Senior Development Management Lead (Planning)

Essential Employment; Bromley; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Essential Employment in Bromley is seeking a Development Management Area Team Leader to manage a caseload of complex planning applications, oversee staff, and ensure timely, compliant decisions. The role involves direct reports, performance management, and engagement with developers and communities to deliver robust planning outcomes.

The ideal candidate will have substantial planning experience, strong leadership, and excellent communication skills to coordinate across committees and officers

Qualifications

• Experience leading planning teams.
• Strong knowledge of planning law and policy.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to manage complex applications and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of complex and major planning applications, assessing proposals against planning legislation, policy, and development frameworks.
• Prepare reports and recommendations for planning applications and exercise delegated decision-making authority where appropriate.
• Negotiate with developers, consultants, applicants, and key stakeholders to achieve positive planning outcomes.
• Conduct site visits and represent the organisation at planning committees, appeals, hearings, inquiries, and public meetings.
• Provide day-to-day leadership, guidance, and support to Planning Officers within the Development Management team.
• Allocate workloads, monitor performance, and ensure statutory deadlines and service objectives are achieved.
• Support staff recruitment, training, mentoring, and professional development.
• Assist senior managers in delivering an efficient, high-quality, customer-focused planning service.
• Monitor performance, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and contribute to service planning.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with developers, consultees, community groups, and internal stakeholders.
• Provide expert planning advice on complex applications, enquiries, complaints, and contentious cases.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of planning legislation, policy, and best practice, ensuring decisions are robust and defensible.
• Ensure compliance with governance requirements, health and safety, equality legislation, and data protection standards.

Skills

Leadership

Planning

Negotiation

Report writing

Team management

Job description

Essential Employment in Bromley is seeking a Development Management Area Team Leader to manage a caseload of complex planning applications, oversee staff, and ensure timely, compliant decisions. The role involves direct reports, performance management, and engagement with developers and communities to deliver robust planning outcomes.

The ideal candidate will have substantial planning experience, strong leadership, and excellent communication skills to coordinate across committees and officers