Senior Consultant Town Planner

Manchester

Permanent

Practice and studio context

BDP is a major international interdisciplinary practice of architects, designers, engineers and urbanists working together to create outstanding 'places for people'.

Founded in Preston in the UK in 1961, we now have studios across the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, the MENA region, India, and China, Singapore and Canada. BDP has a leading track record in all major sectors including health, education, workplace, retail, urbanism, heritage, housing, transport, leisure, public safety and energy utilities, having won over 1000 awards for design quality from international and national bodies.

The Planning Team provides development, planning and regeneration advice on major projects across all sectors of the built environment in the UK, and from time to time operates in an international capacity supporting BDP studios worldwide on urban planning commissions. 

The team also undertakes and contributes to large scale masterplanning, urban design and regeneration strategies as an integral part of BDP’s Urbanism business, including city and town centre masterplans, residential masterplans, housing area renewal strategies, strategic regeneration frameworks and design/development briefs.

About the role

BDP is seeking to recruit an ambitious and enthusiastic Town Planner to strengthen and grow the Planning team in Manchester and to contribute to the work of the wider Urbanism sector.  

The role and responsibility of the senior consultant town planner will be to provide expert planning advice across a range of projects for public and private sector clients, including the following:

• Statutory planning advice - ranging from site appraisals through to the preparation and submission of major planning applications. You will lead or assist senior colleagues and other professions (e.g. architects, engineers) in providing planning policy representation, appeal and inquiry advice, including preparing proofs of evidence. The studio also has the expertise to prepare and co-ordinate Environmental Statements for large scale development schemes and you will contribute to or lead these reports.
• Urban planning and regeneration - You will also be required to support / lead the preparation of statutory and non-statutory planning documents for a wide range of public and private sector clients, including working on international projects.
• Working as part of a multidisciplinary team – You will work in both mono and multi-disciplinary teams, with design professionals from BDP and subconsultants working with BDP, leading town planning inputs and giving accurate and appropriate advice.

About you

Qualifications and Experience

You will be an enthusiastic professional working in either the public or private sector who has demonstrable experience (ideally 5 to 10 years) in statutory and non-statutory town planning matters.  You will have extensive relevant experience, including the preparation and submission of detailed planning applications, the preparation and submission of Development Plan Documents and/ or urban planning and masterplanning studies.

You will have experience of leading teams and managing complex tasks through to successful completion and ideally, of successful bidding, for example for consultancy commissions or for funding to support local authority planning programmes.   

You will have a strong academic record and have completed a relevant university degree. Ideally you will also be a Chartered Town Planner (RTPI) or qualify for membership.  You will have a strong interest in current urban development issues and an interest in international development. 

You will be willing to travel within the UK and, if required, internationally to meet project requirements.

Technical and personal skills and knowledge

You will be able to demonstrate a broad range of core planning and team working skills, including:

• An ability to work well within a multi-disciplinary team
• An ability to build relationships internally and externally
• Knowledge of developments in the industry
• Experience of the preparation of reports and making persuasive presentations
• Excellent skills in presenting and communicating, graphically, orally and through the written word
• Appropriate IT skills including familiarity with online consultation tools; GIS skills would be an advantage
• The ability to act and work independently
• Initiative and a forward thinking approach

BDP offers

BDP offers an excellent opportunity for your personal and career development as well as an attractive remuneration package that includes a competitive salary, flexible pension allowance, private medical insurance, professional subscriptions and a great working environment in studios designed by BDP in Manchester city centre,.

BDP supports CPD, research and career development. BDP has developed Future Professionals Network (FPN) creating a place where everyone has the opportunity to learn, share ideas and push boundaries. The BDP Academy supports relevant research and Mentoring is available to support career development.

We have a Social Life committee which organises a wide range of social, sporting and charitable activities. Our studio location by the waterside at Piccadilly Basin is near the vibrant northern quarter and close to Piccadilly station and central Manchester transport links.

To Apply

Please click on the Apply button below to be taken to our website, where you will find further information on how to apply. Please state your salary expectation as part of your application.

BDP is an equal opportunities employer

Please apply direct to BDP. Agency or third party applications will not be considered.