Head of Planning

Job Summary by the careerbalance.co.uk Team:

121Job Description:Job Purpose

• Lead and oversee a Strategic planning function, ensuring delivery meets the statutory duties of the authority and, alongside the Strategic transport function, contributes to the economic, social and environmental capital of the Borough.
• Strategically lead the range of planning functions in a co-ordinated manner on a day-to-day basis, ensuring that the service delivers modern, efficient and effective outcomes for all areas of the Borough and actively contributes to the delivery of the Council’s Priorities .
• Assist the Director in the strategic leadership of all aspects of the strategic planning functions and department including deputising for the Director as required.

Key Accountabilities

• Provide strategic leadership, management and development of a portfolio of strategic planning, infrastructure, delivery and growth services in line with Council priorities and financial targets.
• Take strategic responsibility for large revenue and staff budgets and locally funded capital investment programmes, and lead in ensuring that the council’s statutory planning services and duties are met.
• Strategically oversee the development of a coordinated strategic infrastructure delivery strategy ensuring that all areas of the Council are represented and that their requirements are fully integrated into the long term planning of the Borough.
• Act as lead officer and professional planning advisor for the Planning Committee
• Provide oversight to major and locally controversial planning proposals, applications and infrastructure projects.
• Engage and co-operate, representing the Council’s interests, with key local, regional and national bodies to support the Director in driving the achievement of strategic objectives relating to place making.
• Ensure that the service contributes proactively to the Council’s priorities and that the planning functions are used to enable the delivery of key corporate objectives.
• Ensure that the culture, behaviours and shared values that make the Council successful are embedded across the service and create an effective, equitable and efficient working environment to deliver Council vision, priorities and pledges 
• Ensure that the Councils diversity and equality duties and aims are met and maintained

Knowledge & Experience
• Proven ability of leadership at senior level within a Local Authority environment of key development management and planning policy functions covered by the role.
• A proven ability of successful change management, implementing and delivering new working policies and practices alongside significant cultural and structural change that deliver improved services for customers in a more efficient way.
• Ability to work across organisational and professional boundaries, to contribute to the establishment of the desired organisational culture, to partnerships and to challenge inappropriate behaviour.
• Proven experience of successful financial management including budget formulation, including an understanding of income generation in a Local Authority context, and the use of budgetary control, IT and management as a driver for functional and cultural change
• A proven track record of establishing and sustaining a performance management culture, supported by effective and efficient management information systems
• An ability to develop staff, building effective teams and leading multi-disciplinary professional staff to achieve organisational aims and objectives
•An ability to lead and manage high profile projects and priorities

Qualifications
•MRTPI qualified
•Experience of leading planning services including Development Management and Local Plans Performance Management experience
•Experience of using UNIFORM systems

Contract
•Initial 6 months ongoing contract with the opportunity to extend
•PAYE via Umbrella
•2/3 days per week on site expected
•Part/Full Time negotiableLocation: South West, Swindon