Job Description
We are looking for an experienced strategic political and communication expert to join Turley Strategic Communications. It’s an exciting time to join our team of built-environment communication experts to shape and grow our political consultancy offer across the South East. In particular, you will be experienced in securing new business, and delivering political, community and media engagement, to achieve successful planning outcomes for our clients.
The role
At Turley we believe in ‘Good Growth’ - and to build growth across all sectors of development you must involve people. Turley Strategic Communications focuses on people, and their influence on the planning and place-making process. We deliver effective political and stakeholder management, community consultation and media management and campaigns to shape attitudes, generate support for our clients seeking a successful planning outcome.
Your role will involve contributing to and leading on the development of political strategy for major and complex built-environment projects. You will also have the unique opportunity to expand and shape the Strategic Communications offering in the South East. It is crucial to the role that you can also demonstrate experience and interest in community consultation and/or corporate affairs.
Based in either our Reading or Southampton office and working flexibly, you will work in collaboration with our co-owners across a range of our specialist planning, design, economics, heritage, economics and sustainability teams on major and complex projects within the public and private sector. While also working alongside the existing Strategic Communications teams across the South. Additionally, you will be responsible for generating and leading a new workstream for the South East.
"Since joining Turley as an Associate Director in 2022, I have been fully encouraged to contribute my ideas and strengths toward Turley’s growth as a business. Turley’s appetite to play to co-owners’ strengths has enabled me to lead growth in Turley’s social value and corporate communications offers, whilst also gaining a breadth of experience delivering communications and engagement strategies on built environment projects across London and the South East."
James Simondson
Director, Strategic Communications
About you
You will have previous experience at a mid to senior level in consultancy and in the planning, infrastructure or property sectors. The ideal candidate will be highly organised and flexible; a skilled face-to-face and online communicator with excellent writing ability. If you have a track record of engaging professionally with people on complex and controversial issues, strong political networks in the south east and a passion for local politics and property development, we want to hear from you.
Why work for Turley?
We are trusted independent advisors with restless ambition to shape a more sustainable future.
We work collaboratively with our clients to deliver places and communities that thrive. We combine professional expertise with in-depth market knowledge and deploy our services — Business Cases and Funding, Design, Economics, EIA, Expert Witness, Heritage, Townscape and Landscape, Planning, Strategic Communications, and Sustainability and ESG — individually or collectively to meet client needs in the most effective way.
We offer excellent remuneration and a flexible benefits package including medical insurance, pension, flexible working allowance, ownership dividend and performance-related bonus.
Turley operates a blended flexible working model, allowing co-owners choice, freedom, and flexibility as to where, when and how they work, balancing personal, team and client requirements. While working across Monday to Friday is preferred for this role, we are happy to talk about flexible working options in more detail during the recruitment process.
We are committed to ensuring people, places and the planet can thrive.
We know that actions speak louder than words. As a business, and through our client work, we strive to make a meaningful impact. This is how we are shaping a more sustainable future.
We have been CarbonNeutral® certified since 2018; achieved Bronze Carbon Literate Organisation accreditation in 2023; and are working towards B Corp status.
Driven by our purpose, we believe in using business as a force for good, including generating value for our clients and profits for our co-owners.
Our aim is to be an even more diverse and inclusive company; we celebrate difference and we're actively building more diverse teams. We welcome applications from candidates regardless of background and personal circumstances who meet the criteria set out above. We would love for you to join an organisation that enables you to thrive. If you need any assistance during the recruitment process or we can put in any adjustments for you, please contact Turley’s People & Culture team ( ).
If you think Turley could be the right move for you, please apply in confidence by following the “Apply Now” link below or by emailing, attaching your CV and a covering letter.
No agency interest please.
The successful candidate must have permission to work in the UK by the start of their employment.