Principal Planner - Dunedin

About the business and the role

Do you believe you can make the world a better place?

SLR Consulting is a global multi-disciplinary consultancy centred on environment & sustainability and operates across more than 120 countries. Our purpose is Making Sustainability Happen, which we achieve by having a team of experts who partner with our clients to tackle some of the world’s most complex sustainability challenges.

We are looking for a Principal Planner to join our Southern Planning team which extends across our Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin offices.

Based in Dunedin, you'll have the autonomy to influence projects of regional significance, while being supported by a national team of 60+ planning professionals. Dunedin offers the opportunity to build a rewarding career while enjoying an exceptional lifestyle. With easy access to world-class outdoor recreation, a vibrant cultural scene and strong sense of community, it's an ideal location for professionals looking to make a meaningful impact whilst maintaining work-life balance.

In this role, you'll lead complex planning and policy projects, work alongside some of New Zealand's leading environmental specialists, and help grow our presence across local government, infrastructure, renewables, and development sectors.

Key responsibilities include:

• Project Leadership - Lead complex planning, policy, and consenting projects across a diverse client portfolio.
• Client Growth - Develop trusted advisor relationships and identify opportunities to expand SLR's presence across key sectors.
• Technical Excellence - Provide high-level planning expertise and strategic advice to clients and project teams.
• People Leadership - Mentor and develop planners across the Southern region and wider national team.
• Quality Assurance - Undertake technical reviews and ensure consistently high standards of project delivery.
• Collaboration - Work closely with SLR's multidisciplinary specialists to deliver integrated solutions for clients.

About You

You are an experienced planning professional who combines technical excellent with strong commercial and relationship-building capability. You enjoy leading complex projects, mentoring others, and helping clients navigate challenging planning environments.

Ideally, you will bring:

• A qualification in Resource Management Planning or other relevant discipline
• Full NZPI membership, or the ability to achieve it.
• Approximately 8+ years of NZ planning experience within consultancy, local government, or a related environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex planning, policy, and/or consenting projects.
• Strong client relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary project teams.
• A commercial mindset and ability to identify new opportunities.
• A collaborative and supportive leadership style

Our Benefits

We are proud of our unique culture where we work together to collaborate on projects to get the best possible outcome for our clients. SLR supports flexible working arrangements as we recognise that every person is different, and our benefits aim to ensure that we cater for all.

You can find a comprehensive list here.

Next Steps

We make hiring decisions based on your experience, skills and passion. Please note that interviews are conducted with gender diverse interview panels to the best of our ability. When you apply, please feel free to tell us the pronouns you use and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may need during the interview process.

Unsolicited resumes from recruitment agencies will not be accepted. You must be part of the preferred supplier agreement list which is coordinated through our Talent Acquisition team.