Planning Advisor

NatureScot; Scotland; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

NatureScot is seeking a Planning Advisor to join their Supporting Good Development team. This full-time role involves advising on development plans, engaging with local authorities, and contributing to nature recovery efforts across Scotland. The ideal candidate will have a degree in environmental sciences or planning and strong project management skills.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension scheme

Generous holiday leave allowance

Flexible working options

Employee assistance programme

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Understanding of the Scottish Planning system and NatureScot's role.
• Ability to provide clear, solution-focused advice on nature and planning.
• Driving licence or other means of transport required.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and lead contributions to development plans and marine plans.
• Support public inquiry teams and manage complex development management casework.
• Engage with planning authorities to enhance natural heritage issues.

Skills

Project Management

Interpersonal Skills

Creativity

Problem Solving

Education

Accredited degree in environmental sciences, planning or related discipline

Job description

Join to apply for the Planning Advisor role at NatureScot

Base pay range

Job title: 1019-322 Planning & Casework Adviser | Grade: D | Vacancy type: Full time, Permanent | Hours: 35 hours | Salary £38,616 rising to £42,906 – pay award pending effect from 01 April 2025 | Location: Glasgow or any NatureScot office, home and hybrid working considered | Closing date: 20 June 2025 | Interview date: Internal interviews: 15 July 2025 | External interviews: 29 July 2025

Job Purpose Summary

NatureScot is Scotland’s Nature Agency. We are working with partners from across Scotland’s public, private and environment sectors to address the climate and nature emergencies, by protecting and restoring nature and inspiring others to value our natural world.

This is a permanent, full-time role within NatureScot’s Supporting Good Development (SGD) team. The SGD team works to:

• Protect – influence business, development and regulation so that it safeguards nature, including protected areas and landscapes.
• Restore – provide targeted and influential advice on proposals to enable good quality development that enhances biodiversity and place.
• Value – engage with key business and community interests and industry sectors to help them maximise the advantages nature and high-quality places bring them.

This position will help to deliver NatureScot’s priorities relating to nature recovery, climate change and the creation of nature rich places with a particular focus on planning. This includes helping lead on our engagement with local authorities, key agencies and other partners, to develop shared responses to the climate and nature emergencies.

An important focus of the role will be advising on and assisting in the development of plans and strategies. With a focus on positive and proactive collaborative working, you will be able to help our partners to plan strategically, creating the policy and project context needed to scale up and deliver ‘on the ground’ results to improve nature and climate resilience. You will be expected to think creatively, act strategically, and react pragmatically. You will need to understand and advise on the practical steps that are available to secure and deliver successful outcomes for nature. You should be able to communicate and work effectively with partners from different sectors and professional backgrounds, developing a positive vision for ‘nature rich’ and ‘climate resilient’ places.

The post holder will be leading and contributing to development plan making, prioritising west and south-west Scotland. This includes strategic planning related casework such as development frameworks, masterplans and environmental assessments (Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA)). The planning advisers principally input on development planning, planning policy and guidance. The team work closely together, and with other Supporting Good Development Activity Team members and Operations colleagues, to provide an efficient, consistent and quality service.

The post needs to be flexible to respond to changing priorities and resource pressures faced by other team members.

The role also involves supporting the Development Casework Manager in providing targeted advice on complex cases alongside maintaining an overview of transmission casework, strategic developments and supporting public inquiry teams. The scope of this work will be Scotland wide.

They will have a key role in taking forward our work to influence and encourage developers and regulators on the delivery of NatureScot’s priorities relating to nature recovery and nature rich places.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide advice, coordinate and lead input from NatureScot staff to provide an effective contribution to development plans, marine plans, supplementary guidance, master-plans and associated SEA and HRA.
• Provide input into NatureScot’s engagement in the roll-out and delivery of the reformed planning system and supporting delivery of the ambitions of NPF4 such as biodiversity enhancement, blue-green infrastructure, nature networks and nature-based solutions.
• Provide technical advice to operational and advisory staff on the Scottish Planning System and national planning policy as it relates to NatureScot responsibilities and priorities, including maintenance and updating of existing Guidance.
• Provide support to the Development Casework Manager in establishing and supporting public inquiry teams.
• Provide support to Operations teams on complex development management casework and on the management of cases going to DPEA appeal processes (Inquiries and Hearings).
• Help build capacity in planning authorities through provision of advice, support and sharing good practice so they can deal more effectively with natural heritage issues.
• Contribute to planning-related training for NatureScot staff and others.
• Commission and manage planning-related research, demonstration and guidance projects.
• Contribute to the work of Key Agency Group (KAG) sub-groups and projects focused on delivering a modernised planning system through collaborative, place-based approaches.
• Make connections between the terrestrial planning system and related issues such as onshore delivery to support offshore infrastructure, coastal adaptation, and related issues.

Skills Required

• A relevant, accredited degree in environmental sciences, planning or closely related discipline with transferable knowledge.
• A thorough understanding and knowledge of the Scottish Planning system and NatureScot’s role within it.
• Good project management and organisational skills that will support establishing virtual teams of specialists, managing multiple workstreams and meeting deadlines.
• Effective interpersonal skills will ensure that the postholder influences others and forges good working relationships with colleagues and a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to provide informed, clear and solution-focused advice on nature and planning to colleagues in NatureScot or partner organisations, conveying technical issues to a general audience when needed.
• Creativity and versatility in approach to work, with a proven ability to be adaptive to changing situations and embracing new areas of work.
• Strong understanding of NatureScot’s purpose and priorities, and of the political environment in which NatureScot operates.
• The ability to work largely unsupervised and as part of a dispersed team.
• The ability to use office software – in particular for remote and hybrid working, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations and communicating.
• Driving licence or other means of transport required.

Prerequisites Required

• Applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK and resident in Scotland for the duration of the job contract
• To undertake a Disclosure Scotland application.
• Although Gaelic language is not a prerequisite it is a desirable skill in support of our commitment to our Gaelic Language Plan

Working for NatureScot – what we offer you

NatureScot offers some great benefits to reward and support you whilst you are working for us. Our benefits package includes the civil service pension scheme, a generous holiday leave allowance plus flexi time, and employee discount scheme. Visit the NatureScot website for further details including below:

• An environment with flexible working options
• A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% (7.35% employee contributions) https://www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/joining-the-pension-scheme/benefits-of-the-pension-scheme/
• 41.5 days of annual leave, with 5 fixed public holidays on St Andrews Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Day and 2nd January
• Equivalent of 2 days paid volunteering leave
• A focus on wellbeing with access to an employee assistance programme
• Job satisfaction from contributing proactively to the twinned nature and climate crisis
• Cycle to work and electric vehicle salary sacrifice schemes
• Access to an employee discounts scheme
• Learning and development tailored to your role
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Whether working at home or in an office, or travelling to meetings and site visits, as a

NatureScot you will contribute to our Net Zero plan, for example through positive carbon travel choices.

Application Process

Application is by CV and Supporting Statement. Please ensure you have attached these documents when submitting your application.

Before applying for this post;

Internal applicants should read the Self Service Guide (eRDMS A3155575)

External applicants should read the Online Job Application Guide

If you have previously applied for a vacancy with NatureScot you must remove the supporting statement from your profile, before uploading a new version.

Interviews

External candidates will be invited to interview if we are unable to recruit internally.

For information regarding the vacancy please contact

Viv Gray, Planning and Renewables Manager

Tel: [phone] | Email: [e-mail]

Nature is vital to us all, so it's important that NatureScot represents the people of Scotland.

The more diverse our workforce is, the more effectively we can connect everyone with nature. We encourage applications from candidates of all ages and genders, people from ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Strategy/Planning and Consulting

• Industries

  Strategic Management Services

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