Band 3 Planning Inspector

Job summary

Join the Planning Inspectorate as a Band 3 Planning Inspector within the Infrastructure, Decisions and Applications Service (IDAS) and play a key role in delivering high quality national infrastructure examinations across England and Wales.

This is a specialist role focused on complex infrastructure project examinations, where your work directly shapes sustainable growth and communities.

This role combines strategic leadership with professional independence. You’ll have the autonomy to manage your workload and priorities, while working collaboratively with colleagues, stakeholders, and specialist teams to deliver robust, high‑quality decisions in complex and often sensitive environments.

If you thrive on complexity, bring strong professional credibility, and want to influence nationally significant infrastructure decisions, this is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live and the economy.

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services.

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please see the information pack attached. You can also view our careers page at Civil Service Careers

Job description

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead complex casework including major infrastructure examinations, inquiries, hearings, and site visits, delivering to high professional standards and deadlines
• Chair panels, providing leadership, coordination, and oversight to ensure effective delivery and quality outcomes
• Produce clear, well reasoned reports and decisions on complex technical, legal, and policy matters
• Act as a senior role model for the Inspector Profession, demonstrating expert judgement and embodying organisational Core Values
• Contribute to strategic priorities and organisational initiatives across the service
• Drive continuous improvement, shaping new ways of working, systems, and processes to enhance performance and service delivery
• Support and develop Inspectors and colleagues through coaching, mentoring, training, and quality assurance
• Represent the organisation at external events, engaging confidently with stakeholders and promoting best practice

What makes this role unique?

This is not a generalist role. You’ll operate at the most complex end of the system leading large scale infrastructure examinations and high profile, nationally significant cases.

Work is varied and dynamic. You could be:

• Preparing for a major infrastructure examination, analysing large volumes of technical evidence and shaping strategic lines of inquiry
• Chairing panels and leading hearings or inquiry sessions with stakeholders, experts, and the public
• Producing authoritative reports and decisions that influence nationally significant planning outcomes

You’ll work primarily from home, with travel for site visits, hearings, and examinations giving you flexibility while remaining closely connected to colleagues, panels, and stakeholders.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Full / Chartered membership of a professional body (see separate list in candidate pack) relevant to the work of an Inspector.
• Expertise in at least one of the following areas: town planning, a relevant area of law, transport, engineering, a relevant area of health, environmental impact assessment, heritage, building/landscape design, energy, waste, water or wastewater.
• Demonstrable evidence of strategic leadership and authoritative oversight of large-scale infrastructure design, development or assessment using sound judgement to guide complex workloads, lead teams effectively and deliver high-quality outcomes in challenging and politically sensitive environments.
• Significant experience of analysing large amounts of complex technical information to identify the issues on which you will need to focus your attention.
• Extensive experience producing clear, precise and well‑structured decisions and reports that set out logical, evidence‑based conclusions on complex technical, legal and policy matters, demonstrating the personal responsibility and professional judgement required to reach robust and defensible outcome.
• Demonstrate effective interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with substantial experience engaging technical specialists, professional stakeholders, the public and public bodies in high‑profile contexts; demonstrating the ability to influence and negotiate across diverse stakeholder groups, exercise sound judgement under pressure, and use initiative to resolve issues and foster effective collaboration at pace
• Demonstrable record of acquiring knowledge quickly, identifying and actively pursuing personal CPD training needs and maintaining and developing professional skills and capability.
• Significant experience in using industry‑standard digital tools to manage, analyse and present complex information in a regulatory or professional context and demonstrable experience of leading and managing complex examinations or projects using digital project and organisational management tools.

Memberships

Membership of a relevant professional body. See candidate pack for list of relevant Bodies and please confirm which body/membership in your personal statement.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Working Together
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Strategic leader with proven oversight of large scale infrastructure design, development and assessment. Applies sound judgement in complex, politically sensitive environments, leading teams to deliver high quality outcomes.
• Extensive experience producing clear, well structured decisions and reports setting out logical, evidence based conclusions on complex technical, legal and policy matters, demonstrating responsibility and judgement to reach robust defensible outcomes

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £77,741, Planning Inspectorate contributes £22,521 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Flexible working options, including flexi-time, part-time, compressed hours and home working if suitable for the role.
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity.
• 25 days annual leave increasing by 1 day per year up to 30 days after 5 years, plus 1 privilege day to mark the King’s birthday. In addition to the normal bank holidays.
• Generous family friendly policies.
• Fast and modern IT kit which utilises Windows 11 and Microsoft 365, enabling seamless working from home and collaboration across teams.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

Application

Complete the online application form on Civil Service Jobs which requires the following information:

• A CV: The CV section lets you share your job history. List your jobs, how long you worked at each, and briefly describe your roles and duties. Make sure to show how your experience matches the essential criteria of the job you're applying for. Type or paste this information into the 'Employment History' box in the online application. You can't attach your CV.
• A Personal Statement (1000 words max): The personal statement lets you explain why you're a good fit for the job in more detail. Use it to show how you meet the essential criteria listed in our advert and connect your answers to the Success Profile elements we're looking for.
• 250 word statement against the lead sift criterions (see below).
• Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test: As part of the application process, you will be required to complete a verbal reasoning test. This assessment is designed to evaluate your ability to understand and interpret written information accurately and make logical conclusions. It forms an important part of the selection process and helps us ensure fairness and consistency for all applicants.

We will assess your application on the evidence you have provided against the Essential Criteria in the candidate pack.

If we receive a high volume of applications, we may carry out a lead sift. As part of this, you will be required to submit a 250 word example demonstrating how you meet each Lead Sift criterion listed below. We will assess this first, and only candidates who meet the criterion at this stage will have their full application reviewed.

• Demonstrable evidence of strategic leadership and authoritative oversight of large-scale infrastructure design, development or assessment using sound judgement to guide complex workloads, lead teams effectively and deliver high-quality outcomes in challenging and politically sensitive environments.
• Extensive experience producing clear, precise and well‑structured decisions and reports that set out logical, evidence‑based conclusions on complex technical, legal and policy matters, demonstrating the personal responsibility and professional judgement required to reach robust and defensible outcome.

All shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome shortly afterwards.

Questions and Answer Session:

We will be holding a Question and Answer sessions on 10th June 2026 at 1pm – use this link to join. This provides you with the opportunity to speak to Planning Inspectors about their experience of working at the Planning Inspectorate. If you cannot make the date, we will be happy to send you a copy of the recording. To take up this opportunity please email us at: pins.recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Interview

If you are shortlisted, you will:

• Be asked to attend an interview to have a more in-depth discussion about your experience and suitability for the role
• Interviews will be a blend of behaviour, experience and technical questions
• Candidates will be required to complete a written assessment as part of the selection process.

Candidates who are successful at shortlist stage will be sent full assessment requirements with their interview invitations.

Other Information

Shortlist Date: w/c 15th June 2026

Interview Date: 9th July – 15th July 2026

Interviews will be held in person at our office in Bristol, 10-minute walk from Temple Meads train station.

The Planning Inspectorate does not fund travel and subsistence for candidates to attend interviews.

We encourage all candidates to make themselves familiar with the role and what we will be assessing you against which is detailed in the Person Specification.

ID and Documents

If specific qualifications/memberships are essential for the role and you are successful, you will be asked to provide accurate scanned or photographed images of the qualifications/memberships that you listed on your application prior to your start date.

We must check that any successful candidates are allowed to work for the Civil Service before we employ them. If successful, you will be asked to do a right to work check using identity document validation technology (IDVT) through the services of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP), Civil Service Jobs. If we are unable to confirm your right to work and through the IDVT we will need to do a manual right to work check using original documents with you in person.

Visa Sponsorship

The Planning Inspectorate cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates, we do not hold a Visa sponsorship licence.

Disability Confident Interview scheme

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We run a Disability Confident Interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

To be considered for an interview under the scheme you must:

• have a disability defined by the Equality Act 2010
• provide evidence in your application that you meet the minimum criteria in the job description
• meet all of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential

While we will endeavour to provide you with all the appropriate information, you are the expert on your specific requirements so if you require any adjustments, you should consider the information provided about the assessment process in the candidate pack and then:

• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. The earlier and more clearly you tell us what you need and why you need it, the more likely we are to be able to accommodate you in a timely fashion.

All Planning Inspectorate colleagues must meet the baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window). This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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) (opens in a new window)
• 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 (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Edwin Maund
• Email : PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact in the first instance: The Vacancy Manager via the Recruitment Team (PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk).
If you are not satisfied with the response, you receive you should then contact, Chief People Officer, via the Recruitment Team (PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk).
If you are still not satisfied with the response you receive from the Planning Inspectorate, you can contact the Office of the Civil Service Commission. https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitme…

Attachments

Band 3 Planning Inspector_Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 571kB)EVP(Great_Place_To_Work) Opens in new window (pdf, 534kB)