Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Town Planner

at AECOM

🏢 About AECOM

AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm focused on delivering sustainable solutions across transportation, water, energy, and environmental sectors. What makes AECOM unique is their commitment to 'building sustainable legacies' through innovative projects that address climate resilience and community needs, particularly visible in their UK work on major infrastructure like HS2 and renewable energy developments. Working here offers exposure to high-profile, multidisciplinary projects that shape the UK's built environment.

About This Role

This Senior Town Planner role at AECOM involves leading planning applications for major infrastructure projects while coordinating multi-disciplinary teams across planning, environmental impact assessment, and engineering. The role is impactful because you'll directly shape sustainable development outcomes through strategic planning advice, stakeholder negotiation with local authorities, and documentation that bridges technical requirements with community and environmental considerations.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve reviewing planning documentation for a major transport project, coordinating with environmental consultants on EIA integration, leading a client meeting to discuss consent strategy, and negotiating with local authority planners on application requirements. You'd likely spend time writing Planning Statements, managing application timelines, and participating in internal project coordination meetings across disciplines.

🚀 Application Tools

Generate Cover Letter

AI-powered, tailored for AECOM

Interview Prep

Practice questions for this role

🎯 Who AECOM Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years of UK town planning experience specifically with major infrastructure projects (transport, energy, or large-scale developments), not just residential or commercial planning
  • Demonstrates proven ability to coordinate multi-disciplinary teams including environmental consultants, engineers, and architects on complex projects
  • Shows specific experience writing Planning Statements and Design & Access Statements for nationally significant infrastructure projects
  • Has direct experience collaborating with Environmental Impact Assessment teams and negotiating with UK local planning authorities on consent strategies

📝 Tips for Applying to AECOM

1

Quantify your major infrastructure project experience - specify project values, scales, and your specific contributions to planning applications

2

Highlight any experience with AECOM's key UK sectors (transportation, energy, water) rather than generic planning experience

3

Include specific examples of coordinating multi-disciplinary teams - mention which disciplines you've worked with and how you managed interfaces

4

Demonstrate knowledge of UK planning policy frameworks relevant to infrastructure (NPPF, DCO processes for nationally significant projects)

5

Show business development experience by mentioning contributions to tender preparation or client relationship building in the infrastructure sector

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your specific experience with major infrastructure planning applications in the UK context', 'Examples of successful stakeholder negotiation with local planning authorities on complex projects', "How you've coordinated multi-disciplinary teams to deliver planning outcomes", "Your understanding of sustainable development principles and how they apply to AECOM's project portfolio"]

Generate Cover Letter →

🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → AECOM's recent UK infrastructure projects (HS2, Thames Tideway, offshore wind developments) and their planning aspects
  • → The company's 'Sustainable Legacies' strategy and how it applies to UK planning and development
  • → AECOM's multidisciplinary service offerings in the UK and how planning integrates with their environmental, engineering, and design teams
  • → Current UK planning policy developments affecting major infrastructure (NPPF updates, net-zero commitments, biodiversity net gain requirements)

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Walk us through your experience managing a planning application for a major infrastructure project from feasibility to consent
2 How do you approach coordinating conflicting requirements between planning policy, environmental constraints, and engineering feasibility?
3 Describe a challenging negotiation with a local planning authority and how you reached resolution
4 What experience do you have collaborating with Environmental Impact Assessment teams, and how do you integrate planning and EIA considerations?
5 How would you contribute to business development for AECOM's planning services in the UK infrastructure market?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on residential or small-scale commercial planning experience without demonstrating major infrastructure project capability
  • Using generic planning terminology without showing understanding of UK-specific consent processes for large projects
  • Failing to demonstrate multi-disciplinary coordination experience or presenting as a siloed planning specialist

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to AECOM!

← Back to Job Listing Apply Now →