Principal Urban Design Officer

Liverpool European Partnership; West Kirby; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

27 days holiday

Agile working

LGPS AVC

Training & development

Health and wellbeing programme

Cycle to Work

Salary sacrifice car lease

Family friendly leave

Gym membership

Employee volunteering

Medicash

Job summary

Liverpool City Council seeks a Principal Urban Design Officer to lead design excellence across planning schemes and corporate projects. You will provide specialist advice, conserve heritage, and drive masterplanning, development frameworks, and design briefs for key sites city-wide.

Expect to deliver design guidance, support pre-application work, and ensure a customer-focused, business-friendly urban design service with a strong emphasis on public art and high-quality public realm.

Qualifications

• Role requires leadership in urban design across planning schemes.
• Prepare masterplans and development frameworks and planning policy documents.
• Provide design advice on all applications, with emphasis on major proposals.
• Ensure new development respects historic environment and promotes public art.

Responsibilities

• Lead the provision of high-quality, customer-focused urban design services.
• Conserve heritage while enabling appropriate city-wide development.
• Develop design briefs for key sites and guide design guidance.
• Deliver design advice at pre-application and application stages.

Job description

Principal Urban Design Officer

Liverpool is home to vibrant, energetic, and engaged communities, people who take real ownership of their local area and are passionate about making our city a better place. We've got ambitious targets to meet and we need people who are driven, dynamic and ready to deliver the very best for our communities. Public service is more important than ever, and this role represents a real opportunity to make a difference to our communities by transforming the way we work and placing our residents at the heart of everything we do. Working at Liverpool City Council provides an opportunity to contribute to your community and make a positive impact on the lives of residents. Our values shape how we work to deliver public services, and how we communicate with the residents we serve. We care about the best outcomes for local people, through our public services. We are proud of our world-famous thriving city with its rich culture, as well as affordable housing, good schools, beautiful green spaces – there’s really something for everyone!

The role

In the role of Principal Urban Design Officer you will take a lead role in promoting excellent design at pre application and application stage in all types and scale of planning schemes and in key corporate projects throughout the City and to provide specialist advice on design matters, and ensure a quality, modern, customer focussed and business friendly Urban Design service. Conserve the City’s heritage whilst enabling appropriate development across the City. In the role you will be expected to prepare masterplans and development frameworks and planning policy documents provide design advice on all types of application but focussing on major proposals for the CityAs the Principal Urban Design Officer there will be preparation of good practice design guidance as well as to deliver design briefs for key sites in the City, prior to securing development The Urban Design Officer role requires proposals, ensuring that new development will complement the historic environment and you will be expected to provide all types of design advice and to actively promote public art

Our offer to you

• At least 27 days holiday, plus bank holidays rising to 32 after 5 years’ service (pro rata if part time) - option to purchase further days
• Agile working (role dependent) - a “Flexibility First” approach to agile working, where flexibility is the norm rather than the exception
• Part of the Local Government Pension Scheme – option to join the AVC Scheme
• Progression - opportunities and training through a wide range of high quality learning
• Health and Wellbeing - offer including Employee Assistance Programme
• Cycle to Work and Travel Pass Schemes
• Drive Time – a salary sacrifice car lease scheme
• Family friendly policies with enhanced leave Discounted Gym Memberships
• Employee Volunteering Scheme
• Medicash

Next steps

Closing date: Midnight on Monday 26th October 2026

Shortlisting date: W/C Monday 2nd November 2026

Interview date: W/C Monday 9th November 2026

Interview type: Face-to-face competency based questions

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early. Once the role has closed, you will not be able to submit an application, and we are unable to reopen the vacancy for you to complete it. We strongly recommend submitting your application well in advance of the closing date to avoid disappointment.

Equal Opportunities Employer

Liverpool City Council is committed to fostering a workforce representative of the communities we serve. As an Equal Opportunities Employer, we believe in appointing candidates based on their skills, experience, qualifications, and abilities. To support this commitment, we guarantee an interview to candidates from under-represented groups who meet the minimum essential criteria for the role. If you require any reasonable adjustments in line with the Equality Act 2010, such as an application form in a different format or additional time to complete your application, please contact us at [e-mail].

Eligibility to work in the UK

Eligibility to work in the UK will be verified in the final stages of the selection process. All candidates must either already have a right to work in the UK before commencing employment or meet the Home Office criteria for Visa sponsorship. Candidates who require sponsorship should evaluate the Home Office eligibility criteria for a Skilled Worker visa before applying. Please be advised it is our understanding that this role does not meet the requirements of a skilled worker visa as set out by UK Visa and Immigration https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-visa-eligible-occupations-and-codes . For details regarding the salary of a skilled worker visa please visit Home Office: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/skilled-worker-visa-immigration-salary-list/skilled-worker-visa-immigration-salary-list This is not legal advice, and we advise you to seek your own independent legal advice tailored to your own personal circumstances.