Come and join an award-winning Development Plans team in an award-winning Planning service!
The team leads on the development of policy and strategy to help deliver a unique and ambitious vision for the future growth and prosperity of Milton Keynes.
At the heart of this will be the MK City Plan 2050 that will shape the growth of the city through to 2050 and help deliver many of the placemaking aims set out in our Strategy for 2050.
You’ll join a friendly and supportive team who work collaboratively with other teams in the city council and with stakeholders and communities. Our Planning Service that won ‘Local Planning Authority of the Year’ and ‘Overall Winner’ awards at the RTPI South East Awards 2023.
If you’re an experienced and self-starting principal policy planner looking for an interesting opportunity to transform places for the better, or a senior policy planner ready to step up, then this is the role for you.
You’ll lead on high-profile and complex aspects of the MK City Plan 2050 as we work to finalise the plan for the Regulation 19 stage later in 2025 and explore possibilities through the New Towns Task Force process.
If you take pride in your role as a planner, relish the opportunity to positively shape places, own and solve problems in creative ways and lead by example, then we want to hear from you.
Interview for this role will be held between 27 and 31 January.
Main Responsibility
1. Lead on the development of planning policy for specific topic areas within the New City Plan throughout the plan-making process.
2. Project and contract manage technical evidence studies to inform planning policy.
3. Be an excellent communicator with our colleagues, councillors and other stakeholders.
4. Lead on and support a variety of engagement and consultation activities.
5. Support communities by providing advice on policy issues within emerging neighbourhood plans.
6. Manage, coach and mentor junior planning officers within the team.
The Ideal Candidate
1. A qualified policy planner (degree in town planning or related subject) with extensive experience of plan-making and the English planning system.
2. Successfully led high-profile and challenging projects delivering high quality outputs and outcomes.
3. An excellent communicator who can successfully engage with a range of people from different backgrounds to achieve successful outcomes.
4. A depth of knowledge and expertise in certain planning policy topics, for instance the natural environment and design.
5. A track record in successfully mentoring and coaching junior colleagues to develop their careers.
For this role, the candidate is required to have a full UK driving licence, along with access to a vehicle. Evidence of the driving licence and vehicle insurance with business insurance will be required from the candidate should they be offered this position. Without this documentation the candidate will not be appointable.
Package Description
In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:
1. Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
2. Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
3. A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.
4. Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
5. Salary sacrifice car scheme – low-cost leasing of electric and low emission vehicles.
6. Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.
Our roles are either designated ‘site based’ or ‘home based’. ‘Site based’ roles can include up to two days a week working from home whilst ‘home based’ roles are based at home four days a week. Of course, managers designate which category roles are in based on the needs of the service and the circumstances.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.
We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.
We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.
We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.
If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.
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