Assistant Planning Officer / Planning Officer in Perth

Working within Perth & Kinross Council is more than a job; it’s about being part of an organisation that puts people at the heart of all we do and provides opportunities to make a real difference by enhancing every life we touch.

We currently have the following opportunity: Assistant Planning Officer / Planning Officer (Level 1) - PKC13480

Salary: £27,836 - £45,349

Location: 2 High Street, Perth

Are you a planning officer or graduate keen to develop your planning knowledge and skills in a pivotal role in our Development Management team? If so, you might be the person for us. We are looking for a planner, or graduate planner, to be part of our team of 3 officers who deal mainly with householder planning applications. This is therefore an exciting opportunity for a wide range of candidates including a planner (with or without RTPI membership), planning graduate (preferably RTPI accredited) or someone who has a degree in a related discipline and can demonstrate that they have been progressing a career in planning.

You will be part of our wider team of planning officers, technicians, enforcement officers and support staff which sits within the Economy, Development & Planning service of Perth & Kinross Council. You will need to be a team player, as well as being able to work on your own initiative, in order to review, assess and determine planning applications and associated submissions timeously, while also providing excellent customer service and considering both local and national policies and legislation.

We will encourage you to take advantage of available training opportunities, developing your skills and supporting and improving the service. If required, we can deliver training in providing advice and processing planning applications with a view to you dealing with an individual caseload covering a wide range of applications, but initially householder and Local applications. You will also be expected to have a pro-active approach to always ensure the best use of resources, embracing a joined-up approach to delivering on the Council's aims and objectives.

At the centre of the planning function is a need for collaboration, communication and engagement, whilst also drawing on the wider resources and talent across Perth and Kinross, working with others to achieve the best outcomes. This means we must act with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect, all with a positive mindset and a focus on what can be done.

Provisionally, we would hope to interview in mid to late March 2026.

Skills & Experience Required

• You will have a town planning degree or a degree in a related discipline and can demonstrate that you have been progressing a career in planning.
• We have one vacancy and you will be appointed as either an Assistant Planning Officer or a Planning Officer (Level 1) depending upon your qualifications and experience. Initial placement on the salary scale will reflect this.
• This post is part of a career grade structure, so if you are appointed as an Assistant Planning Officer, there is an opportunity to progress to a Planning Officer once membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute has been gained.
• We support all colleagues to enable career progression where possible.

We’re Looking For Someone Who Will Be

• Qualified or experienced: Hold a degree in planning or a related subject. Be able to use computer systems and relevant IS/T applications. Some experience working in a Local Planning Authority setting would be useful.
• Strong communicator: Have efficient and effective written, oral and interpersonal communication and presentation skills. Able to engage confidently with other professionals, members of the public and other stakeholders in an appropriate manner.
• Organised and self-motivated: Manage multiple priorities, plan effectively, and deliver structured outcomes. Able to work in a variety of situations and meet tight deadlines with accuracy. Produce outcomes which meet the required quality levels and customer focus.
• Decision Maker: Ability to make clear and considered decisions and to take account of team, Service and corporate priorities. Able to demonstrate the application of problem-solving skills in making decisions whilst working on own initiative with minimal supervision. Objectivity in coping with challenging situations.
• Collaborative and professional: Work well in multidisciplinary teams, engaging stakeholders with professionalism and confidence.
• Customer focused: Show commitment to delivering a timely and reliable high standard of customer care.
• Health & Safety aware: You have a personal responsibility for taking care of yourself and others and must comply with all relevant Health and Safety legislation.

Additional Requirements

• Hold a valid driving licence to allow use of pool vehicles on Council duty, as this post requires you to travel to a variety of locations across Perth and Kinross.
• Able to cope with the demands of the job and attend on a regular basis.
• Occasionally attend meetings out with normal work hours.

Working at Perth & Kinross Council

Our values and behaviours influence our work and support us in the delivery of our key priorities. In your application, and should you be invited to interview, you will be asked to describe situations that support the criteria required in the role and which also demonstrate our values and behaviours.

What We Offer:

• A generous annual leave package
• 6 days public holiday and an additional discretionary day
• Eligibility to join our pension scheme
• Family friendly and positive work/life balance policies such as Flexible Working, Maternity, Paternity & Adoption leave, time off for volunteering and our Wellbeing Framework
• Flexi time
• Access to a range of benefits

We recognise there can be benefits to flexible working and where individual jobs allow, we seek to support this. You are encouraged to discuss potential options with the recruiting manager, if this is of interest to you. A healthy work life balance is important to us and we provide supportive management and, where possible, flexible working arrangements to help you achieve that balance. You will have access to training and support for continued professional development.

For purposes of connection and collaboration with colleagues and with the community we serve, our full-time employees work on site for a minimum of 2 days per week with the arrangements for part time employees being agreed on a basis which will ensure that they benefit to an equivalent degree.

We are committed to being a more inclusive employer - to ensure we can consider any reasonable adjustments, please either contact the recruiting manager to discuss any individual circumstances, discuss at interview or, if you prefer, after any conditional offer is made.

Next Steps

We would love to hear from you and would encourage you to get in touch with Christine McLaren to find out more. Click "APPLY NOW". External candidates are required to provide contact details for 2 referees, including email addresses. One of these must be your current or most recent employer. We welcome applications from everyone and as a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee to interview applicants who declare a disability and meet the essential requirements of the post. Please contact the hiring manager or the Recruitment Team on (01738) 475555 or to discuss any reasonable adjustments.

Appointments are based on evidence supplied during the selection process. Diversity is important to us and although some of our jobs may be perceived to be traditionally gender specific, we welcome applications from everyone and would encourage you to apply if you meet the job requirements. That includes welcoming applications from former armed forces personnel/reservists. Many of the skills picked up during your military career could be transferred directly into a role with local government.

To comply with Baseline Personnel Security Standard, you will be required to complete a Disclosure Scotland check. If you have lived overseas for a period of 12 months or more (continuous or total) within the last 5 years, an Overseas Criminal Record Check will be required. You will be required to provide this check. A confirmed offer of employment and commencement in the post will be subject to the outcome of the above mentioned mandatory pre-employment checks (including references) and will also include eligibility to work in the UK, qualifications and fitness to undertake the post.