Forward Planning Team Leader

Mid Devon; Tiverton; Hybrid; GBP 49,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid Devon District Council is seeking a qualified town planner to lead the Forward Planning service in Tiverton with hybrid working. You will drive delivery of the local plan in 30 months and represent the Council’s interests in an emerging Spatial Development Strategy.

You will manage a skilled team, oversee budgets, and provide expert advice to senior officers, Members and stakeholders. A strong planning background and stakeholder engagement are essential.

Qualifications

• Qualified town planner with significant plan making experience.
• Strong track record of team leadership and project management in a local authority.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and motivate the Forward Planning team.
• Oversee a complex budget and ensure policy compliance.
• Provide expert planning advice to senior officers, elected Members and stakeholders.

Education

Qualified town planner

Job description

PERMANENT: Full Time37 Hours Per Week
SALARY:Grade J £48,738 to £51,928 Per Annum
LOCATION:Tiverton - Hybrid working

Mid Devon District Council is preparing a new Local Plan that will bring forward homes, jobs, community facilities and infrastructure to meet our needs while protecting a high quality natural environment. The Local Plan will have a key role in planning for economic growth, responding to the climate emergency and moving towards a net-zero carbon future.

We are looking for someone to play a key leadership role in the Council’s Planning Service, taking responsibility for delivering the local plan in 30 months and representing Mid Devon’s interests in an emerging Spatial Development Strategy. You will: manage and motivate a skilled Forward Planning team; oversee a complex budget; ensure compliance with national policy and legislation; and provide expert advice to senior officers, elected Members and other stakeholders.

If you are a qualified town planner, with significant experience in plan making, have a strong track record of team leadership and project management in a local authority, possess excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills and are passionate about planning for a sustainable future we want to hear from you!

Mid Devon offers an exceptional quality of life in an attractive rural district at the heart of Devon. Based close to the city of Exeter and within easy reach of Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks, the Blackdown Hills National Landscape, and both the north and south Devon coasts, it is an outstanding place to live, work and enjoy the outdoors.

To find out more

The Job Description refers to the level of competencies required for this post. Foran explanation of what this means,please see Core Competencies .

A satisfactory basic disclosure check and three years complete employment history will be requested in the event of you being offered the position.

Unfortunately we are unable to sponsor skilled worker visas at this time. For more information on pre-employment checks, please review the documents found here.

Please remember to quote the following post and vacancy numbers:

CLOSING DATE:

CLOSING DATE: 19 October 2026 at 5:00pm

POST NUMBER:

POST NUMBER: PF01

VACANCY NUMBER:

VACANCY NUMBER: 2026135

MDDC reserves the right to close this vacancy early. We therefore encourage early applications.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups. We are keen to make our interviews accessible. Let us know on your job application if you have a disability and need any reasonable adjustments.

We're committed to Equality of Opportunity andwelcome applications from all sections of the community.

If we've not contacted you within two weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.

Thank you for showing an interest in this vacancy and we wish you every success with your on-going job search.