Lead Project Officer

Dorset Council; Dorchester; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Local government pension

Flexible & family-friendly working

Significant home working

Continuous learning & development

Job summary

Dorset Council is seeking a Lead Project Officer to join the Southern and Western majors team, shaping place making and driving high‑quality design on major applications across Weymouth, Portland and Chickerell as part of a regeneration programme.

The role involves extensive negotiation, pre‑application discussions, presenting to committee and representing the Council at hearings. You will mentor officers, review cases, and sign off applications under delegation.

Qualifications

• A degree in town planning (or related subject) is required and a postgraduate qualification is normally expected.
• Post-qualification experience in planning in the public or private sector is required.
• Chartered membership of RTPI or eligibility is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Shape local place making and drive high-quality design through major applications.
• Lead negotiations including pre-application discussions and planning obligations.
• Present applications to the planning committee and represent the Council at hearings and inquiries.
• Undertake case reviews, sign off applications under the delegation scheme, and mentor planning officers in fast‑track teams.

Skills

Major applications

Planning committee

Hearings & inquiries

Mentoring

Signing off applications

Education

Bachelor-level planning degree

Postgraduate planning qualification

RTPI membership desirable

Job description

About the role

Looking for a new and exciting challenge? Would you like to develop your planning career in a beautiful and iconic area which not only has thousands of listed buildings, national landscape designations and England’s only natural World Heritage Site – the Jurassic Coast, but is also a place of growth and innovation?

We are a bold and ambitious planning service which has been through a period of positive transformation since becoming a unitary authority in 2019. With a one team approach we are taking Dorset into the future. Dealing with over 4000 planning applications a year – with everything from urban extensions, retail schemes and renewable energy projects to small scale agricultural and householder projects working for Dorset Council’s planning service really does have something for everyone.

What you can expect to be doing?

As a Lead Project Officer you would be part of one of our “major” teams in the Southern and Western planning committee area. You would be one of 6 officers in the southern and western majors team and would have the opportunity to shape local place making and drive high-quality design through the consideration of major applications.

The southern and western area includes Weymouth, Portland and Chickerell where the Council has a regeneration programme with a number ofsites representing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the town’s relationship with its waterfront - creating new homes, jobs, public spaces, and commercial opportunities while preserving its maritime heritage.

The lead project role provides extensive opportunities for negotiation, including any necessary planning obligations, shaping development through pre-application enquiries, presenting applications to committee, and representing the Council at hearings and public inquiries. There will be the opportunity to undertake case reviews, signing off applications under the council’s scheme of delegation and to mentor planning officers in the “fast track” teams.

About you:

You will hold a degree-level qualification in town planning (or related subject) and it is normally expected a postgraduate qualification in planning. You will have post-qualification experience in a planning role, in either the public or private sector. Chartered membership of the RTPI or eligibility to apply is desirable.

You will have experience of and be confident in dealing with major applications and the presentation of those applications at planning committee. Experience of informal hearings and public inquiries is desirable. Being able to demonstrate experience of mentoring and signing off applications would also be desirable.

Dorset Council: A great place to work

All roles call for affinity with our values: respect, openness, together, accountability, curiosity. With a team that lives by these principles, we have a friendly and supportive workplace where you’ll be free to learn, develop and thrive. Employee benefits are generous and include a local government pension, flexible and family friendly working, the opportunity for significant home working and continual learning and development opportunities. If you are looking for a new and exciting challenge a Planning career in Dorset comes with everything you need.

Further Information

This is a full time role at 37 hours per week.Part-time applicants will be considered.

The post has a significant travel requirement and you are contractually required to have a vehicle (or transport deemed to be suitable by the council) available for use as required.

You do not need to live in Dorset – we are able to work in a hybrid way but we would ask that you visit Dorset at least once a week for in-person team meetings (in Dorchester) and to undertake site visits. In addition, in-person attendance at planning committee is also required when presenting a planning application. The option to work at other officers (Wareham and Wimborne) or from home for the remainder of the week is available.

Protect it. Shape it. Enjoy it. Be part of Dorset!

About Us

At Dorset Council, it's not just about the work we do, it's about how we do it. Hear directly from our employees about what makes Dorset Council special in this short video:

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

• provide essential services that support over 300,000 residents
• work in partnership to make a real difference
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive

You will:

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset
• have access to a range of benefits and support
• receive training and development opportunities to help your career progress

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible, if you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application.

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement.