Planning & Development Manager

Planning & Development Manager

Are you an RTPI qualified planning professional?

Do you have significant experience of processing a caseload of applications for a local planning authority?

Would you like to share your planning expertise and interest in guiding development to help us to improve the quality of the environment across England, Scotland and Wales?

Would you like to work for a statutory consultee, within a small and friendly planning team, making a major difference to the quality of the environment?

If you answered yes to the above questions, this could be the job for you!

The Coal Authority’s Planning team currently deal with a fast-paced workload of around 9,000 consultation requests per year, and provide advice to 181 local planning authorities across England, Scotland and Wales. We provide essential assistance and inputs into Development Management and Development Plan processes, but we’re also involved in influencing national planning policies, providing pre-application advice to the development industry and in supporting the Coal Authority’s own development projects.

Where will you fit in? …… Well, the core of this important role as a Planning & Development Manager involves the preparation of bespoke consultation responses back to Case Officers at local authorities to ensure that new developments within coalfield areas are safe and stable in relation to our statutory duties. High standards of self-reliance, diligence, performance and effective team-working are essential to the role. Working with line managers, the post holder will also contribute to performance monitoring, continuous improvement and the delivery of efficient, high quality services within this small but busy team.

The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to be involved in the delivery of pre-application advice to the development industry, and in our ongoing programme of pro-active customer engagement. In time, the role will also potentially involve undertaking research, providing planning advice and making key inputs into the Coal Authority’s own development projects.

For more information about the role please refer to the attached job description.

About you:

You will be an MRTPI qualified Planning professional with significant competent post-qualification experience in an LPA Development Management role, including having dealt with a caseload of major applications. You will have knowledge of the key differences between the Planning systems in England, Scotland and Wales, and the significance of the critical relationship between planning policy and the making of effective Development Management decisions. Experience of both Development Management and Planning Policy would be an advantage. You will have a working knowledge of the role of statutory consultees in the planning system.

You will need to be competent at using GIS based data-management software, and be well practiced at the analysis of plans and documents to reach decisive conclusions. Our work requires you to be well organised, clear thinking, and thorough. You will need to use your own initiative, working at pace with minimal supervision. An eye for detail is critical. You will need to be consistent in your methodology, with careful consideration of established policies and procedures. Excellent oral and written communication skills, and a rational and empathetic approach are also essential in providing a high quality service to our customers.

Who we are:

The Coal Authority really is a great organisation to work for. We’re united in our passion and commitment to make a better future for people and the environment in mining areas. We carry out a wide variety of essential services from responding to coal mining hazards, to keeping people and the environment safe from mine water pollution.

We are also excited about what our future holds. Our work is helping to develop a new sustainable source of renewable energy for the UK. By harnessing the energy from mine water heat, we hope to play a key role towards helping the UK to meet net-zero emissions by 2050.

We truly are a supportive organisation where we all live and breathe our values. We are inclusive, trusted and progressive in everything that we do.

The Planning team plays an essential role in helping to deliver the Coal Authority’s wider objectives. We’re a small friendly team with a diverse range of planning backgrounds. We work at pace and have a commitment to high quality. We’re delighted to have been recognised at one of the best performing statutory consultees, and are one of the “Big 6” statutory consultees in Britain, with a key role to play in shaping the future of the planning system.

There are a number of benefits that you’ll access being a part of our inclusive team including flexi time, 27.5 days holiday (with an additional 6 days flexi time), civil service pension scheme, gym membership contribution, and professional membership.

Flexible working:

We offer different ways to work flexibly, and the following types of flexibility are usually possible: flexible hours, working from home for part of the week and compressed hours. Please feel free to talk about what flexibility means to you at your interview.

We also welcome applicants from anywhere in the UK – as long as you’re able to be in the Mansfield office for a minimum of 1-2 days a week and attend our regular team meetings in person, we embrace a hybrid working model as much as possible.

Working at the Coal Authority:

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

The Coal Authority is committed to developing a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community. We encourage applications from people with the required skills and experience, from different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities and beliefs. Diversity is vital to our success and innovation and is fundamental to our values of being trusted, inclusive and progressive. We offer a guaranteed interview for candidates with disabilities who meet the basic selection criteria.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative format application forms you can get in touch with us by contacting the HR team by email at humanresources@coal.gov.uk or by phone on 0345 762 6848.

Other essential information

Schedule:

Application closing date: Thursday 21st October 2021

Application outcome:

We would love to respond to all candidates, however due to the high volumes we receive, only candidates invited to interview will be contacted. Therefore if you have not heard anything within 2 weeks of the closing date, please consider your application unsuccessful. We do encourage you to keep an eye on our website and see if there are any other roles that may be suitable for you.

Security:

Successful candidates must pass basic security checks and will be subject to UK Immigration requirements.