37 hours per week (Full time, permanent)

Closing date - 31/01/2023

Provisional Interview date - 23/02/2023

Winchester City Council has an exciting opportunity within its Planning Department to join our specialist Historic Environment Team.  We are seeking an ambitious Urban Design Officer to assess and shape the most interesting and complex development projects in our district. The successful candidate will work widely with different departments across the Council and will be a key player in strategic projects.

Winchester is a former capital of England, the cradle of the nation.  An urban area with a 2000 year history, a precious heritage that demands people of the highest calibre to care for it and to plan its future. Our district includes not only the cathedral city of Winchester, but also smaller towns and villages, beautiful countryside and a large part of the South Downs National Park. You will have the opportunity to use your expertise to shape and support ambitious sustainable development projects across the district.

The Historic Environment Team is a small but influential team within the Built Environment Service, made up of specialists in archaeology, historic buildings and urban design. We’re a supportive and highly collaborative team, which aspires to high standards in throughout our work. We are committed to your professional development and growth, while maximising work/life balance.

This vacancy has arisen through the promotion of the existing post holder within a neighbouring council.

The Role

As an Urban Design Officer, you will:

• Provide urban design advice for pre-applications, planning applications and appeals
• Guide the Council’s Major Projects and New Homes teams
• Shape the development of masterplans and development frameworks for significant projects
• Coordinate the Design Review Panel
• Advise elected members, informally and through committee meetings and presentations
• Support and train planning officers in urban design to ‘grow our own’

About you

Our ideal candidate would be a qualified urban designer, architect, landscape architect or town planner with 2-5 years’ experience in design for major development projects.

We have a good deal of work in historic environments and sensitive landscapes, so experience in historic building conservation and working with protected landscapes is desirable (although not essential).

What is most important to us is finding someone with the right fit, to work proactively and adaptably with us to negotiate and advocate for high quality design in new development. The right candidate will understand what it means to collaborate and engage effectively with a customer and our community stakeholders.

Our offices are based in the heart of Winchester and the successful candidates can benefit from:

• a hybrid working pattern, with up to 50% of your time working remotely,
• free parking,
• essential car user allowance,
• paid Membership fees to your professional body,
• paid private healthcare (with optional upgrades)
• Local Government pension scheme, with 18% employer contributions
• Supportive workplace culture, wellbeing
• discounted bus travel and public transport loans,
• volunteering opportunities,

If this sounds like the role for you, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact Daniel Ayre, Historic Environment Team Leader, for an informal chat about the role on 01962848084 or by email to dayre@winchester.gov.uk.