Senior Associate - Town Planning

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Newmark is seeking an experienced and commercially minded Senior Associate Town Planner to join our Birmingham Planning team. You will lead a varied portfolio across the Midlands and wider UK, provide strategic planning advice from inception to delivery, manage planning applications and appeals, and coordinate multidisciplinary teams while building strong client relationships and pursuing new business. The ideal candidate combines robust UK planning knowledge with proven project and budget management, excellent communication and negotiation skills, and the confidence to work autonomously within a team. To apply, tailor your CV to demonstrate leadership on major instructions, Midlands expertise, measurable outcomes, MRTPI status or route to it, and mentoring experience, and include a concise cover letter outlining what you will contribute to growth in Birmingham and the Midlands.

Newmark is seeking an experienced and commercially minded Senior Associate Town Planner to join our growing Planning team in Birmingham.

This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious planning professional to play a key role in delivering high-quality planning advice across a diverse portfolio of development projects, while contributing to the continued growth and success of the Birmingham and wider Midlands planning business.

Working with a broad range of clients across the property and development sectors, you will provide strategic planning advice and lead planning projects from inception through to delivery. You will work closely with colleagues across Newmark’s multidisciplinary teams, including Agency, Capital Markets, Development, Valuation and Building Consultancy, providing integrated advice to clients and helping to identify new business opportunities.

The successful candidate will have strong commercial awareness, excellent technical planning knowledge and the confidence to take ownership of projects and client relationships.

Responsibilities: 

• Lead and manage a varied portfolio of planning instructions across the Midlands and wider UK.
• Provide strategic and development management planning advice to a range of private and public sector clients.
• Manage planning applications and appeals, including preparation, submission and negotiation with local planning authorities and other stakeholders.
• Provide advice on planning policy, development potential, planning strategy and site promotion.
• Prepare and review planning reports, appraisals, statements and other technical planning documents.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary project teams and external consultants to deliver projects effectively.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, local planning authorities, agents, consultants and other key stakeholders.
• Take responsibility for project budgets, fee management and delivery against agreed timescales.
• Identify opportunities for new work and contribute to the growth of the Birmingham and Midlands planning business.
• Support business development activity, including client meetings, pitches, tenders and networking.
• Develop and mentor junior members of the planning team, supporting their professional and career development.
• Keep abreast of changes in planning policy, legislation and market trends and communicate relevant developments to colleagues and clients.
• Represent Newmark professionally in the market and contribute to the firm's profile and reputation within the planning sector.

We are looking for an experienced planning professional who is ready to operate at Senior Associate level and who can combine strong technical expertise with commercial awareness and excellent client management skills.

You will ideally have:

• Significant experience working within a planning consultancy, property business, local authority or related environment.
• Strong knowledge of the UK planning system, particularly within the Midlands.
• Experience managing planning applications, planning strategies and/or development projects.
• A strong understanding of planning policy and development economics.
• Proven ability to manage projects, budgets and client relationships.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Commercial awareness and an ability to identify and pursue business development opportunities.
• The confidence to work autonomously while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary team.
• Experience mentoring or managing junior colleagues would be advantageous.

• A relevant degree and/or postgraduate qualification in Town Planning or a related discipline.
• RTPI membership and Chartered status (MRTPI), or a clear route to achieving this.