Job Description

Planning Managing Associate

Location: Manchester

PQE Level: 3 years PQE

Salary: 55000 - 80000 Bonus (dependent on location and experience)

Join a High Performing Planning & Infrastructure Consenting Team as Managing Associate

Are you an ambitious infrastructure consenting lawyer looking to work on transformative high-profile projects Our client a London headquartered international full-service law firm with 250 years of heritage and a reputation for award-winning innovation is seeking a talented infrastructure consenting-focused Managing Associate / Associate to join their Planning & Infrastructure Consenting Team in Leeds Manchester or London.

With new and exciting client mandates this high performing Planning & Infrastructure Consenting Team is looking for an infrastructure consenting-focused Managing Associate / Associate to join their team. Youll become part of a wider team of experts and will have the support and structure to develop your career.

The firm provides first-class technical insight and training and is looking for an enthusiastic team member who wants to build their long-term career with them and become a well-rounded lawyer providing quality commercial advice for clients.

The Firm

Our client is a London headquartered international full-service law firm that consistently delivers high-quality outcomes for clients globally. With 250 years of heritage the firm today supports over 5000 of the worlds most respected organisations helping them in over 50 areas of business law across more than 100 countries. The firm is known for award-winning innovation and delivering impact to clients.

The firm has a strong global presence with offices across Asia (Japan Singapore) Europe (England & Wales France Germany Ireland Luxembourg Poland Scotland Spain) and the Middle East (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Oman Qatar UAE) plus regional business groups covering Africa Central & Eastern Europe India Korea Latin America Nordics North America Türkiye and Ukraine.

Recent major deals include advising on the largest UK IPO of 2025 (300m market capitalisation) the 36.55bn Sizewell C nuclear power station financing (one of Europes most significant infrastructure projects) and the 275m sale of an iconic London landmark to a luxury international hotel group.

The firm is a place where you are valued encouraged and challenged to fulfil your potential in a supportive and collegiate environment. The culture of improvement growth and collaboration delivers results drives innovation and rewards ambition. The firms success has been built by people from the widest range of backgrounds locations and perspectives.

The Team

Located within the Real Estate Group the Planning and Infrastructure Consenting Team works nationally across 5 locations: London Leeds Manchester Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is comprised of 15 lawyers (including 6 Partners) plus paralegals and trainees.

The work of the group is of excellent quality varied and involves the provision of comprehensive and pro-active advice to clients on the full range of planning issues with a particular focus on work in the infrastructure sector working for leading operators in the energy transportation and water sectors across the UK.

The Team has seen major growth in the volume and quality of its infrastructure consenting work and is advising on a large number of high-profile promotions relating to electricity transmission carbon capture solar battery storage and gas distribution as well as ports airports and light and heavy rail.

The firm has a very strong sectoral focus in the Transport and Energy Sectors and is at the forefront of policy development in those sectors on matters such as automation and the move to non-carbon fuel sources. The Team works collaboratively across the Firm within those Sectors on a range of high-value and complex consenting mandates as part of an end-to-end infrastructure delivery practice.

This is a high-performing team with a strong reputation for people development where you will receive support and structure from established HR Learning & Development and delivery contacts to help elevate your experience to the next level.

The Role

As a Managing Associate / Associate in the Planning & Infrastructure Consenting Team you will work with the wider team on a wide variety of infrastructure projects working on transformative high-profile matters for leading operators in the energy transportation and water sectors across the UK.

Youll become part of a wider team of experts and will have the support and structure to develop your career.

You will work closely with partners and other senior lawyers in the team and can expect to have significant levels of responsibility.

Your key responsibilities will include:

Infrastructure Consenting Work:

• Advising on Development Consent Orders in the energy transport and water sectors for both promoters and objectors

• Advising on Transport and Works Act Orders for promoters of rail and light rail projects

• Advising on harbour orders marine licences and harbour works approvals

• Providing strategic advice on the consents needed for a project

• Advising on optioneering route selection and non-statutory and statutory consultation

• Reviewing application documents including environmental statements

• Drafting secondary legislation

• Supporting public inquiries and examinations

• Advising on land assembly strategies and compensation issues

• Advising on hybrid Bills

• Advising on public law issues such as vires the exercise of powers and administrative law principles

Sector Focus:

• Working on high-profile promotions relating to electricity transmission carbon capture solar battery storage and gas distribution

• Advising on ports airports and light and heavy rail projects

• Working with leading operators in the energy transportation and water sectors

• Contributing to policy development on matters such as automation and the move to non-carbon fuel sources

• Working on transformative projects with importance in relation to climate change reduction and adaptation

Client Relationship Management:

• Working closely with existing clients to nurture and develop relationships

• Acting as a trusted adviser through providing timely and quality advice whilst managing expectations

• Confident stakeholder management engaging with internal and external stakeholders of all levels

• Understanding clients their drivers and what matters to them

• Providing advice with quality imagination and impact

Team Collaboration:

• Working collaboratively across the Firm within the Transport and Energy Sectors

• Working on a range of high-value and complex consenting mandates as part of an end-to-end infrastructure delivery practice

• Working closely with partners and other senior lawyers in the team

• Significant levels of responsibility

• Contributing to the teams success and reputation

Professional Development:

• Engaging with formal training programmes (whether technical or skills based)

• Drawing on mentoring coaching and leadership programmes available

• Receiving support and structure from established HR Learning & Development and delivery contacts

• Continuous development and learning

• Building your skills as a well-rounded planning and infrastructure consenting lawyer

• Elevating your experience to the next level

Key Responsibilities:

• Drafting clear and legally effective documents which reflect the clients instructions

• Maintaining efficient diary and task management across a range of matters

• Ensuring the accuracy and levels of client service expected within a high performing team

• Adopting a consultative and thorough approach to tasks

• Remaining calm and optimistic in time sensitive situations or under pressure

• Finding solutions to clients legal challenges and requirements

• Keeping abreast of changes in planning and consenting legislation such as BNG and natural capital

• Understanding the political context in which infrastructure delivery takes place

About You

Essential Requirements:

• Qualified Solicitor in England and Wales

• At least 3 years PQE with relevant experience in infrastructure consenting matters

• Demonstrated track record of advising on infrastructure consenting matters

• Strong technical knowledge of planning law and infrastructure consenting

• Experience advising on Development Consent Orders in the energy transport and/or water sectors

• Understanding of infrastructure consenting processes and procedures

• Experience with Transport and Works Act Orders harbour orders marine licences and/or harbour works approvals

• Experience providing strategic advice on consents needed for projects

• Experience advising on optioneering route selection and consultation processes

• Experience reviewing application documents including environmental statements

• Experience drafting secondary legislation and supporting public inquiries/examinations

• Understanding of land assembly strategies and compensation issues

• Knowledge of public law issues such as vires exercise of powers and administrative law principles

• Aptitude for understanding the political context in which infrastructure delivery takes place

• Ability to keep abreast of changes in planning and consenting legislation such as BNG and natural capital

• Enthusiasm for the Transport and Energy & Utility sectors and their transformative effect and importance in relation to climate change reduction and adaptation

• Confident stakeholder manager with evidenced experience of engaging with internal and external stakeholders of all levels

• Ability to adopt a consultative and thorough approach to tasks

• Efficient diary and task management skills across a range of matters

• Ability to maintain the accuracy and levels of client service expected within a high performing team

• Confident in drafting clear and legally effective documents which reflect the clients instructions

• Ability to remain calm and optimistic in time sensitive situations or under pressure

• Enthusiastic about the development of your legal skill set and continuous learning

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy

• Commercially focused with good problem-solving abilities

Highly Desirable:

• Experience advising both promoters and objectors

• Experience with hybrid Bills

• Experience working on electricity transmission carbon capture solar battery storage and/or gas distribution projects

• Experience with ports airports and light and heavy rail projects

• Experience working with leading operators in the energy transportation and water sectors

• Experience working in a large international law firm environment

• Experience working on high-value complex infrastructure projects

• Strong client relationship skills

• Understanding of policy development in Transport and Energy Sectors

• Knowledge of automation and the move to non-carbon fuel sources

• Experience working collaboratively across multiple practice areas

Key Attributes:

• Client-focused with commitment to exceptional service delivery

• Commercially astute and business-oriented approach

• Proactive and solutions-focused

• Strong team player who thrives in a collaborative environment

• Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills

• Adaptable and flexible approach to work

• Self-motivated with strong work ethic

• Committed to continuous learning and development

• Passionate about planning and infrastructure consenting law

• Passionate about climate change reduction and adaptation

• Ambitious and eager to build a long-term career

• Resilient and able to work under pressure

• Quality-focused with imagination and impact in advice

Whats On Offer

Our client is committed to recognising and rewarding great work with rewards and benefits that are among the best in the business.

Benefits include:

• Competitive salary: 55000 - 80000 Bonus (dependent on location and experience)

• Bonus scheme

• International full-service law firm with 250 years of heritage

• Support over 5000 of the worlds most respected organisations globally

• 50 areas of business law across 100 countries

• Award-winning innovation and reputation for delivering impact

• Planning and Infrastructure Consenting Team: 15 lawyers (including 6 Partners) plus paralegals and trainees

• Team works nationally across 5 locations: London Leeds Manchester Edinburgh Glasgow

• Excellent quality varied work

• Particular focus on infrastructure sector working for leading operators in energy transportation and water sectors across UK

• Major growth in volume and quality of infrastructure consenting work

• Advising on large number of high-profile promotions relating to electricity transmission carbon capture solar battery storage gas distribution ports airports light and heavy rail

• Very strong sectoral focus in Transport and Energy Sectors

• At forefront of policy development on matters such as automation and move to non-carbon fuel sources

• High-performing team with strong reputation for people development

• Support and structure from established HR Learning & Development and delivery contacts

• Become part of wider team of experts

• Support and structure to develop your career

• Work on wide variety of infrastructure projects

• Work closely with partners and other senior lawyers

• Significant levels of responsibility

• Work collaboratively across the Firm within Transport and Energy Sectors

• Work on range of high-value and complex consenting mandates as part of end-to-end infrastructure delivery practice

• Work on transformative projects with importance in relation to climate change reduction and adaptation

• Comprehensive and pro-active advice to clients on full range of planning issues

• Work closely with clients to nurture and develop relationships

• Act as trusted adviser providing timely and quality advice

• Formal training programmes (technical and skills based)

• Mentoring coaching and leadership programmes available

• Clear career progression pathway

• Build long-term career with the firm

• Become well-rounded lawyer providing quality commercial advice

• Culture of improvement growth and collaboration

• Supportive and collegiate environment

• Work on high-calibre matters with high-character colleagues

• Access to full-service firm resources (Corporate Finance Banking Projects Real Estate Employment Dispute Resolution IP Tax Competition Construction and more)

• Employee networks that provide space to discuss differences and celebrate diversity

• Firm that values people from the widest range of backgrounds locations and perspectives

• Recent major deals: Largest UK IPO 2025 (300m) 36.55bn Sizewell C nuclear financing 275m London landmark sale

• Global offices across Asia Europe and Middle East

• Regional business groups covering Africa CEE India Korea Latin America Nordics North America Türkiye Ukraine

• Natural choice for FTSE100 clients and their equivalents in other markets

• New and exciting client mandates

Location

This role is based in the firms Manchester office. All offices are located in the heart of the citys business district with excellent transport links and access to the citys amenities restaurants and cultural attractions.

How to Apply

If youre an ambitious Planning Managing Associate (3 years PQE) looking to work on transformative high-profile infrastructure projects with a leading international law firm wed love to hear from you. Click apply now or contact or 0