Job Advertisement: Head of Planning

Overview

Position: Head of Planning
Location: Swindon, UK
Grade/Level: 13
Directorate/Group: Strategic Development and Growth
Reporting to: Director of Strategic Development and Growth

Job Purpose

We are seeking an experienced and visionary Head of Planning to lead and oversee a strategic planning function, ensuring the delivery of economic, social, and environmental goals. This role involves strategically managing planning functions, contributing to the region's development, and assisting in the strategic leadership of planning services.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership: Oversee strategic planning, infrastructure, delivery, and growth services aligned with organisational priorities and financial targets.
Budget Management: Manage significant revenue and staff budgets, ensuring compliance with statutory planning services and duties.
Infrastructure Strategy: Develop and implement a coordinated strategic infrastructure delivery strategy.
Planning Committee Adviser: Act as the lead officer and professional planning adviser for the Planning Committee.
Stakeholder Coordination: Manage external consultants and partners to ensure effective contribution to service delivery.
Policy Development: Deliver robust planning policies through the production and review of the Local Plan and supplementary planning documents.
Service Efficiency: Operate a cost-effective service, maximising IT use and delivering efficiencies.
Collaborative Working: Work with senior officers, elected members, and other partners to achieve agreed outcomes.
Sustainable Development: Contribute to climate change objectives, ensuring carbon neutrality is embedded in policy and practice.
Regulatory Oversight: Lead and manage statutory and regulatory activities to meet local priorities and statutory requirements.
External Funding: Identify and secure external funding sources for key economic development and infrastructure projects.
Project Oversight: Provide oversight for major and controversial planning proposals and infrastructure projects.
Representation: Engage with local, regional, and national bodies to support strategic objectives related to place-making.
Culture and Values: Ensure that the organisational culture, behaviours, and values are embedded across the service.

Qualifications and Experience

Leadership: Proven senior-level leadership experience in development management and planning policy functions.
Change Management: Experience in implementing and delivering new working policies and practices.
Cross-Boundary Work: Ability to work across organisational and professional boundaries.
Financial Management: Successful financial management experience, including budget formulation and income generation.
Performance Management: Track record of establishing a performance management culture supported by management information systems.
Staff Development: Ability to develop staff, build effective teams, and lead multidisciplinary professional teams.
Project Management: Experience in leading high-profile projects and priorities.
Stakeholder Support: Experience supporting decision-makers, including councillors and statutory consultees.
Statutory Knowledge: Understanding of working with existing and emerging statutes to deliver improved outcomes.
Scheme Delivery: Experience in scheme delivery in a development context.
Education: Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification with substantial relevant experience.
Professional Membership: Membership of, or eligibility for, a relevant professional body.

Decision Making and Creativity

Delegation: Comfortable making complex and sensitive decisions with powers of delegation.
Risk Management: Assess and manage risk effectively.
Innovative Solutions: Identify creative solutions for cost-effective service delivery.
Performance Measures: Drive successful performance measures and implement corrective action if required.

Job Scope

Team Management: Develop and manage a structure covering development management, planning policy, infrastructure delivery, S106/CIL, and more.
Budget Responsibility: Overall responsibility for the service area budget, ensuring cost neutrality where possible.
Operational Tasks: Supervise tasks related to day-to-day professional services, budget monitoring, staffing, and planning applications.

Contacts and Relationships

Collaboration: Work collaboratively with elected members, corporate board, external and internal stakeholders, community members, and other bodies.

Other Key Features

Team Player: Capable of influencing and working within cross-functional teams at all levels.
Adaptability: Able to deal with ambiguity and the pace of change, confidently making decisions in challenging situations.
Site Visits: Ability to make site visits and attend meetings outside the borough.If you are a dynamic leader with a strategic vision and the ability to drive planning functions towards innovative and sustainable outcomes, we invite you to apply for this exciting opportunity