Senior Planning Officer in Essex

Carrington West are assisting their local authority client based in Essex in the search for a Senior Planning Officer on a 3 month rolling contract basis.

Key Responsibility: To support the Development Management Manager in leading the team’s overall performance ensuring all statutory targets and any locally set targets are met.

Key Accountabilities:

• To contribute towards the delivery of a high quality, customer focused Planning & Implementation department with high standards of advice and support, resolving cases of varying complexities in Development Management.
• Ensure compliance with statutory regulations, legislation, professional codes of practice and adherence to Council policy.
• Deliver projects, interventions and initiatives and develop policies in line with corporate and business plans.
• To deal effectively and efficiently with general enquiries, pre‑applications, planning applications and planning appeals ensuring cases are managed and completed at the appropriate level of skillset.
• Ensure and develop appropriate levels of quality and specialist knowledge with other Planning & Implementation colleagues.
• Deliver customer‑focused specialist advice and services in Development Management, keeping up to date with current and emerging legislation, best practice and policy to ensure continuous development and improvement in services.
• Manage complex and/or contentious planning applications, processes and compliance, regulations and legislation, acting as the single point of contact for customers on those cases and attending appeals hearings and public inquiries as appropriate.
• Support, guide and advise Graduate Planners and Technical Support colleagues, as necessary.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation, as well as Members and manage key relationships with partners including Essex County Council and Local Councils and other stakeholders.
• Access and accurately update all relevant information systems, both customer and back‑office ensuring that the master customer record is updated and maintained through verification and validation, and in accordance with Data Protection principles.
• Prepare and present reports to Area Planning Committees, District Planning Committee, and other internal and external meetings and present evidence / stand as witness at planning appeal hearings and public inquiries.
• Ensure own personal and professional development is maintained including keeping up to date with relevant law, policies, working practices and procedures.

It would be beneficial to hold an RTPI accredited Planning Degree or equivalent Planning qualification and/or have experience in a similar position. Our client is looking for someone to start almost immediately and is available to interview at short notice.