Recruitment home
Principal Planning Policy Officer
Grade 9 to 10, £42,107 - £51,201 (including local weighting) plus an additional £3,500 Market Supplement*
Full Time, 37 hours per week, permanent. Part-time applications also welcomed. Blended working available, Hertford.
We are currently seeking a committed policy planner to work on the creation of the framework that guides development decisions in the district.
The role is more than a job; it is an opportunity to leave your mark on the landscape of East Herts. With a fresh era of political leadership and an imminent review of our District Plan, you’ll have a chance to shape our future right from the start.
East Herts District Council is the ninth busiest planning team in the country, where you’ll encounter a stimulating and diverse workload that delves into a wide array of policy challenges and issues.
East Herts is more than just a place of work; it’s a thriving and picturesque district, rich in history and natural beauty, featuring over 3,000 listed buildings. We’re committed to continuous improvement, striving for more affordable housing, a vibrant local economy, a greener, more sustainable environment, and enhanced digital capabilities.
We are proud of our ‘one team’ culture where everyone contributes to delivering great services to our local community and residents.
If you share our vision for East Herts and have a proven track record in producing planning policy documents, we want to hear from you.
Join us in providing an exceptional planning service and be part of our journey towards a brighter, more sustainable future for our district.
*In line with their pay policy, EHC will review the application of the Market Supplement annually, and if warranted, will make adjustments in liaison with affected staff.
The Planning Service
We are leading the way for growth across the county. We are ambitious, dedicated, and forward-thinking. We provide a customer-focused planning service designed to facilitate growth in a way that protects and promotes all that is valued by our communities.
We want to ensure that East Herts continues to be a great place to work, live, visit and enjoy in the future.
Our District Plan was adopted in 2018 and we have been leading the way for growth across the county. This includes overseeing the delivery of 18 strategic allocations. These sites range in size and complexity, and offer a fantastic opportunity to collaborate with partners on placemaking.
Our masterplan process ensures future developments are designed to the highest standard, encompassing social, environmental, and economic requirements to create sustainable communities.
Every day, we work on a wide variety of projects, from urban regeneration schemes to rural proposals. We are also at the forefront of planning and delivering one of the largest development proposals currently underway in the country – a new community of 10,000 homes at Gilston, part of the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town.
Your future is important to us. We’ve created new opportunities to learn and develop skills, both within the council and working with other authorities across Hertfordshire. This includes countywide CPD events, mentoring, and career progression schemes, giving you every opportunity to grow and develop your career.
The Role
This role would suit a planning policy professional with knowledge and experience in plan-making. You should be comfortable in taking a leading role in the Planning Policy Team, providing professional advice, working on the update of the District Plan, and delivering other statutory functions. The successful candidate will need to be aware of new and proposed changes to planning policy and legislation.
Candidates will need to have experience working in a plan-making team, with a preference for those with experience working at local planning authority level.
The right candidate must work effectively with a range of stakeholders, demonstrate excellent project management skills, as well as a willingness to take the initiative. The ability to produce concise reports and explain complex planning issues clearly to a wide range of audiences is also essential.
As well as demonstrable technical and professional abilities, you will need strong interpersonal skills. This includes being able to work as part of a team of staff, with a commitment to delivering excellent customer service and achieving the best outcome for residents.
The ideal candidate will be highly organised, with the capacity to prioritise different tasks to ensure that they are delivered on time and within budget.
An understanding of emerging digital requirements to the planning system is also beneficial, with a strong desire for candidates to be able to make use of new digital technologies, in order to help deliver a modern planning service.
About You
To be considered as the Principal Planning Policy Officer, you will need:
• To demonstrate a full knowledge of planning policy and strategy.
• To demonstrate an understanding of the legislative and policy framework at national and local level.
• Experience of leading on the preparation of Development Plan Documents, Supplementary Planning Documents, Neighbourhood Plan Documents, and other policy related guidance and evidence.
• Experience of dealing with major development sites, and a clear understanding of the role of master planning in delivering high quality places.
• Experience of dealing with complex planning issues, reaching sound decisions and articulating planning issues in public including at committees and public meetings including Examinations in Public, hearings and public inquiries.
• Experience of working with communities and other stakeholders to shape and prepare policy and guidance.
• Experience of working collaboratively and in partnership arrangements to achieve excellent planning policy outcomes.
• Excellent IT and computing skills, including use of databases.
• Graduate degree in Geography, Town Planning, or other demonstrably relevant degree.
• A relevant post-graduate qualification in Town Planning or similar.
• Chartered membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (or equivalent) or eligibility for chartered membership.
• A full, valid driving licence.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Claire Sime (Service Manager Planning Policy, Design and Conservation) on 01992 531626.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your career as a Principal Planning Policy Officer, please apply via the button shown.
This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, valuing diversity and maintaining a firm commitment to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants. We believe that creating inclusive environments leads to stronger collaboration and better outcomes in our work.
