Delivery Manager

Job summary

We are recruiting Delivery Managers to join our growing digital teams at the Planning Inspectorate. As a key leader in our digital transformation journey, you’ll oversee the day to day running of multidisciplinary software development teams and help drive the delivery of high‑quality digital products and services.

Our teams are currently transforming legacy systems onto a modern digital platform while also building brand new services that improve the experience for our users, making it easier and more accessible for people to engage with the planning system.

As a Delivery Manager, you play a crucial role in maintaining delivery momentum, strengthening ways of working, and ensuring teams stay collaborative, focused and connected. You’ll help create the conditions for successful delivery and support our mission to modernise and improve how we work.

Job description

We’re looking for inspirational, proactive and engaging team leaders who can bring our multidisciplinary digital teams together and create the conditions for successful delivery. You’ll play a key role in supporting collaboration, strengthening team cohesion and helping us maximise delivery velocity across our digital transformation work. If you thrive in fast paced, agile environments and know how to empower teams to do their best work, this is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact.

You’ll be responsible for running agile ceremonies, working closely with Product Managers and Service Managers, and creating the conditions for high delivery velocity. A core part of the role is supporting and championing your team, ensuring they have what they need to deliver successful digital outcomes.

These Delivery Manager roles sit within two of our key digital areas:

Planning and Environmental Applications – This area covers a mix of mature end to end services and the development of brand‑new digital platforms. You’ll work with a blended team of civil servants and contractors from our digital delivery partner to support and deliver improvements across all digital products within this business area.

Plans Examinations – In this team, you’ll help lead the delivery of a brand new digital platform for Local Plans. The work is fast paced and requires proactive delivery leadership and strong project management skills to keep everything on track. You’ll be part of a multidisciplinary team made up of civil servants and delivery partner colleagues working together to build a high quality new service.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape meaningful digital change within an organisation that values collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement. If you’re motivated by delivering excellent user centred services, enjoy leading empowered teams and want to play a key role in transforming how people interact with the planning system, we’d love to hear from you.

Role types and Salary details

There are a number of roles available at different employment types:

1 x HEO Grade in Planning & Environmental – Permanent, Full Time, Compressed Hours and Flexible Working.

1 x HEO Grade in Plans Examinations – Permanent, Full Time, Part Time at 22.5 hours or above, Job Share considered, Compressed Hours and Flexible Working.

Salary

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. Internal rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

Salary range for the HEO Grade roles are £37,579

Working hours:

Standard working week is 37 hours, flexible working hours policy available.

Part time at 22.5 hours or above, flexible working hours policy available.

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 visit our careers page at Civil Service Careers

Office Attendance

This role is contractually based in Bristol, 10 minute walk from Temple Meads train station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in person attendance, which can vary dependent on the requirements of individual business units - the details of which can be discussed with candidates if invited to attend an interview.

Person specification

We will assess your application against the Essential Criteria and Success Profile elements listed:

Essential Criteria

• Technical project/delivery management skills in agile and/or waterfall, including achieving timescales and delivery within budget.
• Possesses knowledge of development design principles.
• Have an in-depth understanding of the full Software Delivery Lifecycle.
• Experience of working with multi-disciplinary teams in an IT environment
• Awareness and experience of working with Security standards.
• Relevant professional qualification at practitioner level (e.g. BCS Certificate in Agile, BCS Certificate in IS Project Management, IPMA Level C Certified Project Manager) or willingness to study for a qualification within a reasonable length of time

For guidance on how to structure your application please visit: About the application process , Civil Service Careers

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Technical project/delivery management skills in agile and/or waterfall, including achieving timescales and delivery within budget.
• Have an in-depth understanding of the full Software Delivery Lifecycle.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,579, Planning Inspectorate contributes £10,886 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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Application

For guidance on how to structure your application please seeAbout the application process , Civil Service Careers

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.
• Technical examples: Provide evidence against each of the Technical criteria set out in the person specification. There is a word limit of 250 word for each Technical criteria.

If there are many applications, we might use a lead sift. This means we'll first check if you meet the key requirement listed below. If you don't, we won't review the rest of your application.

• Technical project/delivery management skills in agile and/or waterfall, including achieving timescales and delivery within budget.

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

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 and strength questions

Candidates who pass the shortlist stage will receive full assessment details with their interview invitations.

Other Information

Shortlist Date: w/c 16th March 2026

Interview Date: w/c 30th March 2026

Interviews will be held remotely using MS Teams. The interview will not be recorded or retained, other than usual interview protocol and in line with Civil Service Jobs privacy notice.

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Future Matches

Candidates who demonstrate strong potential and future readiness but score just below the required level at interview may be considered for alternative positions. These roles may be at a lower grade but align with their skills and offer opportunities for growth.

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 the job needs specific qualifications or memberships and you get the job, you'll need to send scanned or photographed images of them before you start.

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/Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service values diversity and offers equal opportunities. We have a Disability Confident Interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the job's minimum criteria. We will also provide reasonable adjustments to all where possible. For more information please see Reasonable Adjustments , Civil Service Careers.

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 : Beth Greenwood
• 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

EVP(Great_Place_To_Work) Opens in new window (pdf, 534kB)