Senior Planner Roles in the Office for Place

Working pattern - Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time

Job summary

The Office for Place is a newly established, non-departmental public body that will develop evidence, advice and tools to support the creation of well-designed, sustainable places. It has its origins in the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission and publication of the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code, which aim to help local authorities and communities decide what good quality design looks like in their area.

The Office for Place will be at the forefront of supporting councils and the wider sector, to successfully implement government planning priorities.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a new organisation whose objectives are to:

• Catalyse a fundamental change from within the planning sector and across all levels of government, communities, and the development, planning, and design industries, to secure the creation and stewardship of popular, healthy, beautiful, and sustainable places.
• Help neighbourhoods, communities and public servants working on their behalf, to ask for and deliver new places, and manage existing places, to be popular, healthy, beautiful, and sustainable.
• Support public sector planners and the British design and development industries to be the best place makers in the world aided by improving UK and international data on happiness, health, popularity, and sustainability.

Are you willing to help us meet this challenge?   

You will be helping to shape a programme of work, being at the forefront of the new Government’s ambitions for a more effective planning process. The Office for Place will be subject to the standard review of public bodies after 3-5 years to ensure continuing delivery for government and the taxpayer.

The successful applicants will initially be recruited into the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (MHCLG) and will be subject to a TUPE transfer in the second half of 2024. Terms and conditions for the new organisation are to be confirmed, but will be no less favourable than MHCLG.

We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent all the places and communities we support through our work.

You can find out more about our work here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-place 

Information sessions, where you can find out more about the roles and the Office for Place, will take place on 27th August at 2.30pm and 4th September at 10am.

Job description

We are seeking qualified planners, or those with equivalent experience, to support local planning authorities, and the wider design and development sector, with design and placemaking. We are recruiting to four roles, all of which will play an integral role in supporting local planning officers being able to set standards of design for their local area, through the various aspects of the Office for Place’s work, from urban design training to research and insights. We are currently working in a start-up phase, which will require flexibility as we begin to become fully operational and to grow to 24 FTE (Full Time Equivalents) by the end of 2024-25.

The successful candidates will be playing an important part in shaping the work of the Office for Place, ensuring that it is relevant and practical for local authority planners, and will have an impact upon the design of the homes and places being created.

This will include;

• Scoping and overseeing areas of work designed to support local authorities and the wider sector, including managing resources and ensuring it is useful and value for money, and obtaining and responding to feedback.
• Engaging with stakeholders, in particular local planning officers, to advocate for design quality, gather insights and share information about the resources available from the Office for Place.
• Providing planning and design advice, and support, to local authorities, the wider sector and central government.
• Working collaboratively with other specialists in the Office for Place to share professional insights that will inform the work.
• Representing the Office for Place, with the necessary credibility and planning experience, at external events with town planners, urban designers and other built environment professionals.
• Reporting on your work to the Office for Place board, seeking their direction and responding to their feedback.
• We have four roles for experienced planners or urban designers in the Office for Place:
• Accreditation Programme Manager – responsible for developing a supportive programme for local authorities preparing a design code, based on the insights and work of the Office for Place.
• Policy Manager – responsible for gathering insights from local planning authorities and ensuring it informs the work of the Office for Place, other ALBs and central government.
• Evidence and Insights Manager – responsible for supporting local planning authorities and informing the work of the Office for Place, through the sharing insights and evidence on placemaking and design.
• Training and Events Manager – responsible for supporting local planning authorities through training and the sharing of insights and the work of the Office for Place. 

You will be considered for all roles but please indicate in your application if you have a preference for a specific role.

Person specification

 Qualifications: These roles will function as a conduit between the sector and the Office for Place, informing the various activities of the organisation, ensuring they are relevant and beneficial to one of our key audiences, local authority planning officers. Therefore, experience gained within the planning sector will be essential. You will need be a qualified town planner, urban designer, architect or similar, with 1-2 years post qualification experience, or be able to demonstrate equivalent, relevant experience.

Qualification requirements are: eligible for RTPI membership, ARB Part 2 or other relevant built environment degree.

Experience: You will have demonstrable experience of working as a local authority planner or urban designer, or of collaborating closely with local authorities in an urban design or placemaking capacity. You will need to demonstrate an understanding of placemaking and the distinct stages of the planning process, particularly in relation to large scale development, to be able to effectively judge the effectiveness of design and planning policies produced by local authorities and to promote innovation and best practice. You should be connected to professional networks and be able to demonstrate professional credibility within the planning profession.

Project leadership: You will have an ability to deliver projects to time and budget, requiring strong project management skills and experience of working with delivery partners or stakeholders, and / or having oversight of external suppliers.

Problem solving: You will be an initiative-taking, self-starter who can think strategically and is able to solve complex problems. You will be confident using evidence and insight in your work, making effective decisions informed by feedback from multiple stakeholders.

Communication: You will possess excellent communication skills and be confident in speaking publicly and engaging with local authorities, communities, and the planning and development sector. You will need to report to the Executive Team and the Office for Place board, presenting authoritatively and concisely to inform decision-making.

Design and Placemaking: You will be expected to demonstrate an affinity with the work of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission and an understanding of, and willingness to deliver, the Office for Place aims and objectives.   

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,679, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £11,253 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

To apply click on the 'apply button'