Vacancy Details

Two planning posts available:

Are you a: Graduate / Planner / Senior Planner / Principal Planner, Sevenoaks District Council is looking to appoint enthusiastic, highly motivated individuals with planning experience ……

• Graduate Planner Band C £23,071 - £25,408
• Planning Officer Band D £27,608 - £30,245
• Senior Planning Officer Band E £33,487 - £36,543
• Principal Planning Officer Band F £38,458 - £41,369.

Note: This is a career grade post with all the salary bands subject to job evaluation.

Department: Development Management

OVERVIEW

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our busy teams. We are particularly keen to receive applications from candidates who are looking for a role as a Planner or Senior Planner, where you can shape your own future career whilst making a real & lasting impact to the Sevenoaks District.

We use Idox / Uniform as our database and Enterprise to manage application tasks. We are constantly striving ahead with tech to help deliver smarter working.    

The People

We are fortunate enough to have two large planning teams who have a variety of experience. They are loyal and committed and are a wealth of knowledge - we encourage regular meetings for shared learning and innovation.

Other members of the team will look to you for inspiration and guidance in the processing of planning applications and appeals and therefore mentoring skills are desirable. By joining the team you will actively seek to add value, and in return, you will be given every opportunity to develop and progress your career.

The Role

This is a varied and rewarding role where you will work across all sections of the Planning department to contribute to the delivery of the service. You will engage with developers and other key stakeholders, enabling quality developments whilst maintaining the character of the District.

Ideally, you will have or be working towards a post graduate qualification in Town Planning and membership of the RTPI and have a full driving licence with a vehicle available for work purposes.

In the last year we have promoted a number of our staff, following the successful completion of their planning qualifications and via our Career Grade. The two vacant posts will suit someone currently working within planning who is looking for the next step in their career, and is interested in working for a forward thinking, pioneering Council and the busiest planning authority in Kent.

Why Sevenoaks?

As a Platinum Award winning Investors in People employer - the first council and public sector employer to be accredited with this award - we will provide appropriate training and development opportunities for this role. In particular, you will be encouraged to attend training courses and events such as the Young Planners Conference, should you wish, which can also help you develop your networks.

We have world class tourist attractions and are within two Areas of Outstanding Natural beauty, yet we are just half an hour from central London by train with good links to the A21, M25 and M20. Our Local Plan was submitted to the Secretary of State for independent examination this year so what better time to join us when we are looking towards growth and development for our District.

Based at Argyle Road in Sevenoaks, working at the very heart of the Council, we can offer you an excellent benefits package that includes flexible working hours, up to 29 days annual leave (with an additional five days depending on length of local government service), the flexibility of buying or selling additional leave and atractive pension scheme. We also offer an Assisted Car Purchase Scheme of up to £10,000, and access to season ticket loans for travel on national rail services up to £5,000.

Details of the full range of staff benefits offered can be seen in the document attached.

Feel free to contact us to have a chat about the role, and find out more about who we are and the work we’ve been doing over the last year. Call Alison Salter on 01732 227337 or Aaron Hill on 01732 227494.

To find out more please visit www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/jobs.

Watch this short video to find out more about our Planning Team.

Closing date: Monday 25 May

Interview date: Tuesday 2 June (May be by Video Call by Zoom – to be confirmed)

You can find out more about Awards won by Sevenoaks District Council by following the links below.

• Sevenoaks District Council retains its Platinum Investors in People Award 2019
• Sevenoaks scoops two top awards for pushing the boundaries of innovation 2018
• Sevenoaks District Crowned Council of the Year 2017
• Sevenoaks council wins the 2016 Guardian Public Service Awards

Equal Opportunities

Sevenoaks – Working for Equality. We welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Sevenoaks District Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

How to apply

Please apply online (see below). If this is not possible, please contact a member of the HR team by either emailing human.resources@sevenoaks.gov.uk or contacting us on 01732 227383 to discuss how we can assist you in applying.