Watford Council - Senior Technical Support Officer

The post holder will be based within the Development Management department and will be responsible for carrying out a full range of technical and administrative support duties for both Place Shaping and Corporate Strategy and Communications Directorates, with a specific focus on Building Control.

Responsibilities

• Ensures the day-to-day running of the Building Control service within technical support, including administrative functions; manages internal and external enquiries; and supports Building Control Surveyors with any additional assistance required.
• Required to validate and process Planning, Building Control and Local Land Charges applications to ensure that fees are correctly assessed in accordance with the appropriate legislation.
• To deputise for the Infrastructure and Technical Support Team Manager when required to ensure business continuity.
• As a senior officer to ensure that other members of the team are fully conversant with procedures for all functions within the section, in accordance with council procedures and to provide training and coaching to others when required.
• To keep under active review all working practices and procedures required to meet the business needs of the service making recommendations where improvements or efficiencies can be achieved.
• To raise purchase orders and invoices on behalf of the department.
• To assist in delivering projects to support business development and economic growth.
• To work flexibly across the Economic Development Service and respond to service priorities as needed.
• To assist with monitoring of CIL and S106 agreements including the issuing of notices and processing of applications for exemptions and relief in accordance with the CIL Regulations.
• To undertake specialised projects including the procurement of new software or services required by the department and to actively participate in council/corporate initiatives where a representative is required.
• To assist in the production and collation of service information as requested by officers and managers.

Essential qualifications/skills

• A sound knowledge of Local Government. Able to understand the Council, the services it provides, its main priorities and local issues with a broad understanding of the links between Place Shaping, Elected Mayor, Councillors, central government and external bodies.
• Detailed knowledge of the processes and legislation relating to dealing with planning and Building Control applications.
• Ability to read and interpret plans.
• Ability to make an effective contribution to internal and external meetings.
• Ability to take forward initiatives and policies from development to implementation.
• The ability to demonstrate good oral and written communication skills.
• The ability to deal with and respond to the needs of a diverse range of internal and external customers.
• An effective team member with the ability to work towards and achieve team goals and outcomes.
• An incisive and practical approach to problem solving including the ability to know when to make a decision individually and when to seek assistance.
• The ability to prioritise work, understand work plans and follow through programmes to ensure that work is completed satisfactorily to achieve personal targets.
• A high level of computer literacy, regular use of Microsoft Office suite including Outlook, Word and Excel and detailed working knowledge of Uniform, Total Land Charges, Exacom and GIS.