Principal Planning Officer

The Planner; Salford; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Planner Jobs Redactive Publishing Limited is recruiting a Principal Planning Officer in Salford to join the Development Management team on a permanent contract.

You will manage a caseload of large-scale major applications, provide pre-application advice, and prepare robust reports and recommendations. You will also present at appeals and supervise junior staff within a collaborative, innovative team.

Qualifications

• Must have a planning degree and be eligible for RTPI membership.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of complex and large-scale major applications.
• Provide pre-application advice to applicants, architects and planning agents.
• Prepare concise, robust reports and recommendations for planning decisions.
• Present written and verbal evidence at appeals and act as expert witness when required.
• Provide supervision and guidance to junior colleagues to distribute knowledge.

Skills

Planning policy

Major applications

Team leadership

Pre-application advice

Education

Planning degree

Job description

Do you want to join an RTPI award winning planning team in the heart of Greater Manchester? Following internal promotion, we're currently looking to recruit a Principal Planning Officer to join Salford's Development Management team on a permanent contract.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join our dynamic, innovative and welcoming planning team. Salford embraces change and growth. A thriving mix of modern and historic, it is full of ambition, opportunity, and innovation - a place of natural beauty and diversity, with a proud cultural heritage.

This is an unrivalled opportunity to work on some of the largest and most high profile development schemes in Greater Manchester. Salford is a truly diverse city which provides the opportunity to be involved across the breadth of the planning spectrum. From high rise city centre development, to the internationally acclaimed Salford Quays and MediaCity, and from inner city regeneration to protection of the biodiversity heartland of Chat Moss, Salford offers a unique range of opportunities as you continue to develop your planning career.

Salford has seen transformational development over recent decades and we champion high quality placemaking and work proactively with development partners to realise this, achieving award winning and best practice schemes that are featured in the National Design Guide. Reflecting this commitment to achieving the highest standards of design, we are proud to be one of the first authorities in the north west to have established an independent Design Review Forum to review emerging development proposals across the city.

About the Role

As a Principal Planning Officer, you will manage a caseload of complex and large-scale major applications, working proactively with applicants, architects and planning agents to secure high quality development and produce concise, accurate, robust and timely reports and recommendations. You will provide comprehensive and detailed advice to applicant teams through our highly regarded pre-application advice service and via Planning Performance Agreements. You will also prepare and present written and verbal evidence on appeals and act as an expert witness at public inquiry where necessary. You will provide supervision, guidance and support to junior colleagues to distribute knowledge and encourage team work.

We have eight Principal Planning Officer posts within our development management team, having invested in growing the team to ensure that we are well placed to facilitate delivery of the city's good growth agenda and provide the highest standard of service.

As a service which is always looking to innovate and excel, you will contribute towards identifying and delivering service improvements and will be part of a supportive team environment where collaboration and the sharing of ideas and knowledge is positively encouraged. The development management team is at the forefront of pioneering innovation in terms of digital and technological service improvement in planning, and we would particularly welcome applications from planners with the desire and/or skills to contribute to this.

The council's offices are based in Swinton, and we offer a hybrid approach to flexible working which enables you to work remotely or from the office.

About you

Your style and approach will reflect our values: you will be passionate about what you do, always striving to improve things; valuing and respecting the contribution of others, you will work together to deliver a better service; you will take pride in always getting things right first time and learn from when things do go wrong; you will enjoy taking personal responsibility to resolve issues and change what you do and how you do it to make a difference.

You will be passionate about placemaking and adding value to proposals to secure high quality sustainable development and will be able to prioritise and manage a caseload of large-scale, complex and often high profile applications. You will have an excellent level of technical knowledge and understanding of current and emerging planning legislation and will possess the ability to communicate effectively at all levels, be well organised, efficient and have a positive attitude. You will also have a planning degree and be eligible to apply for membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

Come and join us in building a fairer, greener, healthier and more inclusive Salford.

Want to know more about Salford?

As an authority we are dedicated to improving the lives of our residents, and as an employer we are passionate about helping individuals to thrive in their work. We are committed to developing a diverse and inclusive culture and are proud of our professional accreditations which champion this.

Find out about our city as a place to live, work & grow, and learn more about the amazing work we are doing. You’ll also find out about the wealth of benefits we have to offer you on our Salford pages!

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Supporting Documents

Principal Planning Officer - Role Profile (September 2026)