Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician

£29,269 - £33,945 per annum (pro rata for part time)

Full Time, 37 hours per week - Permanent

Reference: 15827

Full time, part time and job share opportunities will be considered.

What we are looking for

We are looking for a Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician to join our team in Strategic Planning. To be successful, you will share our values, commitment, and motivation to make a difference for our residents, clients, and communities.

The councils have recently adopted the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Local Plan Part 1 Development Plan Document in November 2023 and are now developing and progressing the Joint Local Plan Part 2 from the initial issues and options stage to adoption.

About the role

The Strategic Planning team are also responsible for monitoring the implementation of Local Plan policies together with supporting Neighbourhood Planning groups develop their Neighbourhood Development Plans.

The Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician will provide a proactive and leading role to maintain high quality data sets, including the use of planning spatial data.

This data forms an ongoing fundamental aspect of the councils’ Joint Local Plan evidence base and associated monitoring. Accuracy and integrity of the data is therefore essential.

The information being maintained will include:

• new development build progress
• local Plan settlement boundaries
• site boundaries for proposed land-use allocations.

This will need to be kept up to date, as well as, maintaining constraint layers, and policies maps, showing visually how the policies will be implemented.

About you

A specific GIS related qualification or demonstrable extensive GIS experience is essential, using creative skills to design and prepare maps for a variety of different purposes to convey complex information clearly.

You will be able to build on your experience in data handling, producing public friendly documents and applying processes to be able to understand situations and develop solutions to issues that arise, using your own initiative with accuracy.

With excellent IT skills and extensive experience with modern Microsoft products, you will be used to using and trialling a variety of software to input, query and extract data.

Now is an exciting time as we look to update and develop the software we use with innovative packages to present information in different ways.

There will be a need to produce high-quality reports for internal and external use, accurately analysing, interpreting and collating evidence. Knowledge of Planning, handling planning datasets and plan making public consultation is desirable.

You will have good communication skills for a variety of audiences, and an ability to work under pressure and to deadlines within a collaborative team environment.

About us

Working together across our councils and with our partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, we provide excellent services to our 190,000 residents across Babergh and Mid Suffolk.

We are proud of the role we play in creating the environment, economy, and communities for our districts. We believe that the heart of Suffolk is an incredibly special place to live and work.

With picturesque market towns, 60 conservation areas and with two National Landscapes within our districts, it is little wonder that we are consistently within the top 50 places to live in the UK.

Benefits

• Great opportunities for learning and development.
• Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 26 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays).
• Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Wellbeing Support Programme.
• Employee Assist Programme.
• Health Care Options.

For more information, visit our Employee Benefits page and view ‘The best things about working for Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils' to find out what our employees say about working for us.

Our ways of working

Work is what we do, not where we go!

We are committed to working in a more hybrid way, with a mix of office, home, and remote based working (business needs permitting). This has worked well for us and is something we will be continuing with.

We are committed to supporting equality and diversity, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils provide opportunity and ambition for all, supporting and enabling our people to deliver the best possible service for our residents.

For more information

If you wish to discuss the hybrid working approach for this role, or for an informal discussion, please contact:

Matt Deakin by emailing matt.deakin@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk or by telephone on 01473 296354

Robert Hobbs by emailing robert.hobbs@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk or by telephone on 01449 724812.

How to apply:

To apply and for further details, please click on the 'apply button'

Closing date: midday, 23 July 2024.

Interviews will be held in person and are expected between 01 and 07 August 2024.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies.