Corporate Director - Planning

Dorset Council UK; Dorchester; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Dorset Council is seeking a Corporate Director - Planning to lead the planning function, set strategic direction and drive delivery across the county. You will work to align planning with corporate priorities and enable regeneration, economic growth and modernisation using digital capabilities.

You will have led at scale in complex environments, with a track record of delivering Local Plans and navigating political and stakeholder landscapes to achieve outcomes for Dorset’s communities.

Qualifications

• Experience leading planning at scale and delivering complex agendas.
• Track record of delivering Local Plan or similar strategic documents.
• Ability to influence across political and corporate boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Lead Dorset’s planning function from the front and set strategic direction.
• Drive delivery of the Dorset Local Plan and ensure alignment with corporate priorities.
• Develop regneration opportunities and modernise planning services including digital capability.
• Provide clear, confident advice to elected members with robust governance.
• Manage significant budgets and resources with accountability.
• Collaborate across directorates to turn strategic priorities into delivery.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Politics navigation

Education

Relevant degree

Tools

GIS

Job description

Do you share our ambition for Dorset? Our planning service is one of the largest in the country and already performs very well against the Government’s performance indicators, but we have real ambition to perform better, make swifter planning decisions, reflect the needs of our customers, and seize the opportunities presented by new technology and Artificial Intelligence.

Do you share our ambition for Dorset? Our planning service is one of the largest in the country and already performs very well against the Government’s performance indicators, but we have real ambition to perform better, make swifter planning decisions, reflect the needs of our customers, and seize the opportunities presented by new technology and Artificial Intelligence. We think you will have a very sound starting point. Our performance is already strong and we have many professional and committed employees in our planning department. You can rely on where we already are, to reimagine where we want to be in the future. The near future. You will also have the opportunity to help Dorset become a modern, sustainable unitary council where planning actively enables our corporate priorities rather than simply managing them. You will be joining the Leadership Team of our Economy and Environment directorate, reporting to the Executive Director, alongside colleagues responsible for economic development, highways and engineering, sustainable waste and resource management, and assets and property. The scope is significant, and the opportunity is clear: firm foundations, strong ambition and support from the wider team. Are you up for the challenge? Find out more about the role here: Corporate Director - Planning - Dorset Council

What You’ll Be Doing

You will lead Dorset’s planning function from the front, setting direction, driving delivery and ensuring planning becomes a stronger engine for economic development, regeneration and modernisation.

That Means

• Leading the production and delivery of the Dorset Local Plan, ensuring it is economically viable and aligned with corporate priorities. We will ask you about the Council’s corporate priorities at interview.
• Gearing planning to actively support economic growth, including regeneration and investment opportunities across the county.
• Driving forward strategic opportunities such as regeneration in Weymouth, Portland and Chickerell; clean energy and offshore wind, and the Dorset Innovation Park.
• Modernising planning services, improving pace, consistency, customer experience and digital capability.
• Working closely with elected members, providing clear, confident advice and ensuring strong governance and decision-making.
• Building a culture that is unafraid to challenge “how we’ve always done things”.
• Overseeing significant budgets and resources with clear accountability and discipline.

About You

You will have led at scale before and understand the reality of delivering through complexity, politics and competing priorities. You know planning can be more than regulation, and you have the drive and credibility to make that happen. You will also bring a track record of delivery through planning. You may well have already led the process of producing and adopting a Local Plan.