Senior Business Support Manager

Job summary

Our Business Support function plays a vital role in ensuring the Planning Inspectorate can deliver fair, robust and timely decisions that shape communities across England. Every colleague at the planning inspectorate depends on the team — from having safe, well‑run office spaces to accessing the goods, services and support needed to carry out their work effectively.

As a Senior Business Support Manager (SEO) or Business Support Team Leader (HEO), you’ll help create a high‑quality working environment, support colleagues across the organisation, and ensure our hybrid workplace runs smoothly. You’ll lead people, solve problems, improve processes and help deliver services that enable inspectors, caseworkers and specialists to focus on making planning decisions that affect homes, infrastructure and local places.

If you enjoy fast‑paced work, supporting people, improving systems, and making things run better for everyone, this is an exciting opportunity to make a real impact at the heart of public service.

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

Job description

We’re looking for motivated, customer‑focused leaders who enjoy solving problems, supporting teams and improving how things work.

In both roles, you’ll be part of a busy, friendly team that ensures our colleagues have what they need to work effectively — from office facilities and events coordination to contract management, supplier relationships and day‑to‑day service delivery. You’ll work closely with operational teams, corporate functions and external partners to make sure our services are reliable, efficient and responsive.

Senior Business Support Manager (SEO)

You’ll provide strategic leadership across the Business Support function, manage key contracts, oversee the estate, and support organisation‑wide change. You will lead two HEOs and play a major role in planning our future office environment, supplier strategy and continuous improvement.

Business Support Team Leader (HEO)

You’ll lead a small team responsible for delivering high‑quality support services, resolving issues quickly, improving processes, managing suppliers, and coordinating day‑to‑day tasks and projects. You’ll support events, facilities, purchasing processes and service performance, helping ensure our hybrid office environment works smoothly.

In both roles, success looks like:

• clear, reliable services that colleagues trust

• strong supplier relationships and value for money

• improved processes that make life easier for customers

• engaged, supported team members who can do their best work

• proactive leadership that anticipates issues before they arise

Role types and Salary details

1 x Senior Business Support Manager (SEO) – Permanent
Salary: £46,689

1 x Business Support Team Leader (HEO) – Permanent
Salary: £37,579

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 –

Working hours:

Standard working week is 37 hours, Part time at 30 hours or above, Job share, term time only working and flexible working hours policy available

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 Profileelements listed:

Essential Criteria

• Experience of designing processes to meet the needs of customers and monitoring them to ensure effective delivery (Lead sift criterion)

• Experience of managing contracts, preferably in the public sector

• Experience of leading and enabling a team to solve problems for customers

• Excellent communication skills

• A proven ability to work with others to deliver results

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in an estates or facilities management environment

• Part or full membership of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, or willingness to study towards it

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:

• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

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 and Experience.

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 jobyou're applying for. Type or paste this information into the 'Employment History' box in the online application. You can't attach your CV.

Experience examples:Provide evidence against each of the experience criteria set outbelow. There is a word limit of 250 word for each criteria:

• Experience of designing processes to meet the needs of customers and monitoring them to ensure effective delivery (lead sift 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.

• Experience of designing processes to meet needs of customers andmonitoringthem to ensure effective delivery

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, strength, experience questions
• Complete a prioritisation task, testing decision‑making, communication and organisation

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

Other Information

Shortlist Date: 21st April

Interview Date: 27th April – 1st May 2026

Interviews will be held at The Planning Inspectorate, Bristol, further details will be sent with the invite to interview.

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

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.

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

Recruitment team

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

Further information

An appeal must be made in writing, stating grounds for appeal and providing supporting evidence within 48 hours of the interview, to HR.Advice@planninginspectorate.gov.uk. The decision on the appeal will be communicated in writing, normally within 48 hours. The decision will be final. If the appeal is upheld, you will be given an alternative interview date – this may be at short notice.

Attachments

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