Principal Planning Officer

Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values. Over the past twenty years, the Council has built up first-class services, outstanding public infrastructure, and a reputation for excellence, innovation, and ambition. We are leading the way on essential work such as our fight for equity in Hackney with a particular focus on becoming an actively anti-racist borough. But the work doesn’t stop there; we are proactive in our approach to bringing fairness to all aspects of life including gender, neurodiversity and across the poverty divide.

Hackney is one of Britain’s fastest‑changing and exciting boroughs. Our Development Management & Enforcement team provides a number of vital services within the Borough and promotes a culture of positive planning across the Council to maximise the benefits for our residents and businesses. We are looking to further strengthen our existing teams to maintain a high performing, high morale environment within the Planning Service.

Offering an opportunity to obtain senior level experience, including supervision of junior members of staff as well as delegated powers to sign‑off planning applications, the permanent position of the Principal Planning Officer comes with great responsibility and candidates will need to demonstrate a successful track record of organisational skills and reliability befitting of the role. You must have a relevant post graduate qualification in Town Planning (or equivalent) which supports membership of, eligibility for the Royal Town Planning Institute and experience of mentoring staff.

You may be looking for your next career move and a promotion into a more senior role, or a senior officer wanting greater responsibility and delegated powers to determine planning applications, or supervision of more junior members of staff. As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV's. We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Closing date for applications: 01 September 2026 (22.59) Interview date: TBC

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk