Specialist Planning Lawyer
£72,268 - £80,062
A public sector legal service is seeking an experienced Specialist Planning Lawyer to join at Principal level, leading a small, established planning and environment team.
This is a senior, hands-on role with a strong focus on complex planning casework, alongside light-touch management. It will suit a specialist who enjoys advising at committee level, building trusted client relationships and leading by example.
The role
1. Manage a complex and often high-profile planning caseload
2. Advise on planning law, highways matters and associated agreements
3. Attend and advise Planning Committees and senior officers
4. Lead a team of around seven lawyers, supported by a paralegal
5. Improve client care through responsive, constructive advice and clearer work allocation
6. Balance casework and management, moving from an initial 60/40 split to around 80/20
About you
7. Qualified solicitor, barrister or legal executive
8. Extensive experience in local authority planning law
9. Strong background in highways work and committee attendance
10. Previous experience supervising or managing lawyers
11. Pragmatic, organised and confident in politically sensitive environments
Why apply
12. Senior specialist role with autonomy and influence
13. High-quality planning work rather than management-heavy responsibilities
14. Flexible, hybrid working,
15. Permanent opportunity within a respected public sector legal service