quality logs
* Undertaking additional duties appropriate to the scope and grade of the role
What We’re Looking For
Essential
* A relevant BA degree or equivalent RTPI‑accredited planning qualification
* Excellent written communication skills with the ability to produce clear, concise planning reports
* Strong organisational skills and a focus on productivity, efficiency, and quality
Desirable
* At least 6 months’ experience working with planning applications
* Experience within a Local Planning Authority or private sector consultancy
Why Apply?
* Competitive salary
* 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave
* Pension scheme, life assurance, and employee assistance programme
* Enhanced family‑friendly policies
* Flexible Agile Working approach
* Strong training, development, and progression opportunities
* Supportive and inclusive working culture
Interested?
The hiring manager is looking to meet with suitable candidates ASAP so if you meet the above criteria, please contact Josh Jones on 01792 362 010 or josh.jones@penguinrecruitment.co.uk
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