Senior Planning Policy Officer Ref: 02-26
Person Specification
Experience and Knowledge
Essential
- Experience of working in planning in a public or private sector environment;
- Proven experience of delivering Local Plan and related documents;
- A thorough knowledge of current planning legislation regulations and guidance relevant to planning policy;
- The ability to consider a wide range of complex issues and balance those issues to make a clear and reasoned judgement;
- Good verbal and written communication skills with experience of preparing reports and presentations;
- The ability to prioritise and proactively manage workloads working to key deadlines
- Hold a current driving licence and access to your own vehicle
Desirable
- Experience of working effectively in a team and working to common goals
- Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint, Access etc.)
- Experience of dealing with customers by phone, e-mail and face to face
Qualifications
Essential
- A degree qualification or diploma in Town and Country Planning or an equivalent qualification or equivalent experience in the field
- 2-5 years experience working in Planning Policy
Desirable
- Membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute or equivalent
Essential Behaviours
Collaborative:
- I look for ways to work in partnership and listen supportively to the ideas of others, building on their ideas, while sharing my views and knowledge
- I recognise the skills, talent and experience of others and reach out to them for their contribution and input
Ambitious:
- I always ask myself 'How could we do this better?', taking ownership of change and helping others to understand, adapt, implement, and embed it
- I have an open mindset, take risks and explore new ways of doing things
- I am a proud ambassador, taking pride and responsibility for the work we do and encouraging others to do the same
Results Driven:
- I make sure I am clear on what I need to achieve, keeping a focus on results and solutions
- I am driven, showing courage and resilience even when things don't go to plan
Empowering:
- I ask for help and support when needed, and take responsibility if things don't go well, learning from it for my own and for the organisation's development
Supportive:
- I treat others as I would want to be treated myself, ensuring that I am welcoming, friendly and approachable
- I give time to colleagues who need help or support
Health & Safety (exposure to risk)
- The postholder is part of a small team and therefore the post holder needs to demonstrate ability to deal with frequent interruptions and demands on a daily basis
Last modified on 27 March 2026