Specialist Planning and Health Officer, Chelmsford

This is a fixed-term contract or secondment opportunity to March 2028. This is a hybrid-working role, with a requirement to work at a functional work location on 1 day per week on average, depending on business need.

The Team

Bring your passion, your ideas and your energy - help shape healthier places for the future of Essex. At Essex County Council, our Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities team is driven by a shared belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to live well and thrive. We care deeply about reducing health inequalities, strengthening communities and making a positive difference to everyday lives and we know that where people live, work and play can either widen or narrow those inequalities. This is a chance to join an ambitious, joined-up programme that brings together Public Health and Spatial Planning, while also helping to reimagine and shape these services as we move through Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you're motivated by purpose, collaboration and real-world impact, we'd love you to join us.

Here's what's on the horizon:

• Embedding health into how Essex grows: Helping ensure health, wellbeing and equity are designed into the strategies, policies and places that will shape the county for generations to come.
• Making the most of the planning system as a tool for prevention: Strengthening the way the planning system supports healthy, sustainable and inclusive communities, and addresses the wider determinants of health in Essex.
• Building system-wide capacity and partnerships: Working across organisational boundaries to grow shared capability and embed best practice through a period of significant change.

This isn't just a job; it's an opportunity to shape our county's future. Help us build on our successes and expand our impact across Essex.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Specialist Planning and Health Officer to join the Planning and Public Health Programme, working closely with the Strategic Planning and Public Health Lead. This is a matrix role, sitting across the Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities Service and the Planning and Development Service (Spatial Planning). The role offers a key opportunity to contribute to how Planning and Public Health operate as complementary and integrated functions across Essex (both within and beyond ECC), supporting the delivery of shared outcomes in line with corporate objectives and wider strategic priorities. This will include helping to secure additional resources, build capacity and capability, and support the development, promotion and rollout of best practice in this field.

The Role

The Specialist Planning and Health Officer provides advice and subject matter knowledge at the interface of spatial planning and public health, supporting the development and delivery of strategy, policy and projects across the programme. You will work collaboratively with senior colleagues and partners, ensuring prioritised activities are planned and delivered to a high standard. Examples of what the work will include:

• Supporting the Strategic Planning and Health Lead on key areas of focus in the Planning and Public Health Programme.
• Providing public health advice to inform policy, strategy and decision-making across the council and with partners.
• Supporting the integration of health and wellbeing into spatial planning frameworks, strategies and major developments.
• Developing and promoting guidance, evidence and best practice to embed 'Health in All Policies Approach'.
• Providing support on health impact assessments against ECC guidance and the Essex Healthy Places Guidance and quality assurance of health impact assessments.
• Building and sustaining effective relationships and capacity across public health, planning and partner organisations.
• Supporting governance, advisory and evaluation activity to ensure the programme delivers measurable outcomes.

The Experience You Will Bring

Essential:

• We are looking for someone who understands both planning and public health, whether from a planning background with a strong grasp of the determinants of health or from public health with experience of the planning system and who can work confidently across both.

Essential key skills and abilities:

• Sound understanding of the UK planning system and practice (policy, development management and Local Plans) and of public health strategies, broad health system and the wider determinants of health.
• Strong analytical skills, able to interpret complex information and data, and to draft clear, evidence-based reports and responses.
• Ability to build relationships and engage, influence and collaborate with a broad range of internal and external partners.
• Experience of working in a political environment, working effectively with members and senior officers across the council and partner agencies.
• Ability to plan and prioritise a varied workload, meet deadlines and manage competing priorities.
• Skills in working with multi-disciplinary teams in the public and/or private sector.
• Experience of working with both internal and external partners within a complex multi-agency environment.
• Recent and relevant experience of delivering projects or programmes of significant complexity, with a track record of successfully delivering outcomes.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders and external partners and to use diplomacy and negotiation skills.
• Excellent communication (both verbal and written) and engagement skills.
• Well developed and accurate IT skills (including use of Microsoft Office).
• Able to use own initiative and work independently and as a part of a team to solve complex problems and develop solutions.

Essential education and qualifications:

• Educated to degree level and/or relevant professional experience in spatial planning, public health, environmental health or a related field, with evidence of continuing professional development.
• Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area.
• Commitment to ongoing learning and development.
• Knowledge of Health Impact Assessments and Health within Environmental Impact Assessments.

Desirable education and qualifications:

• Educated to a master's level (MSc in Public Health/Planning or equivalent).
• UKPHR Registered/FPH or RTPI Chartered or relevant eligible membership of a relevant professional body.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we're committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We're committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We're also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you've secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs. At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained.

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.