Lead Project Officer - 61048391

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

Salary: £36,922 - £42,821

Fixed term (if required):     

Hours (if required):                                        

Interview Date: Tbc                                                        

Closing Date: Tbc

Looking for a new and exciting challenge? 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 every major application has a positive impact on our area, we need Lead Project Officers to join us in our ‘majors’ teams with opportunities in all three of our area based teams. With a team ethos you will have the opportunity to shape planning performance agreements to further develop our multi-disciplinary approach to major development proposals, lead on applications for urban extensions, retail, employment, renewable energy, agricultural, equestrian, coastal issues and tourism development and to be involved with EIAs and habitat issues in this very special and ecologically diverse area.

We are seeking highly motivated and dynamic individuals who can drive high quality place making. 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. You will have the opportunity to deal with a varied caseload of major applications across one of our three planning committee areas. There is also the opportunity to undertake case reviews and signing off applications under the council’s scheme of delegation and to mentor planning officers in the “fast track” teams. 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 and supportive workplace where you’ll be free to learn, develop and thrive. Employee benefits are generous and include a local government pension, flexible working, the opportunity for significant home working and continual learning and development. If you are looking for a new and exciting challenge and hope to improve the quality of your leisure time, with beautiful beaches and countryside on your doorstep just waiting to be explored, a Planning career in Dorset comes with everything you need.

Please clearly state on your application your preferred location.

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

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

Northern team (Dorchester office) – Hannah Smith (hannah.smith@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk)

Eastern team (Wimborne/Wareham offices) - Kim Cowell (kim.cowell@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-lead-project-officersenior-planning-officer-dorchester-wareham-or-wimborne/35264.job