Principal Environmental Planner

We are looking for an experienced Principal Environmental Planner to join our growing team in London or Reading.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in delivering environmental planning and assessment services across a diverse portfolio of energy transition, water resilience, development and critical infrastructure projects. You’ll work at the intersection of planning, environmental assessment and sustainable development, helping clients understand and navigate environmental considerations throughout the project lifecycle.

You’ll be part of a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment, working alongside planners, environmental specialists, engineers and other technical experts to develop practical, sustainable solutions for our clients.

This role offers the opportunity to take ownership of projects, develop strong client relationships and contribute to the continued growth of our environmental planning capability across the UK.

About The Role:

As a Principal Environmental Planner, you will:

• Lead and manage environmental planning commissions across a range of development and infrastructure projects.
• Provide high-quality environmental planning and consenting advice to clients, project teams and stakeholders.
• Lead and coordinate the preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), Environmental Statements and associated environmental planning documentation.
• Provide strategic advice on environmental constraints, opportunities and consenting requirements from project inception through to delivery.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams, ensuring environmental considerations are effectively integrated into project design and decision-making.
• Manage relationships with clients, local authorities, statutory consultees, regulators and other stakeholders.
• Lead stakeholder engagement, consultation exercises, workshops and project meetings.
• Review and quality assure technical reports and environmental planning deliverables.
• Provide technical leadership and support to colleagues, sharing knowledge and developing less experienced team members.
• Manage project programmes, budgets and resources, ensuring projects are delivered to a high standard and within agreed timescales.
• Identify opportunities to improve project delivery and develop innovative approaches to environmental assessment and consenting.
• Contribute to bids, tenders, proposals and business development activities.
• Support the growth of our environmental planning service through developing new and existing client relationships.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across our wider planning, environmental and engineering teams to deliver integrated solutions.

Your Impact:

You’ll play a key role in helping our clients deliver projects that are environmentally responsible, technically robust and capable of securing the necessary consents.

You’ll have the opportunity to work on complex and high-profile projects across sectors including infrastructure, energy, development, transport and the built environment.

As a Principal, you’ll also have an important role in shaping our environmental planning offering, supporting business development and helping to develop the capability of our wider team.

You’ll be encouraged to bring your ideas, expertise and commercial insight to projects, while working with specialists across Stantec to develop solutions that consider the bigger picture.

About You:

We’re looking for an experienced environmental planning professional who is confident operating in a consultancy environment and enjoys combining technical expertise with project and client leadership.

You will have:

• Significant experience in environmental planning, environmental consultancy, planning or a closely related discipline.
• Strong knowledge of the UK planning and environmental assessment framework.
• Significant experience delivering and coordinating EIA and environmental consenting projects.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary project teams and coordinating technical inputs.
• Strong understanding of environmental legislation, planning policy and relevant guidance.
• Proven experience managing client relationships and engaging with stakeholders, regulators and statutory consultees.
• Strong project management skills, including experience managing budgets, programmes and resources.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex environmental matters clearly to different audiences.
• Commercial awareness and an ability to identify opportunities and contribute to business development.
• A collaborative approach, with a genuine interest in mentoring and developing colleagues.

Qualifications:

• A relevant degree in environmental planning, environmental science, geography, planning or a related discipline is desirable.
• Membership of a relevant professional body, such as the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), or another relevant professional accreditation, would be advantageous.
• Most importantly, we’re looking for someone who is collaborative, commercially minded and passionate about delivering high-quality environmental solutions that make a positive difference.

Why Join Us:

• We put people first: We're proud of our friendly, inclusive and collaborative environment where everyone feels valued and driven to succeed.
• We are driven to achieve: Named in the top 50 companies to work by Glassdoor 2025. Recognised by Corporate Knights as one of the world's top 10 most sustainable companies 2025. Named ‘Best Place to Work’ and ‘International Consulting Firm of the Year’ at the NCE Awards 2024.
• We do what is right: Industry leading training and development as well as paid for professional subscriptions. A professional progression plan, supporting you to become chartered with ICE.
• We are better together: A supportive and collaborative team environment and Early Careers peer group and wider ERG network (see more on our ERGs here: Stantec Employee Resource Groups)
• Growth: We're on an exciting growth journey across the UK & Ireland - we want you to be part of it!
• Great Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus schemes, enhanced pension plan, annual leave with the option to buy/sell additional days, private medical insurance, group income protection & life assurance included as standard as well as discounted gym membership and lots more.
• Flexible working: Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with our hybrid approach to flexible working.

The Stantec community unites more than 34,000 employees working in over 450 locations across 6 continents. We have been working with our clients and communities in the UK for over 150 years. We plan, design, deliver and manage the development and infrastructure needed to support the creation of sustainable, healthy and prosperous communities.

Our teams provide effective and relevant solutions, translating our clients’ vision into valued consents, deliverable plans for projects and programmes, and efficient designs for delivery, based on technical excellence and deep market insights. We deal with today’s challenges, but also keep a fairer, better tomorrow in sight, looking at how we deliver clean growth, support radical changes in our economy and meet the needs of future communities.

Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment.

Building an inspired, inclusive work environment that attracts, supports, and develops world-class talent is a crucial key to our success. If you are excited by this role but worry that your experience doesn’t exactly align, we encourage you to apply.

At Stantec we want you to perform your best at every stage of the recruitment process and are committed to ensuring it is accessible to all. If you need any support or require adjustments to be made then please contact [email protected] and we will talk to you about how we can support you.