We are Recruiting

DPP PLANNING IS RECRUITING AT  SENIOR PLANNER LEVEL

DPP is an independent national planning consultancy, successfully delivering planning solutions to clients across the UK. DPP is a people-led business, we are committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and collaborative workplace for people to grow and succeed. This is evidenced in our extensive Employee Benefits package which is listed below. We have six key people values which overarch the business and its operations; Balance, Integrity, Professionalism, Dependability, Respect and Teamwork. The people values were influenced and curated by both the business and people within. Everyone is expected to act as a role model, championing these values, to ensure that they are lived out in everything that we do. 

Due to an expanding workload and exciting new projects, we are looking for a Senior Town Planner  to join our Leeds team. The successful candidate will be working on a variety of projects nationwide. This is a perfect opportunity to progress your career, knowledge and expertise and assist in the delivery of exceptional planning services, across various sectors, including Business, Defence, Education, Energy, Food & Drink, Health, Sport and Leisure, Residential and Retail. We act for many high-profile clients, including some of the country’s major contractors, land developers, housebuilders, and retail operators. We also advise a number of important educational and sporting organisations. 

The Leeds team is looking to recruit an experienced planning consultant to build on their excellent track record in the region. In recent years, the team has secured permission for some major, high-profile schemes including the redevelopment of the former Core Shopping Centre to an 800-bed student housing led mixed-use scheme known as Garnet Exchange. The team also secured permission for Olympian Homes’ Cirrus Point (705 beds), which at 45 storeys will be the tallest standalone PBSA building in the world. The team also advise both University of Leeds and Leeds Beckett University and recently secured permission for Leeds Beckett University’s School of the Built Environment, Engineering and Computing. The team are also very active in the traditional residential and sport and leisure sectors with current clients including Keepmoat, Persimmon, Hull Kingston Rovers Rugby League Club and Harrogate Town Football Club.  

We will consider part and full time candidates and offer flexible working arrangements, with a mixture of home and office-based working for all our employees. You will be required to be in the office at least three days per week. You will receive ongoing support and guidance from our experienced senior leadership team across all our offices. We provide all employees working towards chartership a dedicated mentor to support and assist you with progress towards MRTPI accreditation and your wider career development. 

DPP is committed to providing learning and development opportunities to everyone. DPP offers excellent opportunities for career progression – seven of the current Board Directors have been promoted from within the company. We offer a bespoke, award-winning, training programme which has been curated to offer a mixture of formal seminar training, one-to-one training and project learning experience. Formal training includes monthly in-house training seminars and occasions throughout the year to attend full-day training sessions. You will also have access to sessions run externally by various institutes and industry professionals. Additionally, you will also have the opportunity to attend networking events with other planning and property professionals and get involved in our active social and corporate social responsibility calendar where you will meet others around the company, allowing you to connect with them on a personal level whilst having some fun along the way.

Key Attributes

In terms of attributes, we are seeking candidates who can satisfy the following 

• RTPI accredited degree or a relevant degree 

• Has achieved RTPI chartership MRTPI or is due to submit APC within 6 months 

• Comprehensive experience across a range of sectors 

• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage time and priorities effectively 

• Strong communication skills (verbally and in written form) 

• Good understanding of the planning system 

• Experience preparing, submitting and managing a range of planning applications 

• Commercial awareness 

• Competent user of Microsoft 365 products 

• Experience mentoring and managing colleagues to assist in their professional development 

• A ‘team player’ that will contribute to the growth and success of the Leeds team and wider company 

Preferred, but not Essential, Attributes 

• Experience working on projects in Yorkshire and / or the North West. 

• Experience working on projects in the energy sector. 

Employee Benefits 

• Competitive salary depending on experience 

• Car allowance (senior level and above) 

• Bonus scheme 

• £1,000 salary increase once you achieve MRTPI chartership 

• Perkbox (benefit and reward platform) 

• 25 days holiday per year plus additional Christmas leave 

• Long service gift and additional holidays 

• Monthly early finish (ie once a month you can take a half day on a Friday) 

• Phone Allowance 

• BUPA (medical and dental) 

• Income protection and life assurance 

• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP+ through Unum ‘Help at Hand’) 

• Cycle to work scheme 

• Annual bespoke training programme 

• Eye tests and glasses contribution 

• Paid RTPI membership fees 

• Salary sacrifice pension scheme (max 8% from DPP) 

• Company socials and events, including an annual ‘all company’ event 

• Opportunities and support to undertake networking and Business Development activities. 

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The successful candidate may perform other related duties as assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the business. 

Application Process 

The closing date for applicants is June 30th 2025 at 5pm. However, please apply as early as possible as we may close the process early. 

Interviews will take place at a suitable time and location for both parties, ideally, we would like to complete interviews in person at our Leeds office. In advance of the interview, you will be required to complete a planning appraisal task which will form part of the discussion during the interview. 

Please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments that we can put in place to support your application process with us. 

If you are interested in a role with us and meet some or all of the key attributes, we would love to hear from you. Please apply by submitting your CV and Cover Letter to careers@dppukltd.com.