Vacancies

Career Grade/ Apprentice Technical Support Officer

Please Note: The application deadline for this job has now passed.

About the role

Our Technical Support team is the engine room that supports the entire Planning Service. Our Support Officers are the interface with the council’s Customer Services team and provide high quality communication and technical advice to our service users. The team registers and validates all planning applications and is responsible for leading our programme of process review, our system updates as well as driving and monitoring our overall service performance.

As our Technical Support Graduate, the main focus of your role will be to provide our customers - the public and both internal and external stakeholders (including the Councillors) – with high quality, consistent and efficient support service for the effective administration and robust performance management of the Planning Service. You'll be key in keeping the Planning Service running smoothly.

What will you be doing?

In this role, your main tasks will revolve around providing top-notch support to the Planning Service teams. With the support of the Technical Support Team Leaders, the Senior Technical Support Officers and appropriate on the job training, external training courses and mentoring, develop the necessary knowledge, experience and skills to be successful in your role.

You’ll be the behind-the-scenes key person of the Planning Service, making sure that everything runs smoothly. You’ll engage with the public, handle complaints and keep our data organised, adhering to GDPR regulations. Also, you’ll handle payments for planning applications and assist the team in their daily tasks.

We’ll count on you for your support. When things get busy, you’ll be there to land a hand to Planning Services and the Planning Policy team as well.

About you

We’re looking for someone with a can-do attitude and an interest in the built environment and planning. The ideal person for this role is a true team player with a knack for organization and a commitment to quality service, as you’ll be supporting various aspects of the Planning service.

You would need to meet educational requirements with at least 5 GCSEs, including 5/Grade C or above in Maths or English. Of course, we will support additional training in advanced qualifications.

If you’re enthusiastic, driven, and ready to contribute to our team’s success, we encourage you to apply!

Our benefits

We offer a wide range of benefits to our employees, these include:

Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 28 days annual leave per year, 29 days for senior managers (pro rata, depending on how many hours per week you work), plus bank holidays. An additional 5 days, linked to continuous service, and ability to purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave per year.
Cycle to Work scheme.
Local Government Pension Scheme plus immediate life cover (3 times your annual salary from day one) and ill-health protection.
Employee discounts with local and national retailers, days out, finance, health and beauty, travel and eating out plus lots more.
Car Lease scheme
Payment of professional subscription / membership - If your job description requires that you are registered with or are a member of a professional body, WNC will pay for your professional subscription or membership fees.
Employee Assistance Programme - We have an employee support programme run by Health Assured, an independent, external organisation. Health Assured is available for you and your immediate family members, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and includes telephone counselling, legal advice, bereavement support and medical information.
Ongoing training and development opportunities.
A variety of flexible working options to support your work/life balance, including full or part time, term time, 9-day fortnight, etc. (subject to business needs).
Our West Ways of Working – We want our workforce to thrive, and we equip our employees with the right technology to support hybrid and collaborative working, on or off site, depending on the role.
Making a difference - If you want to use your skills and experience with an organisation that are genuinely invested in making a difference, are committed to improving people's lives, and whose success has a direct impact on the wellbeing of your family, friends and people in your local area, then West Northamptonshire Council is the place for you.

About us

We’re a new council, following one of the largest shake-ups in local government reform in recent history. As a new authority, we’re embarking on an exciting journey to deliver exceptional services for our residents, customers and communities.

Our vision at West Northamptonshire Council is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what it's like to work at West Northants Council https://youtu.be/lV0EfeUF4aU

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

When potential is unlocked, talent thrives.

Choose a career that offers you a true sense of achievement, fills you with pride and challenges you in a positive way, every day.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.