Job Title: Planner (x2)

Job reference: 001886

Service Area / Directorate: Planning Services

Salary and Grade: G6: £31,575 to £32,424 per annum - (pro rata for part time)

Contract: Permanent

Hours per week: 37

Location: Work from home/ Oxford - St Aldate's Chambers

The role

Oxford City Council is looking for an enthusiastic, flexible individual and a team player to play a key role as a Planner in the Development Management Service – is this you?

You will be able to negotiate effectively whilst delivering excellent customer service and be pragmatic with a can-do and solution focussed attitude to support us becoming the ‘Best in Class’. We can develop your skills and knowledge with the chance to participate in our career grade scheme. This will enhance your expertise on your journey to be a senior officer lead officer with your own case load, presenting cases to Committee. You will also be required to assist with supporting and mentoring staff and signing out decisions.

We are on an improvement journey and we have high ambitions. If you want to be part of this exciting journey and help to develop an exemplary planning service in a world class city then we’d like to meet you.

About us

Oxford City Council prides itself on delivering high quality, cost effective public services. Oxford is a world class city and the Council has high aspirations for its services and employees. We are a multi-award winning Council and in May 2017 we were re-accredited at Gold level for Champion IiP status. Our other awards include the Institute of Revenues Rating & Valuation (IRRV) ‘Excellence in Innovation (General)’ winners 2017, Oxfordshire Environment Partnership (OEP) ‘Best Food Waste Reduction and Collection System’, and several ‘Team of the Year’ national and regional awards across our Service Areas. This builds on our previous success in achieving ‘Council of the Year’ in 2015. We are accredited with the Customer Service Excellence Quality Mark which helps us to ensure that the customer is always placed at the heart of everything we do.

With over 700 staff dedicated to delivering the best service possible to our communities this is an exciting time to be working in Local Government. We focus on improving outcomes for local people and you might be surprised at the range and quality of the services we provide.

We offer a fantastic range of staff benefits that include generous holiday (from 28 days a year plus bank holidays), local government pension scheme, subsidised leisure membership, discounted travel and flexible working in many roles. We offer well-defined opportunities through our learning and development programme. We also have an employee wellbeing programme, an employee assistance programme and support via our dedicated occupational health service.

How to apply

More information is available on the role profile document. Please read this document to ensure that you meet our requirements. More information about working for the Council, our values and vision, is available on our web site.

Applications should be made via our online application system (no CVs please).

For further information and how to apply online, please visit www.oxford.gov.uk

If you are unable to access our website please call 01865 252848.

Coronavirus information: It is intended to conduct interviews via a video conferencing platform such as Zoom or Jitsi; please contact us if this is not an option for you. For most roles the successful applicant will be expected to work from home for the immediate future. They should ensure that they have reliable and secure wifi access; a suitable workspace and are prepared to undertake distance learning and training.

Closing Date: 12 May 2021

Late applications will not be processed

Interview Date(s): 24 May 2021

We are an equal opportunity employer:

We value the diversity of our people and actively seek to have a workforce that represents the rich diversity of the community we support. We have policies in place to ensure that every applicant and employee can flourish and succeed. Currently we are underrepresented in some areas, and would particularly welcome applicants from BAME communities. All applicants will be given fair consideration for work and will not receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of any protected characteristic.

Role purpose

• Deal with all aspects of development management, including pre-application advice, planning applications, appeals, post-application conditions and compliance, and attend committee as necessary.
• Provide a full development management service and advice to all stakeholders, including Councillors, applicants, agents and members of the public, either as a case officer or as part of a development team.
• Assist with the development, improvement, implementation, and embedding of new processes, procedures and ways of working.

Role responsibilities and main duties

• Provide pre-application advice and advising on the need for planning permission and validation requirements.
• Deal with a wide range of cases and with all aspects of planning related applications, appeals, legal agreements and obligations and deal with conditions compliance and all other postdecision matters.
• Attend and present applications to Planning Committees
• Defend the City Council’s decisions at appeal by means of written representations. If appropriate and necessary, and depending on qualification and experience, the post holder may in certain exceptional circumstances be required to attend informal hearings and give evidence as expert witness at public inquiries.
• Liaise with other technical and professional colleagues on consultations, applications, appeals and also office procedures.
• Where appropriate and necessary, promote and contribute to the work of cross-discipline internal and external working groups, including partnerships with external bodies and liaison with statutory consultees. Represent the development control service at internal meetings and the City Council at public meetings called in relation to development issues.
• Making a positive contribution to the work of the service by keeping up to date with case law and legislation, promoting and developing the application of IT.

The duties and responsibilities set out in this role profile are indicative of the role. They are however, subject to change and you will be required from time to time to undertake other duties commensurate with your grade.