Planning Policy Lead

Job summary

We are MHCLG

The Oxford Strategy Unit is seeking a senior planning professional to lead work to establish the Oxford Development Corporation and shape the long‑term planning and delivery framework for growth in Oxford. The Oxford Strategy Unit leads the Government’s work on housing, regeneration and infrastructure in Oxfordshire, with a central focus on addressing long‑standing barriers to delivery. This role is dedicated to the Oxford Development Corporation and will play a pivotal role in designing and implementing the planning, governance and delivery arrangements needed to support sustainable growth at scale.

The postholder will lead complex, high‑profile work to develop proposals for a centrally led development corporation in Greater Oxford, subject to consultation. This includes shaping the corporation’s purpose, powers and operating model, with a particular focus on planning powers, plan‑making, development management, compulsory purchase and the relationship with existing local planning functions. The role requires confident engagement with the planning system and a strong understanding of how it can be used to unlock housing delivery while supporting high‑quality place‑making.

The role involves providing clear, authoritative advice to senior officials and ministers on planning, land and delivery options, and working closely with local authorities, Homes England, other government departments and delivery partners. The postholder will work alongside policy professionals to establish robust governance arrangements, manage legal and delivery risk, and support decisions where trade‑offs are unavoidable, for example between housing capacity, infrastructure provision and environmental constraints.

Strong professional judgement and credibility are essential. The role requires the ability to operate at pace in a high‑profile and politically sensitive environment, build trusted relationships with external stakeholders and elected members, and lead work that cuts across organisational and professional boundaries.

This is a role for an experienced planning professional who wants to apply their expertise at a strategic, city‑shaping scale. It offers significant autonomy, senior exposure and the opportunity to influence how planning powers and delivery vehicles are used to bring forward new homes, infrastructure and regeneration in Oxford over the long term.

Regular travel to Oxford and Oxfordshire required.

Job description

As the Planning Policy Lead you will:

• Lead the development of proposals to establish the Oxford Development Corporation, including defining its role, functions and scope following public consultation.
• Shape and oversee work on planning powers, including plan‑making, development management, compulsory purchase and the relationship between the development corporation and existing local planning authorities.
• Provide clear and timely advice to senior officials and ministers on planning, land and delivery options, setting out implications, risks and trade‑offs in a concise and accessible way.
• Work with local authorities, Homes England, other government departments and delivery partners to develop integrated approaches to housing, infrastructure and regeneration in Oxford.
• Establish and operate appropriate governance arrangements for the programme, including managing delivery, legal and planning risks.
• Lead commissioned work, analysis or engagement needed to support decision‑making on the development corporation and related planning arrangements.
• Ensure that proposals support sustainable growth in Oxford, taking account of infrastructure capacity, environmental constraints and long‑term place‑making objectives.

Person specification

• Demonstrable experience of working with the planning system, including plan‑making, development management, compulsory purchase, or related statutory planning functions.
• Experience of leading or contributing to complex planning, regeneration or development programmes, with an understanding of how planning powers and delivery vehicles can be used to unlock housing and infrastructure.
• Ability to analyse complex issues and make sound judgements where evidence may be incomplete and trade‑offs are required, for example between housing delivery, infrastructure provision and environmental constraints.
• Experience of providing clear advice to senior decision‑makers on planning, land or development matters, setting out implications, risks and options in an accessible way.
• Experience of working productively with multiple organisations or partners, such as local authorities, delivery bodies or government departments, where priorities or responsibilities may differ.
• Ability to lead defined workstreams or programmes, taking responsibility for progress, governance and risk within agreed objectives.
• Understanding of place‑based growth and regeneration, and the role of planning in supporting high‑quality, sustainable development.
• Candidates must be a qualified member of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,092, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government contributes £16,829 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

Stage 1: Sift

• Experience (Lead Criteria): Explain how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the requirements of this role, with reference to your work in planning, development or place‑based delivery.

• Behaviour: Leadership - Describe a time when you set direction on a piece of work that others were contributing to. How did you establish credibility and deal with challenge?

• Behaviour: Making Effective Decisions - Describe a difficult decision you made where there was no clear right answer. What options did you consider, what trade‑offs did you make, and how did you justify your decision?

• Behaviour: Working Together - Describe a time when you worked with people who had different priorities from yours. How did you build an effective working relationship, and what was the outcome?

There is a 250-word limit per question.

When writing your application, remember:

• the assessor won’t be reading your answers sequentially

• do not assume that the same assessors will have read all of your answers

• if talking about something in your first answer, make sure that you write the second answer as if you had not written the first (and so on!)

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that each of your answers would be viewed by different assessors.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead behaviour listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

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.

Stage 2: Interview

• Behaviours: Leadership, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together

• Strengths: The strength-based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.

Sift and Interview Dates

Sifting is envisaged to take place the week commencing 25th May 2026.

Interviews are envisaged to take place the week commencing 8th June 2026 and are currently being held remotely via videocall. This could be subject to change.

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

• Fixed Term Contracts

• Internal Fraud Database

• Appeals and Complaints

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 : Daisy Daventry
• Email : daisy.daventry@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