Senior Planning Manager – Planning Casework and Legislation x2

Job summary

The Planning Casework Branch requires professional town planners with relevant skills and experience to work across three functions related to development management and legislation, depending on the fluctuating levels of casework and ministerial policy demands:

• Policy lead for planning casework procedure – Undertaking research and consultation as part of policy formulation in relation to planning application and infrastructure consent procedures; monitoring the performance of local planning authorities and statutory consultees; promoting culture change and adoption of best practice across authorities.
• Casework – Processing applications for a wide variety of consents submitted to the Welsh Ministers.
• Legislation – Bill team work on future bills taken forward by Planning Directorate and subsequent preparation of the secondary legislation necessary to implement the changes within the wider planning system.

Job description

The Planning Casework Branch requires professional town planners with relevant skills and experience to work across three functions related to development management and legislation, depending on the fluctuating levels of casework and ministerial policy demands:

• Policy lead for planning casework procedure – Undertaking research and consultation as part of policy formulation in relation to planning application and infrastructure consent procedures; monitoring the performance of local planning authorities and statutory consultees; promoting culture change and adoption of best practice across authorities.
• Casework – Processing applications for a wide variety of consents submitted to the Welsh Ministers.
• Legislation – Bill team work on future bills taken forward by Planning Directorate and subsequent preparation of the secondary legislation necessary to implement the changes within the wider planning system.

Person specification

The key responsibilities of the Senior Planning Manager (“SPM”) posts within the Legislation and Casework Family are:

• Managing and shaping with internal and external stakeholders, development management and other casework procedural policy and also the wider planning system policy to inform the content of the Bills.

• The production of draft advice and decision documents relating to planning casework, such as applications for Developments of National Significance, requests to call in planning applications and new casework resulting from the Infrastructure Consent regime.

• SPMs will be overseeing, managing and delivering policy instructions to lawyers and drafters in the Office of the Legislative Counsel. This will include formulating policy positions to questions and issues raised by lawyers and drafters during the drafting process of the Bills.

• Leading and managing the production of the documentation necessary to accompany the Bills for introduction to the Senedd, such as Explanatory Notes, Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment, Statements of Policy Intent, Justice Impact Assessment, Integrated Impact Assessments etc.

• SPMs will be preparing and implementing engagement exercises with external stakeholders during legislation or policy roles.

• SPMs will be supporting and advising Ministers during policy development, Bill preparation and the determination of casework, working closely with relevant Special Advisors and Private Offices.

• SPMs will be implementing a programme of subordinate legislation and making decisions on behalf of the Welsh Ministers in accordance with the new infrastructure consenting regime.

• SPMs will be required to support the Plans and Policy job family within Planning Directorate at times of high demand.

Memberships

I confirm that I am either
(1)a member of or, are eligible to join, the Royal Town Planning Institute; or
(2)have at least 5 years planning or environment related casework processing experience.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

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

• Awareness of the wide ranging and complex environmental, social, and economic issues associated with infrastructure projects.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,675, Welsh Government contributes £13,811 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:2 stage processStage 1Application FormStage 2Interview

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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.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.Directorate@gov.wales
• Email : Planning.Directorate@gov.wales

Recruitment team

• Email : SharedServiceHelpdesk@gov.wales