Graduate Town Planner

Job summary

We are MHCLG

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Town Planning Graduate Scheme offers a unique opportunity to start a career in planning at the centre of national policy.

The Graduate Scheme is a two-year placement which deploys candidates across planning teams, giving the chance to get involved in developing new planning policies and be at the heart of planning decisions. With the planning system a key enabler of the Government’s growth agenda, including supporting the aim of delivering 1.5 million homes across the Parliament is a particularly exciting time to be joining the Department. The start date for successful candidates will be flexible.

We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work.

Job description

Town Planning Graduates on the scheme will undertake placements on rotations (typically 6 or 9 -months) across the planning divisions in MHCLG, developing new planning policies and/or delivering new planning legislation. The teams cover matters such as national policy in the NPPF, the end-to-end Development Management system, the delivery of Local Plans including implementation of the new system, and casework decisions on high profile cases.

The graduate scheme provides learning and development opportunities as well as support from a dedicated mentor (alongside your line manager). Support for those applying for membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) will also be given.

These are exciting and challenging roles at the heart of the Government's agenda. Working across the Planning Directorate divisions which oversee government planning policy, graduates will take forward work to significantly improve the planning system, deliver planning reforms on the back of our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, reform how we plan for infrastructure and drive digital transformation in planning.

The roles will involve working with senior officials across Whitehall, as well as engagement with a wide range of external partners including businesses and local government. Post holders will work collaboratively with colleagues across the Planning and Housing Directorates as well as closely with legal colleagues, analysts and other government departments.

Person specification

These are specialist town planning roles for recently graduated town planners or for those graduating this academic year. Candidates must have, or be working towards completing, an RTPI accredited degree to be considered.

It requires relevant knowledge and understanding of the town planning system, including experience and evidence of eligibility for membership of the RTPI.

We are looking for planners who can demonstrate:

• Excellent written, presentational, and verbal communication skills.
• Good knowledge of the history and development of the town planning system in England and how the planning system in England works.
• Good understanding of the key priorities of the Government and how this will impact on the planning system, along with the key government planning policies.
• Ability to deliver pieces of work on technical planning matters to short deadlines.
• Good political awareness and understanding of central and local government.

Candidates are also expected to be clear that they have the right to work in the UK for the duration of the scheme before applying for this role. The Department does not sponsor candidates vias.

There is a requirement that 60% of your time is spent in an office. Please only apply if you are able to attend one of the offices listed on the advert.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,169, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £10,478 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.At MHCLG we offer many benefits that range from tailored career pathways and flexible working to MyLifestyle Staff Benefits Scheme, Childcare Vouchers, and Cycle to Work Schemes. For more information, please click here.

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

Application and Selection

The application process will be split into 2 stages, testing the following Success Profiles:

Behaviours , Experience , Strengths , Technical

Please ensure your CV does not contain any personally identifiable information.

Note: We do not consider direct CV applications. All applications must be submitted via the provided application link.

Important: Your CV and Cover Letter must be merged into a single document before uploading.

Stage 1: Sift

Experience: CV & Cover Letter: The personal statement should be no more than 500 words referencing how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description.

Technical (Lead): Can you please explain which area of the Government’s planning reform agenda will have the most impact, and why.

If you run into any technical problems when applying through Be Applied (for example, trouble logging in or submitting your application), their support team can help. Please contact them at hello@beapplied.com.

If we receive many applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead criteria listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Making Effective Decisions, Developing Self and Others, Delivering at Pace
• Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.
• Technical: Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description.
• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

Candidates will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation, further details will be provided on invitation to interview.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 15th June 2026.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 29th June 2026 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

Disability Confident Scheme (DCS)

We are a Disability Confident employer.

We apply a fair and proportionate interview process for all candidates. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to progress candidates who apply under the Disability Confident Scheme and meet the required minimum selection criteria.

However, where high application volumes are received, progression to interview may be limited to those who best meet the role criteria. In these circumstances, the benchmark required to proceed to interview may be raised for all candidates.

How We Recruit

Find out more about our recruitment processes here.

• Applying

• Sifting

• Interview

• Interview Results & Feedback

• Reserve List

• Near Miss

• Civil Service Grades

• We are a DCS, RIS & GPTWV employer

• Reasonable Adjustments

How to Apply

Find out everything you need to know before applying here.

You must review the following information from the MHCLG Career's Site before submitting your application. This step is essential to ensure your eligibility for the role and that your application is completed correctly.

• Security Clearance Requirements

• Civil Service Nationality Requirements

• Right to Work

• Civil Service Code and Recruitment Principles

• CV Declaration

• Sponsorships

• Salary and Grade

• Existing Civil Servants

• Conflict of Interest

• Location and Flexible Working

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

• Fixed Term Appointments for:

• External Candidates

• Existing Civil Servants (Including Loans)

• Secondments

• MHCLG employees

Security Clearance Requirements

National Office:

London Office: + CTC

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).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

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 : Planning Graduate Scheme Coordinators
• Email : planninggraduatescheme@communities.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@communities.gov.uk

Further information

If you are unsure about any part of the process or require additional information about the post to enable you to progress your application, you should speak to the Resourcing team - recruitment@communities.gov.uk. Candidates can appeal at any stage of the recruitment process if they believe there has been:

a procedural irregularity

an infringement of the Civil Service equal opportunities policy

exceptional circumstances which were not notified to the interview panel which might have affected performance on the day.

It is important to note that these are appeals about the process not the decision. In the first instance, an appeal should be directed to the MHCLG Resourcing Hub at recruitment@communities.gov.uk.

If the MHCLG Resourcing Hub is unable to satisfactorily resolve your complaint, you may contact put your complaint in writing to the Civil Service Commission, Room G8,1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ or by email to: info@csc.gov.uk