Principal Town Planner

Around the world, SYSTRA’s specialists plan, design, integrate, test, commission, project manage and deliver mass transit and mobility solutions that are relied on by more than 50 million people every day.

For more than 60 years, the Group has been committed to helping cities and regions contribute to their development by creating, improving and modernising their transport infrastructure with sustainability, accessibility and innovation at the heart of our designs. With over 10,300 colleagues globally and around 1000 in the UK & Ireland we are growing significantly and seeking out the very best talent to join the SYSTRA signature team and be part of leading the way in infrastructure design.

Context

SYSTRA is an international engineering and consulting group specialising in rail and public transport. We work with our clients to find innovative solutions to complex issues concerning the location and movement of people, goods and services. We innovate to meet our clients’ needs, prepare mass transit for tomorrow, and propose ever more resilient solutions. Transport infrastructure engineering has to adopt new technology, cater for new habits and satisfy new demands. To go beyond, SYSTRA commits to put people at the heart of design and improve transport systems efficiency. We are dedicated to delivering excellence to our clients through our entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm whilst promoting a culture of listening, teamwork and employee empowerment.

With ambitious growth plans, this is an exciting time to join SYSTRA Ltd as we continue to develop and raise our profile in the UK. We currently have an opportunity for an experienced Principal Town Planner to take on a key role in shaping project strategy, leading complex planning and consenting activity, managing clients, developing people, and supporting the growth of the business.

Missions/Main Duties

• Lead the delivery of complex planning and consenting project outcomes on time, within budget and to client specifications.
• Ensure technically sound planning and consenting solutions are produced, including all associated reporting and cost estimating, to programme and within budget.
• Identify, define and deliver effective planning and consenting strategies for complex infrastructure projects.
• Ensure the team’s work complies with relevant technical standards, planning requirements and consenting obligations.
• Provide leadership, mentoring and technical guidance to staff, while actively supporting professional development within the team.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, Local Authorities, statutory bodies, designers and contract partners to enhance the company’s reputation.
• Contribute to the overall growth and direction of Town Planning within the business.
• Take responsibility for securing statutory consents and working closely with Local Authorities, statutory bodies and other transport authorities.
• Manage and coordinate applications, negotiation and implementation of all necessary consents.
• Drive quality assurance and excellence within the discipline team.
• Provide technical guidance to discipline design teams and support effective integration across multidisciplinary delivery.
• Contribute to wider business projects from a consenting and compliance perspective, from bid stage through to project delivery.
• Support collaboration with international technical networks where required to strengthen project delivery.

Profile/Skills

• Hold a degree or postgraduate qualification in Town Planning or a related discipline, with strong technical understanding relevant to infrastructure planning and consenting.
• Be a Chartered member of RTPI or another relevant professional body, with the ability to act as the planning lead on complex projects.
• Demonstrate excellent communication, negotiation and client-facing skills, with the ability to influence clients, stakeholders and multidisciplinary project teams effectively.
• Bring a proven track record of leading and delivering complex planning and consenting projects, including managing programme, quality, risk and stakeholder interfaces.
• Show strong commercial awareness, including the ability to identify opportunities and support work winning.
• Be able to provide senior technical judgement, mentor junior colleagues and support the development of planning capabilities.

Why SYSTRA?

Our three core values: Excellence, Connected Teams and Bold Leadership are kept at the heart of everything we do. We strive for the highest levels of technical excellence, achieving the best results through teamwork, both locally and internationally, and reward innovative thinking through encouraging all colleagues to think as leaders. We offer clear and well supported pathways for career development and qualification attainment, a competitive remuneration package including a bonus and private healthcare, an electric car scheme and a broad suite of flexible benefits to suit your lifestyle.

Flexibility

Because we value who you are as much as what you do, we want you to feel supported at work. We offer hybrid working, balancing the benefits of working from home with time in our modern, well-equipped offices for that crucial in-person contact, team development and collaborative working. We also recognise that life doesn’t always run to the same schedule for everyone, so we have a dedicated flexible working policy to support you in tailoring your work life to reach your full potential, for more details on this, please get in touch.

Diversity & Inclusion

We provide a warm welcome and encourage applications from a diverse range of people who can enrich our company and offer perspectives which will drive better solutions in a truly inclusive environment. Our employee led working groups and clearly defined strategy help us to keep at the leading edge of important issues and keep us accountable. We want our colleagues to feel comfortable to bring their whole selves to work and continually seek new ideas and contributions to ensure we continue to grow and develop in this space.

Wellbeing

It’s no surprise that people do their best work when they feel physically and mentally supported. Our SYSTRA Wellness Programme offers a wide range of support; from Wellness champions, to free health checks, healthy eating workshops and regular seminars, alongside access to a wide range of external support. We offer two paid days for charity work and an ever-growing social calendar.

Apply and find out more about how Systra can support you in your career journey. If you require any adjustments or financial assistance to support you in your application or interview process please email:

[email protected] where your request will be treated confidentially and with respect. We pledge to offer an interview to any candidates with a disability who apply for a role and meet the minimum criteria.

As we are always looking to expand our team, we would still be interested in hearing from you if you fulfil most, but not all, of the relevant criteria for the role – you could still be just what we are looking for.

Workplace Type

Hybrid