Job summary
Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to help shape national changes to the planning system? In the summer the King's Speech set out plans to accelerate the delivery of high quality infrastructure and housing through reforms to the planning system.
The Department is seeking to recruit a number of people with planning experience to play key roles in delivering these changes and supporting further policy development. These Higher Planning Officer roles offer an exciting opportunity to help shape the future direction of planning nationally.
They cover a wide range of planning matters, including Planning Infrastructure, Development Management, National Planning Policy and Development Plans. We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work.
Job description
The successful candidates will play a crucial role in policy delivery and developing proposals for planning reform. Working as part of small teams, you will provide specialist planning expertise and support required to deliver the Government�s objectives.
Many of the roles will involve developing evidence, feeding into and developing new regulations and national planning policy with opportunities to engage with Ministers, other Departments, local planning authorities, the Planning Inspectorate and users of the planning system.
The roles will involve working with senior officials across Whitehall, as well as engagement with a wide range of external partners including business and local government. Post holders will work collaboratively with colleagues across the Planning and Housing Directorates as well as closely with legal colleagues, analysts and other government departments.
There are roles available in the following Divisions within the Planning Directorate:
Planning Development Management - The Development Management Division is responsible for the end to end planning process, including the planning permission process from pre-application to build out, permitted development rights, fees, appeals, compulsory purchase, brownfield land registers, permission in principle and local authority planning resourcing and performance. The successful candidate will support developing regulations relating to fees and supporting local authority planning resourcing and performance.
Planning Development Plans - The Development Plans Division is responsible for a wide range of policy that aims to get land into the planning system and ensuring development happens in the right places by supporting local areas to have up to date development plans. Getting up to date plans in place is a Government priority and this is a fast-paced area, with a high-level of engagement with local planning authorities, other Government departments, Private Offices, and across planning and housing directorates.
Planning Strategy - The Planning Strategy Division lead on a range of national planning policy matters including planning for new housing. A range of planning reforms have been introduced recently through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act and we are currently consulting on revisions to national planning policy. The successful candidate will support high profile policy development and help drive forward wider planning reforms.
Planning Infrastructure - The Planning Infrastructure Division is responsible for the Nationally Significant Infrastructure (NSIP) Regime. The successful candidates will support work implementing and taking forward reforms to the NSIP Regime.
Person specification
These are specialist town planning roles for candidates who must have a Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) accredited degree to be considered. It requires relevant knowledge and understanding of the town planning system, including experience and evidence of eligibility for membership of the RTPI.
We are looking for planners who can demonstrate:
1. Excellent written, presentational, and verbal communication skills.
2. Good knowledge of the history and development of the town planning system in England and how the planning system in England works.
3. Good understanding of the key priorities of the Government and how this will impact on the planning system, along with the key government planning policies.
4. Ability to deliver pieces of work on technical planning matters to short deadlines.
Desirable criteria:
5. Good political awareness and understanding of central and local government.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of �32,178, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes �9,321 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.
6. Learning and development tailored to your role
7. An environment with flexible working options
8. A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
9. A with an employer contribution of