Job description
Reading Borough Council offers more than just your next job. It’s a place where you can shape your career and we will ensure that you have every opportunity available to you to progress, if that’s what you want. That means regular performance appraisals and feedback from your line manager, supporting you to develop your skills and experience.
Reading is a vibrant town subject to considerable development growth but that brings with it a large planning enforcement case load.
We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This post is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in our Applications team. You will have a caseload of significant or complex applications and you will help to mentor others in the team checking and signing of decisions for the whole range of planning application types and enquiries. The vacancy is for a Principal grade officer but experienced senior planners will be considered.
Each team relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place. Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do
Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential
Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way
Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Experience required for this role:

• You will have a recognised degree or equivalent qualification, ideally in planning or similar discipline.
• You will have significant and relevant experience of working at Senior or Principal level in a local government planning team, preferably in development management.
• You will have experience of managing a complex and challenging caseload of major planning applications and some experience of hearings or public inquiry appeals.
• You will have experience of coaching and managing others so that, working as a team, performance targets are met and customers receive a good service.
• You will be comfortable working on your own at home or as part of a team.
• You will be able to provide examples of how you have taken initiative or made a difference