Job Title and Post Reference: Senior Planning Officer (grade 11) - 61045403

Service/Team (if required) & Location: Dorchester, Dorset, with potential for significant home working

Salary: £32,234 - £37,890

Fixed term (if required): Permanent

Hours (if required): Both full-time and part-time roles available                               

Interview Date: 10 May 2021                                                     

Closing Date: 25 April 2021

Protect it. Shape it. Enjoy it. Be part of Dorset

Dorset is a beautiful and iconic area, with historic market towns and miles of stunning coast. But it’s also a place of growth and innovation, with a population of 375,000 and an economy worth over £7 billion. To serve this unique area, a new unitary council was established in 2019. Bold and ambitious, with a One Team approach, we’re taking Dorset into the future – and our Planning team is taking centre stage.

Our Planning team is set to deal with 5,000 planning applications a year – everything from significant urban extensions, to small scale, householder projects. To make sure each one has a positive impact on our area, we need Senior Planning Officers to join us in both our ‘majors’ and ‘fast-track’ teams and have opportunities in two of our area based teams.

With considerable post-qualification experience in planning, you will be confident dealing with complex applications, including negotiating any necessary planning obligations, presenting applications to committee, and representing the council at hearings and public inquiries. For roles within one of our ‘majors’ teams, you will have the opportunity to deal with a varied caseload of major applications across one of our three planning committee areas. Roles within our ‘fast track’ teams will have a key role in assisting the Team Leader with management of the team, including allocating work, undertaking case reviews and signing off applications under the council’s scheme of delegation, as well as having your own varied caseload of applications. All roles call for affinity with our values: Responsibility, Respect, Recognition and Collaboration.

With a team that lives by these principles, we have a friendly workplace where you’ll be free to learn and thrive. Employee benefits are generous and include a local government pension, flexible working for many roles and continual learning and development. With beautiful beaches and countryside on your doorstep too, a Planning career in Dorset comes with everything you need.

Please clearly state on your application the preferred role (‘fast-track’ or ‘majors’ team) which you wish to apply for.

If you would like to discuss the job vacancy in further detail please contact the relevant manager as detailed below:

Southern/Western locations (Dorchester office) - Ann Collins (ann.collins@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

Northern locations (Dorchester office) – Hannah Smith (hannah.smith@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk) or Andy Collins (andrew.collins@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

This post has a significant travel requirement and you are contractually required to have a vehicle (or transport deemed to be suitable by the council) available for use as required.

Please note Dorset Council does not accept CV’s in place of an application form as we require the same range of information from all our candidates.

To view the relevant details and apply online please visit www.dorsetforyou.com/jobs or ring the application hotline on (01305) 228535

We value diversity and welcome applications from all parts of the community.

Apply link: https://jobs.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/planning-dorset-county-council-senior-planning-officer-dorchester-dorset/34502.job