Assistant Planning Officer37 hours per week, Permanent£27,711 - £31,586 per annumWychavon and Malvern have an ambitious growth strategy and will be building over 20,000 homes and 300 hectares of employment land over the next 15 years.The strategy includes the delivery of the major new settlements at Worcestershire Parkway for 10,000 homes and Throckmorton for 5,000 homes.Combined with ambitious strategies to regenerate our existing centres such as Evesham and Droitwich this is your chance to help shape the future of some of the fastest growing Districts in the West Midlands.As an Assistant Planning Officer, you willdevelop your own caseload and work within one of the small teams that make up our experienced Development Management service.You will be responsible for the processing of planning and other planning related applications at the direction of the Development Managers.This will include site appraisals, research, negotiations, report writing, occasional presentation at planning committee and appeal work.You will be in regular contact with applicants, agents, members of the public and other users of the service.Great communication skills and an ability to engage with a range of stakeholders is therefore essential along with a commitment to delivering an outstanding service to all our customers.This is an excellent opportunity for an aspiring planner to acquire important skills and experience and build the foundation of a career in planning.About youThe successful candidate must have:Strong customer service orientation and a desire to deliver exceptional levels of service at all times.Team player with an adaptable and flexible approach.Ability to work on own initiative to tight deadlines.Ability to negotiate successful outcomes.Excellent written and verbal communications skills.High level of accuracy and attention to detail.A minimum entry level of experience is required for the Assistant Planning Officer role i.e.:- A degree (or equivalent) qualification in planning or similar related subject is required.And / or experience of working in a planning environment.Applicants without a suitable qualification will be expected to complete a course of study leading to a professional qualification as a condition of employment.The Councils are keen to support with the development of its employees and therefore will help with training requirements which are needed for the role. This may also include support towards obtaining recognised qualifications relevant to the post.You will be required to undertake site visits so flexibility, a full driving licence and use of a car is essential. You will also need to be able to travel throughout the districts.What we can offerOur staff are at the heart of what we do, and as a result we are always looking to recruit, develop and retain the very best talent we can find. So, as well as a rewarding career, we offer a range of attractive benefits, such as:Agile WorkingExcellent pension scheme with employer contributionsGenerous annual leave entitlement with options to purchase additional annual leaveCommitted training programme and development opportunitiesPayment of one professional membership subscription e.g. RTPI.Onsite nursery with 20% staff discountDiscounted Gym and swim membershipHealth and Wellbeing support and a Free Employee Assistance scheme including access to counselling servicesCycle to Work schemeEmployee Discounts with a range of companies including EE and the Kaarp discount scheme.We are an employer that supports agile working and values face to face communication, collaboration and connection, therefore all our roles have an office-based requirement as part of the role.The role is required to be based at either Civic Centre, Pershore and Council House, Malvern.If you have a preference in your base location, please detail this in your application to be considered (please note, whilst we will try our best to accommodate this, it will be decided upon service requirement). To discuss the post or for further information, please contact Fran Fleming on 01684 862425 orFrances.flemingmalvernhills.gov.ukor Clare Bull on 01684 862451 orClare.bullmalvernhills.gov.ukClosing date:Wednesday11 December2024Interview date:Wednesday18 December 2024Please note if we experience a high intake of applications, we may close the role and interview for the position sooner than advertised.