Vacancies

Planning Policy Officer

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

About the role

Our Planning Policy team sets the future direction for growth and sustainable development in West Northants. The team produces robust evidence base and is creating the first single Local Plan for West Northamptonshire.

This is alongside a suite of Neighbourhood Plans and supporting policy documents for a unitary area that serves a population of 450,000. The team is supported by a dedicated Monitoring function and works collaboratively with stakeholders, the Planning Policy Committee and across the council to influence strategic policy.

As our Planning Policy Officer, you'll play a key part in creating and keeping our policy documents up to date. These documents serve as guides and benchmarks for future developments in the area and you'll also be responsible for conducting research, monitoring, and gathering statistics to bolster our Planning Service and policy framework.

What will you be doing?

You'll support in the preparation and review of the single Local Plan for West Northamptonshire, Neighbourhood Plans, and Supplementary Planning Documents, along with offering valuable insights on planning policy and development matters.

You will stay informed about UK Government policies, strategic planning, and sub- regional planning matters.

Collaboration is key as you'll liaise with colleagues, authorities, developers, and the public regarding land use policies. Monitoring development activities and conducting surveys will be part of your routine, as well as contributing to process improvements and fostering effective communication.

This role has been identified as a part-flexible worker type, this means that you will be able to worker from other work locations and when not working from an office you will be working remotely for up to 3 days a week (including from home).

About you

Our ideal person is someone who thrives in a collaborative environment, enjoys researching, and has a keen eye for detail. With your fantastic communication skills, you will be relied on to deliver excellent customer service in every interaction for all internal and external customers, including Councillors.

As part of our team, you will make a proactive and positive contribution to the effective delivery of the Planning Service, this will include working flexibly and positively to achieve the objectives of the council.

If you have a background in policy development or related fields, 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.