Associate Director - Town Planning

Company Description

Work with Us. Change the World.

At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming skylines, our work helps people and communities thrive. We are the world's trusted infrastructure consulting firm, partnering with clients to solve the world’s most complex challenges and build legacies for future generations.

There has never been a better time to be at AECOM. With accelerating infrastructure investment worldwide, our services are in great demand. We invite you to bring your bold ideas and big dreams and become part of a global team of over 50,000 planners, designers, engineers, scientists, digital innovators, program and construction managers and other professionals delivering projects that create a positive and tangible impact around the world.

We're one global team driven by our common purpose to deliver a better world. Join us.

Job Description

Due to significant infrastructure planning wins and new opportunities, we are looking to bring in an Associate Director to work with the leadership team in managing and growing our planning consents team. Based from our offices in Basingstoke, Birmingham, Bristol, Chesterfield, Leeds, London Aldgate, or Manchester, with an option for hybrid working. 

You will be able to work on a range of prestigious infrastructure projects for our clients in the energy transition, rail and water development sectors, as well as a range of regional and local developments. AECOM is a market leader in UK infrastructure development, with experience of over 80 DCO projects. Join us now and you could be working on:

• numerous solar DCOs with a pipeline of future work;
• carbon capture and storage projects;
• energy transmission schemes;
• large aviation and rail projects; and
• housing and mixed-use development consenting.

Here’s what you’ll do:

You will be joining a market leading, experienced infrastructure planning team and will, be given the following responsibilities.

We are looking for a leader with proven experience in planning consents and project management. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic thinker with strong interpersonal and mentoring skills and a commitment to delivering high-quality work and driving business growth.

Team Leadership and Development

• Manage and grow our planning consents service.
• Provide line management and mentorship to junior team members

Planning Strategy and Expertise

• Lead major development applications, including the Development Consent Order (DCO) process.
• Offer strategic planning advice to both clients and internal teams.

Project Management

• Ensure projects are delivered successfully on budget and within programme timelines.
• Coordinate multi-disciplinary teams for seamless project execution.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

• Oversee the deliverables produced by the planning consents team.
• Implement and uphold quality assurance and health and safety principles.

Business Development

• Contribute to the business development strategy, nurturing client relationships.
• Lead the preparation of commercial tenders to secure new opportunities.

Does this sound like something you can do, and do well? If so, read on…

About our team

AECOM’s rapidly growing Town Planning team plays a key role in delivering major infrastructure and development projects.

AECOM is a top ten UK planning consultancy by size, employing more than 70 Chartered or Licentiate Planners. AECOM is also a worldwide leader in environmental and engineering consultancy and working as a planning consultant within AECOM means access to some of the highest profile and prestigious development projects in the UK, working with colleagues operating at the cutting edge of their disciplines as part of the largest UK environmental consultancy.

Become part of our Environment business, and collaborate with top-tier planners, impact assessment specialists and project managers to consent a variety of captivating projects, from local developments to major and national infrastructure, from developing planning strategies to obtaining consent and post consent work. At AECOM, you’ll thrive in an inclusive and forward-thinking environment where your contributions are valued.

Come grow with us.

Qualifications

Ready to push the limits of what’s possible?

Experience

• Significant relevant experience of leading applications for planning consent for large infrastructure projects across a range of consenting regimes.

• Expert witness experience would be advantageous.

Client & Stakeholder Relations

• Client focus, with good interpersonal skills and a collaborative working approach.

• Existing relationships with clients and local authorities.

• A business development mindset, with demonstrable experience of work winning and developing relationships with existing and new clients.

Skills

• Ability to write clearly and concisely.

• Ability to work on your own initiative and under pressure.

Quality & Commitment

• High level of commitment to quality.

Education & Professional Memberships

• Degree in Town Planning or a related discipline, and membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) or equivalent professional body.

Additional Information

Interested in the role or curious about life at AECOM? Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to explore our AECOM voices, employee stories, latest projects, and much more!

For further information about the role, reach out to the recruiter on LinkedIn Anne-Marie Flynn

At AECOM, we are committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy recruitment process and take any fraudulent hiring activity seriously. To support this commitment, all newly hired employees are required to attend an in-person Day 1 onboarding at an AECOM office location as a condition of employment.

About AECOM

AECOM is the world’s trusted infrastructure consulting firm, delivering professional services throughout the project lifecycle – from advisory, planning, design and engineering to program and construction management. On projects spanning transportation, buildings, water, new energy and the environment, our public- and private-sector clients trust us to solve their most complex challenges. Our teams are driven by a common purpose to deliver a better world through our unrivaled technical and digital expertise, a culture of equity, diversity and inclusion, and a commitment to environmental, social and governance priorities. AECOM is a Fortune 500 firm and its Professional Services business had revenue of $16.1 billion in fiscal year 2025. See how we are delivering sustainable legacies for generations to come at aecom.com and @AECOM.

Freedom to Grow in a World of Opportunity 

You will have the flexibility you need to do your best work with hybrid work options. Whether you’re working from an AECOM office, remote location or at a client site, you will be working in a dynamic environment where your integrity, entrepreneurial spirit and pioneering mindset are championed.

You will help us foster a safe and respectful workplace, where we invite everyone to bring their whole selves to work using their unique talents, backgrounds and expertise to create transformational outcomes for our clients.

AECOM provides a wide array of compensation, benefits and well-being programs to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. We’re the world’s trusted global infrastructure firm, and we’re in this together – your growth and success are ours too.

Join us, and you’ll get all the benefits of being a part of a global, publicly traded firm – access to industry-leading technology and thinking and transformational work with big impact and work flexibility. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we believe in each person’s potential, and we’ll help you reach yours.

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to applicants who have a disability or long-term condition, who meet the minimum/essential criteria for the role. Please let us know using this email address [email protected] if you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.