Location
Manchester

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.

WSP is an award-winning consultancy employing the largest number of chartered town planners across the UK, operating within both the infrastructure and property markets. In December 2025, WSP won the RTPI’s Planning Consultancy of the Year, with judges commending the team for excellence in uniting diverse disciplines to achieve outstanding results and strong community engagement.

It has never been a more exciting time to join WSP’s market-leading Infrastructure Planning Team. Our success is built on employing highly skilled consenting specialists with experience serving a diverse portfolio of clients in energy, renewables, nuclear, net zero, water, rail, transportation and aviation sectors. We work at all stages of the consenting process from early feasibility, application preparation and delivery of consents through construction on a variety of projects across sectors.

Our key clients include National Grid as part of the Great Grid Partnership, National Gas as part of Project Union, Nuclear Waste Services, EET Fuels, Eni UK, SSE, Scottish Power Renewables, Severn Trent Water, Southern Water, United Utilities, Yorkshire Water, and many more.

To continue sustainable growth, we are looking for an experienced Senior Consultant to support town planning and consenting inputs on major and nationally significant infrastructure projects. The successful candidate will have demonstrable experience working within multi-disciplinary teams to secure consent and approvals for major or nationally significant infrastructure projects via the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Planning Act 2008 and Transport and Works Act Order. Experience with the Planning (Wales) Act 2015, Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, or the Electricity Act is also of interest.

Key responsibilities include leading preparation of Town & Country Planning Act applications for infrastructure projects across the UK, supporting and leading consenting inputs on major infrastructure projects (DCOs, DNSs, TWAOs etc), providing sound technical advice to clients, liaising with statutory bodies and stakeholders, leading multi-disciplinary teams, and supporting work winning opportunities aligned with WSP’s Growth Strategy.

Experience
- Demonstrable experience securing consents and approvals for major or nationally significant infrastructure projects.
- Experience working within multi-disciplinary teams.
- Knowledge of Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Planning Act 2008, Transport and Works Act Order.
- Experience with Planning (Wales) Act 2015, Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act, or Electricity Act is desirable.
- Project management experience, ideally within a consultancy environment.
- Awareness of project finances.

About you
- Ability to lead and engage with teams across various disciplines, providing technical oversight.
- Strong communication skills to liaise with clients, statutory bodies and stakeholders.
- Proactive in developing own knowledge and contributing to the team’s internal knowledge base.
- Client-focused with an understanding of client expectations and needs.
- Motivated to support business growth and work winning opportunities.

Qualifications
- Degree level qualification in town planning (or equivalent).
- Member of or eligible for membership of the RTPI.