Principal Assets Planning Advisor

The Methodist Church in Britain; Taunton; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

33 days annual leave

Local Government Pension Scheme

Flexible and hybrid working

Health and wellbeing support

Paid volunteering opportunities

Job summary

Somerset Council is seeking a Principal Assets Planning Advisor to lead education developer contributions. The role involves managing a broad internal caseload and advising elected members on progress.

The successful candidate will negotiate and secure contributions, lead two staff, and coordinate with education, highways, legal, and housing teams to deliver strategic planning outcomes.

Qualifications

• Membership of RTPI or working towards it.
• Experience negotiating developer contributions.
• Experience managing wide-ranging caseloads.
• Proven negotiation skills with internal/external partners.

Responsibilities

• Deliver and supervise a broad caseload of planning consultancy projects
• Negotiate, secure and collect developer contributions for education provision
• Act as the council's lead internal adviser on education developer contributions
• Provide clear leadership to deliver strategic priorities and meet financial targets
• Update and advise elected members on progress
• Coordinate multiple stakeholders, agents and advisers to progress casework efficiently
• Work with education, highways, legal, housing and other internal clients to understand needs and objectives
• Provide strategic planning advice to internal clients

Skills

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Caseload management

Leadership

Analytical skills

Education

RTPI membership

Tools

MasterGov Planning Database

Job description

Principal Assets Planning Advisor role in Somerset Council's planning consultancy casework, managing a broad internal caseload and acting as the council's lead internal adviser on education developer contributions. The core of the work is negotiating, securing and collecting developer contributions for education provision, while coordinating external agents and advisers and reporting progress to elected members. The post is fixed-term to November 2028, with a secondment option for internal candidates, and includes managing two staff. Candidates must already have the right to work in the UK, as no sponsorship is offered.

What the job involves

• Deliver and supervise a broad caseload of planning consultancy projects
• Negotiate, secure and collect developer contributions for education provision
• Act as the council's lead internal adviser on education developer contributions
• Provide clear leadership to deliver strategic priorities and meet financial targets
• Update and advise elected members on progress
• Analyse and evaluate complex technical and legal information to form commercial judgements and give professional advice
• Coordinate multiple stakeholders, agents and advisers to progress casework efficiently
• Work with education, highways, legal, housing and other internal clients to understand needs and objectives
• Provide strategic planning advice to internal clients
• Work jointly with the Head of Estates Strategy and Development and other database client functions
• Manage two staff members
• Attend in-person meetings to support the education authority at County Hall or Broughton House

Qualifications

• Relevant professional qualification, such as RTPI membership or working towards it

Experience

• Evidence of working with and influencing stakeholders and partners
• Experience of managing wide-ranging caseloads
• Proven negotiation skills
• Proven ability to deliver a complex caseload without supervision

Skills & knowledge

• Ability to develop, analyse and evaluate data and complex legal information
• Subject matter expertise and detailed professional knowledge in the area of specialism

Checks & eligibility

• Right to work in the UK without needing visa sponsorship

Nice to have

• Knowledge of the MasterGov Planning Database

What’s offered

• 33 days' annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible and hybrid working, where service needs allow
• Health and wellbeing support, including confidential employee assistance
• Paid volunteering opportunities