Assistant Spatial Planner
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 12, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 12, 2026.
About the job.
National Highways have an exciting opportunity for an Assistant Spatial Planner to join our multi-disciplinary team in the North West region. The Assistant Spatial Planner will take a proactive role in the town and country planning system by helping to ensure that new developments are well located and planned for, and the travel demands they create are sustainable.
You will assist and work alongside our team of Spatial Planners, working with local authority partners and developers to ensure the transport impacts of individual developments and Local Plans are fully considered and mitigation measures necessary on our road network are identified.
This role will be North West based with an expectation of regular travel to the Manchester office but with a base office of Manchester, Preston, Warrington or Penrith.
You will be responsible for managing your own caseloads, as well as co-ordinating with other parts of the organisation in submitting our responses, whilst:
- Working with Spatial Planners and Spatial Planning Manager as they engage with internal and external partners to identify and secure funding opportunities for improvements to our road network which support development, for example through developer contributions and the Growth and Housing Accelerator Fund.
- Discharging our responsibilities as a statutory consultee within the planning system, including the management of specialist consultant support; where necessary, escalating more complex cases to a Spatial Planner or Spatial Planning Manager
- Applying specialist knowledge to evaluate the potential impact and implications of development proposals on our road network, to enable a measured, robust and informed response to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the SRN is maintained, escalating more complex cases. You will contribute to a measured, robust and informed response that ensures the safe and efficient operation of our road network is maintained.
- Preparing planning consultation responses and reports and providing support on more complex cases. You will be involved with the management of all aspects of Development Consent Orders as well as the administration aspects of our wider cost recovery initiative.
- Supporting ongoing liaison with key external stakeholders, through attendance at meetings and other planning or discussion forums. You will provide evidence-based and transparent guidance and advice on future local plans and share information on National Highways emerging strategies and future programmes for the region.
About you.
- Have a prior understanding of spatial planning or town planning / transport planning, including associated legislation and development management.
- Be aware and have knowledge relevant statutory and regulatory responsibilities/standards/manuals, requirements and guidance.
- Have an appreciation of the importance of transport-related issues, to the spatial planning arena.
- A good understanding of transport appraisal techniques and guidance.
About us.
Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.
Operations is at the heart of keeping the strategic road network moving and ensuring our customers get the best possible experience when using our roads.
We address over 39,000 customer enquiries every month, plan and deliver all maintenance activities on the network, drive efficiencies and improvements across our systems and roads, and respond to incidents across 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads that we manage. All to make sure National Highways customers have safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys.
External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.
We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.