Development Management Team Leader

Ref: 361410

Salary: £51,997

Location: York

Closing date: 11:55pm on Sunday 18 August 2024.

Job summary

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

Do you have a track record of influencing large scale development proposals to deliver positive benefits for the built environment?

Do you enjoy identifying and implementing continuous improvement to service delivery?

Do you have experience of inspiring and motivating colleagues to be fully engaged in their work and dedicated to their role?

If so, we'd love to hear from you!

Job description

Active travel is proven to make happier, healthier communities. By reducing health inequalities, helping make safer neighbourhoods, reducing the cost of living and tackling the climate crises, active travel improves quality of life. There has never been a more exciting time to be working in active travel and Active Travel England (ATE) is at the forefront of this high-profile agenda. Since June 2023 ATE has been actively participating in the planning system with over 1,500 planning consultations received and responded to within statutory timescales.

The role will sit alongside an existing Development Management Team Leader in the heart of the Spatial Planning & Development Management Division, overseeing the statutory consultee casework function to ensure that it is delivering timely, high-quality and consistent outputs. This will include team leader responsibilities for four members of the Development Management team and direct line management of 2x SEO Senior Planning Managers.

You will need a good understanding of planning for active travel, with experience of working in a position in either the private, public of third sector that requires knowledge of planning, highways or sustainable transport policy and practice.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Oversight and development of the processes that support the delivery of ATE’s planning casework function.
• Lead a team of 4 colleagues, including supporting their continuous professional development and making sure that new team members are given the best start to their careers at ATE.
• Allocate new cases, oversight of the workload of each team member and support the Head of Development Management in driving consistency.
• Provide appropriate advice to colleagues within ATE’s Spatial Planning and Development Management Division, other teams within ATE, local authorities, developers, agents and other persons and bodies as appropriate in connection with development proposals and related matters.
• Build networks with key external stakeholders to help drive forward ATE’s ambitions to be a centre of excellence and embed best practice.
• Deal with difficult issues in the most appropriate way as and when they arise, including preparing and presenting appropriate evidence to senior leaders in response to challenges against the recommendations of ATE.
• Support the Planning & Placemaking Strategy Team in the design and implementation of ATE’s planning guidance documents.
• Work alongside the existing Development Management Team Leader in developing ATE’s pre-application consultation offer.

This is intended only as a guide to the range of duties involved. The post holder will need to be flexible and adaptable to respond to other duties that may be required from time to time and the changes and developments within ATE.

Additional Information

While we accept applicants on a part time basis, you will be required to work a minimum of 30 hours per week.

We operate a hybrid working model that allows you to work between home and on-site giving you greater flexibility about where and when you work, subject to business needs. This also allows for ongoing support, development and collaboration with colleagues.

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace, although requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another DfT workplace, will also count towards this level of attendance.

Occasional travel to other DfT offices may be required. We would encourage you to discuss the working arrangements for this role with us during the recruitment process.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact: Mark Knighting, mark.knighting@activetravelengland.gov.uk

Recruitment team: dftrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk