JOB SUMMARY

Are you a qualified and experienced planner looking for a role where you will lead the design and delivery of our Scottish Government fish farm consenting projects?
If so, and exciting opportunity has arisen withing our Marine Directorate for a Principal Planner.
The Marine Directorate’s work is focussed on the management of Scotland’s vast and rich marine environment, supporting the industries that operate within it, whilst ensuring the right protections are in place for the array of marine species which live there.
Aquaculture in Scotland is worth £337m GVA and employs approximately 12,000 on farm and across it’s supply chain. This role will support sustainable development through delivery of an improved consenting framework and the and the Scottish Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture (July 2023).
As delivery lead, you will work with a small team to bring external stakeholders together to develop and deliver improvements to fish farming consenting processes utilising your professional skills and insights.
Working closely with local authority Aquaculture planning departments, you will consider where efficiencies may be achievable and how to support alignment of planning processes with those of our national environmental regulator, Scotland’s Environment Protection Agency.
You will also work with others in Marine Directorate to develop spatial planning policies, including National and Regional Marine Plan teams.

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Developing and delivering a range of aquaculture focussed planning policies informed by your professional skills and experience, ensuring coordination with wider objectives including National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) and the National Marine Plan.
• Providing professional advice to support the development and implementation of aquaculture and marine related strategies and policies to ensure Scotland’s planning system is recognised as high performing service, enabling sustainable development, the transition to Net Zero and the wellbeing economy.
• As delivery lead for aquaculture consenting, you will work with a wide range of aquaculture regulatory, industry and other stakeholders to develop, evaluate and implement specific Scotland-wide consenting improvements, including implementation through updates to Scottish Government’s working arrangements guidance and to ensure Scotland’s policy and regulatory framework is in place to allow development beyond 3nm.
• You will support and advise Ministers, including at the Scottish Aquaculture Council, on progress to improve Scotland’s consenting systems.
• You will lead a small project team, develop staff and create an enabling and inclusive environment - ensuring collaborative working within and between teams, helping to manage the aquaculture programme resources to deliver Ministerial priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS

Degree in Town and Country Planning or equivalent.

TECHNICAL / PROFESSIONAL SKILLS:

• In-depth knowledge of the Scottish Planning System, NP4 and the Planning Acts and how these relate to the wider strategies an policies.

EXPERIENCE:

• Substantial professional experience of aquaculture planning in Scotland, with a significant amount of experience in the planning profession.
• Experience of using your subject matter expertise to support and inform strategic executive decision making.

QUALIFICATIONS

Degree in Town and Country Planning or equivalent.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• In-depth knowledge of the Scottish Planning System, NP4 and the Planning Acts and how these relate to the wider strategies an policies.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements

Planning