HELP SHAPE OUR VISION FOR WYCHAVON DISTRICT

The Malvern Hills and Wychavon Districts are already an amazing place, a place of unique history and exceptional landscape quality, yet also a place of significant opportunity.  We want the Districts to be somewhere everyone thrives.  Delivering on the area’s growth potential is critical to that vision.  As a Development Manager you will play a key role in shaping the Districts, balancing our strong emphasis on growth with the need to conserve and enhance our rich natural and built heritage.

We are an Agile employer – our staff only have a 40% minimum requirement for office working. The remainder of working time can be remote, working from home or other suitable locations.

Our staff are at the heart of what we do, and as a result we are always looking to recruit, develop and retain the very best talent we can find.  That's why, as well as a rewarding career, we offer a range of attractive benefits, such as:

* Agile and Flexible Working (40% minimum office based)

* Excellent pension scheme

* 28 days annual leave rising to 32 days after 5 years continuous service

* Options to purchase up to 10 days additional annual leave

* Regular job-specific training

* Discounted Gym and swim membership

* Free Employee Assistance scheme including access to counselling services

* Free annual flu vaccinations

* Health and Wellbeing support

* Cycle to Work scheme

* Employee Discounts with a range of companies including EE and

* Kaarp discount scheme which provides a range of employee discounts for days out and holidays

Development Managers (Planning)
Up to 37 hours per week (Full and Part time positions available)
£42,614 - £46,662 per annum pro rata
** Welcome payment of 10% of annual salary **

About the role:
Great planning and development is vital to our vision for the Districts.  We need customer focused, creative and proactive Development Managers to help catalyse growth and create a real sense of place.

The successful candidates will need to be confident in their own ability and have a good understanding of current planning legislation. Great communication skills and an ability to engage with a range of stakeholders is essential. 

You will lead a small team of planners and you will process and assess a caseload of varied planning applications, preparing reports, allocating and signing off decisions, dealing with appeals and general correspondence and providing pre-application advice on the telephone, by email and face to face.  You will be in regular contact with applicants, agents, members of the public and other users of the service, you must therefore be committed to delivering an outstanding service to all our customers and you will need to support the Head of Development Management in the continuous improvement of a high performing service.

To be successful, you must demonstrate a commitment to delivering the Council's values of great customer service, openness and accountability, innovation and improvement and fairness and respect. You will also champion and demonstrate the Council’s Leadership Behaviour Framework by inspiring, communicating, collaborating and empowering self and others and leading by example.

Key Requirements:

You will have comprehensive and up to date knowledge of planning law and practice, be educated to degree level with a recognised qualification in town planning, as well as full RTPI Membership. 

You must have good computer literacy and be able to use MS Office, property databases and GIS systems.

The ability to work under pressure and manage a caseload of complex/contentious planning applications is essential. This is a demanding role, but an exciting challenge for the right candidate, therefore you must be committed and have a desire to succeed and develop your skills within the role.

You will be required to attend regular Planning Committee meetings and undertake site visits so flexibility, a full driving licence and use of a car is essential. You will also need to be able to travel throughout the districts.

Skills & Experiences:

Excellent presentation and communication skills, an appreciation of good design, the ability to negotiate planning obligations within tight deadlines, outstanding customer care, strong computer skills and a commitment to supporting performance improvement.

We are looking for an experienced individual who is able to successfully lead a team, providing valuable contributions with a friendly approach.

You must have relevant experience in Development Management, ideally gained in a local authority (although this is not essential).

We welcome applications from candidates looking for full time and part time opportunities. The Council operates an agile working policy enabling employees to work from home up to 3 days a week.  

If you would like an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Ciaran Power (Head of Development Management) on 01684 862317 or David Hammond (Head of Planning Services) on 01386 565285.

Closing date: Sunday 29 May 2022

Interview date: Wednesday 8 June 2022

Supporting documents
Job Description
Employee Benefits