The National Trust’s planners have a crucial role to play in promoting a coordinated approach to sustainable development and dealing with challenges including climate change and major infrastructure projects. We’re looking for a Planning Adviser (known within the team as a Planning Delivery Partner) to join us in the organisation’s London and South East Region. Your planning portfolio will cover our places across the region, working closely with other regional and national planning colleagues and team members in related disciplines.
We are open to applications for either 22.5 hours (3 days a week) or 19 hours (2.5 days a week), please state in your cover letter your preferred working pattern. If you'd like more information or an informal chat about the role, please reach out to [email protected].
Proposed interview date: 6th July 2026.
What it's like to work here:You’ll be part of the National Trust’s internal Specialist Delivery Team: a flexible resource of specialist skills and expertise. As one of a multidisciplinary team of experts, including curators, fundraisers, building surveyors and project managers among many other roles, you’ll be working with others to help make things happen. Our hybrid working policy means that you can balance office and home working with site visits and meetings at other National Trust places. We’ll talk about this in more detail at interview, but you should expect to be at a National Trust site for 40–60% of your working week.
Your contractual place of work will be whichever of our regional Specialist Delivery offices is closest to your home. Offices are located at: Micheldever (near Winchester) in Hampshire; Polesden Lacey in Surrey; Hughenden in Buckinghamshire; or Scotney Castle in Kent.
What you'll be doing:You'll be tackling the wide variety of planning issues facing National Trust sites, landscapes and buildings: from major infrastructure and third-party development projects to our own sensitive development of places in our care to help sustain their future. Effective planning and sustainable management are at the heart of everything we do. Climate change is a big challenge for us and our supporters, and your expertise will help guide us to develop and grow in a sustainable way. You’ll help us navigate the changing external policy and decision-making context looking to harness the opportunities that this could provide for the Trust and our own ambitious strategy goals, alongside minimising the risks to our places.
Using your specialist planning knowledge, you'll help us to improve the ways in which we welcome visitors and run places. You’ll be helping to make some of the UK’s best-loved places more sustainable and fit for the future, to meet the challenges ahead, lessen the effects of climate change and seize all opportunities to adapt.
Who we're looking forWe’d love to hear from you if you’re:
- experienced in urban and rural planning, major infrastructure, transport planning, environmental issues, landscape, conservation and sustainable development
- a chartered Town Planner (or with eligibility for full membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute)
- adept at analysing, resolving and preparing positions or advice on planning issues
- up-to-date with what’s happening in the wider world of land use and planning, including relevant legislation
- a skilled communicator, who can build strong relationships within diverse teams, both internally and externally
- a flexible thinker and problem-solver, skilled at negotiating and building productive networks, and confident in using your expertise to influence decisions
- proactive and organised, with experience of managing projects and a talent for multi-tasking and getting things done, strongly focused on detail, quality, cost and time
- a leader for inclusion, who finds ways to create an inclusive culture
The packageThe National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.
- Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
- Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
- Rental deposit loan scheme
- EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
- Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
- Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
- Flexible working whenever possible
- Employee assistance programme
- Free parking at most Trust places
Requirements :Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK
Permanent p/t (22.5 hrs pw)
