Planning Director

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We are seeking a Planning Director to lead planning across our strategic land portfolio at Axis Land Partnerships, driving commercially focused strategies that convert land promotion opportunities into deliverable development.

Why join us?

Sir Robert McAlpine is celebrating 156 years of history, as a family-owned business that has stayed true to its values. Through the years we've developed a culture very much our own - creating an environment that brings out the best in people who share our commitment to excellence.

This role will report into the Head of Strategic Land, the Planning Director will take ownership of planning performance across the portfolio, from site identification through allocation, planning applications, appeals and reserved matters approvals. This role requires a strategic planner with a strong commercial mindset who can protect and enhance land value while navigating complex policy environments, regulatory requirements and stakeholder interests.

The successful candidate will manage internal Planning Managers and external consultant teams, control planning programmes and budgets, and ensure robust governance reporting aligned to investment and funding structures. The role also plays a key part in negotiating planning obligations, managing planning risk and maintaining strong relationships with planning authorities and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Planning Strategy & Delivery - Lead and execute planning strategies across the portfolio from site identification through allocation, application, appeal and reserved matters, securing viable planning consents that enable land sale or phased delivery.
• Governance & Reporting - Provide structured monthly reporting aligned to governance frameworks including programme and cost variance, RAG status, planning risk registers and planning inputs for Investment Committee decisions.
• Budget & Programme Management - Own planning budgets and consultant spend while maintaining control of planning programmes, identifying critical path risks and ensuring alignment with land agreements, funding structures and disposal milestones.
• Legal Agreements & Planning Obligations - Lead negotiation strategy for Section 106 agreements, CIL liabilities, highways agreements and infrastructure obligations, ensuring outcomes remain commercially aligned and programme compliant.
• Stakeholder & Authority Management - Maintain senior relationships with Local Planning Authorities, statutory consultees, combined authorities, design review panels and political stakeholders while overseeing consultation strategies.
• Risk, Policy & Quality Assurance - Maintain planning risk registers, ensure applications are technically robust and policy compliant, monitor planning legislation and policy changes, and provide strategic insight to protect viability and Programme delivery.

Skills & Experience

• Minimum 10 years' experience in strategic land or residential-led planning.
• Proven track record of securing complex planning permissions through allocation and application stages.
• Experience negotiating Section 106 agreements, CIL liabilities and managing planning appeals.
• Experience operating within structured governance and reporting frameworks.
• Strong understanding of local plan promotion, five-year housing land supply and infrastructure planning.
• Commercial mindset with a focus on deliverability, programme discipline and value protection.

Leadership & Personal Attributes

• Ability to translate planning policy and technical inputs into commercially grounded strategy.
• Strong negotiation and influencing capability.
• High level of programme, budget and risk management discipline.
• Collaborative leadership style capable of managing multidisciplinary teams and consultants.
• Strategic thinker with proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with strong attention to governance and quality.

Rewards

We're ready to invest in you and your future, and offer wide-ranging, performance-related progression opportunities. Our competitive rewards packages feature flexible benefits to fit your lifestyle and priorities.

We'd love you to join us in proudly building Britain's future heritage. Apply online now.

Sir Robert McAlpine is committed to being a truly inclusive employer. Even if you don't meet every single requirement, we would still love to hear from you, especially if you are part of a group that is under-represented in Construction.

We are proud to support flexible and agile working, recognising that people perform at their best when they have the right balance and autonomy to thrive.

Our goal is for Sir Robert McAlpine to proportionally represent the diversity of the working population in society. As a family-run business with strong family values, we are dedicated to creating a supportive, empowering and inclusive environment where every member of our team feels valued, respected and able to succeed.