Principal Assets Planning Advisor

Somerset County Council; Taunton; Hybrid; GBP 46,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave & holidays

LGPS pension

Flexible/hybrid working

Wellbeing support

Volunteer opportunities

Job summary

Somerset County Council is seeking a Principal Assets Planning Advisor based in Taunton to lead complex education planning contributions and strategic planning projects across the council. You will manage internal and external stakeholders, supervise two staff, deliver high-quality planning advice, and help drive the authority's priorities with clear leadership.

This role offers hybrid working arrangements, 37 hours per week full-time or 30 hours part-time, a fixed-term contract to 30/11/2028,

Qualifications

• Evidence of working with and influencing stakeholders and partners.
• Ability to develop, analyse and evaluate data and complex legal information, ideally using MasterGov Planning Database.
• Experience of managing wide ranging caseloads.
• Subject matter expertise and detailed professional knowledge in area of specialism.
• Relevant professional qualification - RTPI membership or working towards it.
• Proven negotiation skills and ability to deliver complex caseload without supervision.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear leadership to deliver the Council's strategic priorities and meet the Council's financial targets.
• Use professional knowledge and experience to manage and deliver a broad caseload of internal planning consultancy services.
• Lead internal advice on education developer contributions to guide the education authority and other teams.
• Analyse and evaluate complex technical information to develop commercial judgments and provide professional advice.
• Coordinate and manage multiple stakeholders, agents and advisors to progress casework efficiently and effectively.
• Work with education, highways, legal, housing and other internal clients and professionals to understand Council and community needs and objectives.
• Manage 2 staff members.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Data analysis & evaluation

Caseload management

Subject matter expertise

RTPI qualification or progress

Negotiation skills

Tools

MasterGov Planning Database

Job description

Principal Assets Planning Advisor

Salary: £50,908 per annum.

Hours: Full-time, 37 hours per week or Part-Time, 30 hours per week

Contract: Fixed-term contract until 30/11/2028, with secondment option available for internal candidates.

Closing date: 11/10/2026

Role Purpose

You will be managing a range of complex planning consultancy casework. You will be responsible for the delivery and supervision of these projects.

You will be accountable for negotiating, securing and collecting developer contributions for education provision. You will be providing clear leadership with a focus on delivering the Council's strategic priorities and you will update and advise elected members of progress in these areas.

Your professional knowledge and experience will allow you to manage and deliver a broad caseload of consultancy services across the department. It will also allow you to act as the Council's lead internal advisor on education developer contributions and provide strategic planning advice to internal clients.

You will need to be someone who is confident in working with multiple stakeholders. Alongside your internal advisory role, you will be coordinating multiple external stakeholders, agents and advisors to help progress casework. This role also involves joint work with the Head of Estates Strategy and Development, as well as other database client functions, and all staff in the education authority.

Key responsibilities

• Provide clear leadership to deliver the Council's strategic priorities and meet the Council's financial targets.
• Use professional knowledge and experience to manage and deliver a broad caseload of internal planning consultancy services.
• Use professional knowledge and experience as the Council's lead internal advisor on education developer contributions to guide and advise the education authority and other teams.
• Analyse and evaluate complex technical information to develop commercial judgements and provide professional advice.
• Coordinate and manage multiple stakeholders, agents and advisors to progress casework efficiently and effectively.
• Works with education, highways, legal, housing and other internal clients and professionals to understand Council and community needs and objectives.
• Management of 2 staff members.

What you'll bring

• Evidence of working with and influencing stakeholders and partners.
• Evidence of ability to develop, analyse and evaluate data and complex legal information, ideally using knowledge of MasterGov Planning Database.
• Experience of managing wide ranging caseloads.
• Subject matter expertise and detailed professional knowledge in area of specialism.
• Relevant professional qualification - e.g. membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), or working towards it.
• Proven negotiation skills and ability to deliver complex caseload without supervision.

Why Join Us?

At Somerset Council, we're a progressive organisation committed to improving lives and shaping better services for our communities. Based in one of England's most beautiful counties, it's a great place to build your career and enjoy an excellent quality of life.

• Generous annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to purchase additional leave.
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS), one of the UK's most generous and secure pension schemes.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements to support work-life balance, where service needs allow.
• Health and wellbeing support, including access to confidential employee assistance services.
• Paid volunteering opportunities, helping you make a difference both inside and outside of work.

Find out more about working at Somerset Council: https://www.somerset.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers/working-at-somerset-council/

Additional information

• This can be either a full-time, 37 hour week role or a part-time, 30 hour week role, depending on the successful candidate.
• 33 days of annual leave (additional to bank holidays).
• Flexible and hybrid working.
• The successful candidate will be expected to attend meetings in person to support the Education authority. These meetings are held in County Hall, Taunton, or Broughton House, Blackbrook.

Unfortunately, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for VISA sponsorship.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Frances Gully via email at [e-mail] or via telephone at 01823359168.

We believe diversity makes us stronger and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences, whose unique perspectives help us better serve the people of Somerset.

You can find a copy of the job description here: LGR0085 Principal Assets Planning Advisor FINAL.pdf