Emergency Planning Officer

Job introduction

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council.

About the role

When an emergency or major incident affects our communities, effective planning and preparation can make all the difference. As an Emergency Planning Officer, you'll play a vital role in helping West Northamptonshire Council prepare for, respond to and recover from emergency situations, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of residents, businesses and communities across the area.

Working within our Customer and Response Service, you'll be part of a specialist team responsible for developing emergency plans, strengthening organisational resilience and coordinating responses to emergencies and business continuity incidents. This is a unique and varied role that combines project work, partnership working, training, planning and real-world incident response, offering the opportunity to make a genuine impact in a challenging and rewarding field.

You'll work closely with emergency services, health partners, neighbouring authorities, voluntary organisations and internal services, helping to ensure West Northamptonshire is prepared for a wide range of risks and incidents.

Additional information

You're a proactive and resilient professional who enjoys solving problems, managing projects and working collaboratively with a wide range of people. You have experience in emergency planning, resilience, civil contingencies or a related field, alongside a strong understanding of emergency management principles and the ability to translate complex information into practical plans and solutions.

You'll be an excellent communicator with strong relationship-building skills and the confidence to influence and work alongside senior stakeholders, emergency responders and partner organisations. Whether presenting information, facilitating workshops or responding to live incidents, you'll be comfortable adapting your approach and thinking on your feet when circumstances change.

Knowledge of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, emergency planning legislation and guidance, including the COMAH Regulations, together with an understanding of mass fatality planning and the National Risk Register, would be advantageous. Experience of working within a local authority environment would also be beneficial. Most importantly, you'll be motivated by making a difference, committed to continuous improvement and ready to play a key role in helping West Northamptonshire prepare for and respond to whatever challenges the future may bring.

Company information

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. Hear from our Chief Executive, Martin Henry, about building a career at WNC.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential.  We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.