Planner / Senior Planner
13 days ago
Maidenhead
Planner / Senior Planner. Strategic Land (Town Planning/RTPI). Maidenhead | Residential Development | Large-Scale Mixed-Use Projects. Cognisant Search is seeking a Planner or Senior Planner to join a well-established, financially strong business, supporting the delivery of major strategic land projects across London and the South East. This role is open to graduates or early-career planners with up to 1–3 years’ experience providing hands-on exposure to complex, high-value sites. It is an excellent opportunity to gain insight into how land is promoted, allocated, and prepared for delivery, while learning from experienced teams and contributing to decision-making from day one. About the Role You will be part of a planning team that supports the full lifecycle of strategic land projects. The role combines practical programme management, technical planning, and early-stage site promotion, offering a strong foundation for career progression in planning. Responsibilities & Learning Opportunities • Support the preparation and ongoing management of project programmes across strategic land and mixed-use schemes, learning how programmes drive project delivery and decision-making, • Work closely with project and technical teams to understand sequencing, constraints, and delivery requirements, building insight into the full planning process, • Assist with reporting, progress updates, and milestone tracking, developing an understanding of how planning informs commercial and operational outcomes, • Contribute to programme reviews, planning submissions, and early-stage site promotion activities, gaining exposure to both technical and strategic aspects of land development, • Gain practical experience with planning tools, software, and methodologies, applied to live strategic land projects, • Work alongside senior planners and multidisciplinary teams, receiving mentorship and building a foundation for long-term career growth Candidate Profile • Degree-qualified (or equivalent) in planning, construction, engineering, or a related field, • Qualified planner (e.g., RTPI accredited) or 1–3 years’ post-graduate experience in town planning, consultancy, local authority, education, or developer environments, • Interest in strategic land, plan-making, and project delivery, • Strong communication skills with a proactive, problem-solving mindset, • Curious, motivated, and eager to learn from experienced professionals What’s on Offer • Structured development and mentoring within an established planning function, • Exposure to strategic land and complex residential or mixed-use projects, • Insight into planning, promotion, and programme management across long-term development opportunities, • Opportunity to contribute to early-stage land promotion and strategic decision-making, • Clear progression pathway into Planning Management roles in the short term. Contact. For a confidential discussion or to request further information, please contact: Dan Petrie, Principal Consultant, Cognisant 07487 795148