Development & Conservation Manager

The Planner Jobs Redactive Publishing Limited; Letchworth; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Disability Confident employer

Flexible working hours

Job summary

North Hertfordshire Council seeks a senior planning professional to jointly lead the planning service as a Deputy Chief Officer. The role centers on strategic leadership of development management, enforcement, and technical support, while hands-on involvement continues on complex matters.

You will supervise a team of 30+ officers, mentor, and share responsibilities with an outgoing manager moving to flexible retirement.

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in development management within local government or similar.
• Eligible for or member of the RTPI.
• Experience handling complex and significant planning applications; balancing priorities.
• Ability to provide clear professional advice to elected members, officers, applicants and communities.
• Experience leading, supervising or developing planning staff and fostering a high-performing culture.
• Understanding of service performance metrics, customer focus, and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge of planning enforcement, appeals and related legislation and practice.
• Excellent communicator with ability to build productive relationships with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Oversee development management, planning enforcement, technical support and specialist functions.
• Lead and mentor a team of 30+ officers, sharing responsibilities with the current manager.
• Shape high-quality development across the district with a mix of scheme scales.
• Manage a high-volume workflow including applications, pre-apps and inquiries.
• Collaborate with senior leaders to ensure effective decision-making and service delivery.

Skills

Development management

RTPI membership

Complex planning applications

Clear professional advice

Leadership of staff

Service performance

Planning enforcement knowledge

Stakeholder relationships

Job description

Job Introduction

The Role

Are you looking for your next step in planning leadership?

This is an exciting opportunity to jointly deliver one of the Council's key planning services at a time of significant growth and change. As one of two co-managers, you'll oversee development management, planning enforcement, technical support and specialist functions, delivered by a skilled and experienced team of more than 30 officers.

You will help shape high-quality development across North Hertfordshire. This encompasses schemes of all scales across approximately 2,500 applications, pre-apps, enquiries and other works each year. The role combines strategic leadership with hands‑on professional involvement in some of the district's most complex and high-profile planning matters.

Importantly, you'll join an experienced and supportive management team. Our existing manager is moving into flexible retirement, remaining with the service on a part‑time basis. This provides a unique opportunity for distribution of responsibilities between the two posts, mentoring, knowledge sharing and support while increasing our overall management capacity.

Whether you are already managing a planning service or are an exceptional Principal Planner or Team Leader ready to take the next step, this role offers a superb opportunity.

We would particularly like to encourage applications from female leaders and individuals from an ethnic minority background.

The Experience you will bring

You will be an experienced planning professional with a strong understanding of development management and the ability to lead and inspire people, manage projects and support complex decision‑making.

You will:

• Have substantial experience in development management within a local authority or similar environment.


• Be eligible for membership of, or a member of, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).


• Have experience of managing complex and significant planning applications and balancing competing priorities.


• Be confident providing clear professional advice to elected members, senior officers, applicants and communities.


• Have experience of leading, supervising or developing planning staff and creating a positive, high‑performing culture.


• Understand the importance of service performance, customer focus and continuous improvement.


• Have knowledge of planning enforcement, appeals and wider development management legislation and practice.


• Be an excellent communicator who can build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Most importantly, you'll bring sound professional judgement, a collaborative leadership style and a desire to help shape and improve a modern planning service.

About Us

North Hertfordshire is a large rural district with approximately 125,000 residents with four historic towns, Hitchin, Baldock, Royston and Letchworth Garden City. The Council have four priorities: Thriving Communities, Accessible Services, Responsible Growth and Sustainability. The Council Plan sets out our key priorities and themes for the next five years. The North Herts Values define how we as colleagues work with each other, and we strive to be: Adaptable, Inclusive, Learning, Listening, Together.

Why work with us?

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in our recruitment practices and in our employment policies. We want our employees to feel safe to express themselves and we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of talents. We are dedicated to promoting a healthy work/life balance, valuing our employees, and enabling them to make a difference to the local community.

At North Herts Council we are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and we guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum requirements for the job.

Please note that all our vacancies require you to live and work in the UK, and selection interviews are face to face in our Letchworth offices or other nearby council sites.

We are changing

North Herts Council (NHC) is due to be undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) which is one of the biggest changes in local government we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better.

To find out more, visit Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation | North Herts Council

If you would like an informal chat about the post, you can contact Nigel Smith, Director: Place, [e-mail] or on 01462 474847

Hybrid working

Flexibility with homeworking and office-based days

Working pattern

This job is open to flexible working patterns and working hours

Applications will close at midnight on 11th November 2026

Face to face interviews will be held on 24th-25th November 2026

Please note that this vacancy is a senior manager reporting to Director and is designated a Deputy Chief Officer role. Appointment is subject to approval by Cabinet, following the selection process.

Please note that we are currently unable to provide sponsorship for employment in the UK.

We recommend downloading the job profile document as this will not be available once the vacancy closes.

Attached documents:
Development Conservation Manager - October 2026 (Final).pdf