Principal Planning Consultant/Development Lead

Principal Planner
Location: Kettering

Penguin Recruitment is pleased to be working with a reputable consultancy to recruit a Principal Planner for their Kettering office.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced planning professional to step into a senior leadership role within a well-established and respected property and planning consultancy. The position offers the chance to lead complex projects, manage client relationships, and support the growth and development of the planning team across a diverse portfolio of rural, residential, and commercial schemes.

As a Principal Planner, you will take a leading role in delivering high-quality planning services, managing projects from early strategy through to determination and appeal where required. You will act as a senior point of contact for clients and provide commercially focused advice across a range of development proposals.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading major planning applications, appeals, and site promotions
• Providing strategic planning advice to landowners, developers, and private clients
• Preparing and reviewing detailed planning statements and technical submissions
• Managing client relationships and acting as a trusted advisor
• Coordinating internal teams and external consultants
• Supporting business development initiatives and identifying new opportunities
• Mentoring and guiding junior planners within the team
• Attending stakeholder meetings, public consultations, and committee hearings

The successful Principal Planner will have:

• MRTPI Chartered status
• Significant experience within consultancy or a comparable planning environment
• Proven track record delivering complex planning projects
• Strong commercial awareness and client management skills
• Excellent written, analytical, and communication abilities
• Experience mentoring or supervising junior team members

• Senior leadership role within a respected consultancy
• Hybrid working arrangements
• Varied and high-quality project portfolio
• Clear scope for continued progression
• Supportive, collaborative, and professional team culture

For further information on this Principal Planner role in Kettering, please contact Joel Bland at Penguin Recruitment