Senior Planner

Camden Council; Greater London; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Camden Council is seeking two Senior Planning Officers to join our Development Management team in London. You will lead on complex, major and sensitive applications, manage a diverse caseload and mentor junior officers through the moderation process to ensure high-quality decisions.

We expect a strong understanding of the London planning system, excellent negotiation skills, and a recognised RTPI qualification.

Qualifications

• We are looking for enthusiastic, organised and personable planners with strong communication and negotiation skills.
• A recognised RTPI qualification is essential.
• Experience at officer level within a local authority is an advantage.
• Good understanding of the London planning system is essential.
• Collaborative and delegation skills are important.

Responsibilities

• Lead on a varied personal caseload including complex, major and politically sensitive applications and pre-applications.
• Undertake consultation with external and internal consultees and negotiate planning obligations.
• Mentor and supervise planning officers; moderate sign-off on other officers' applications.
• Prepare evidence for appeals and present at hearings.

Skills

Strong communication

Negotiation skills

Team leadership

Project management

Education

RTPI qualification

Job description

Job Description

Starting Salary: £47,525

Job Level: Level 4, Zone 1

Work Location: 5 Pancras Square, Kings Cross, London, N1C 4AG

Hours per week: 36

Contract Type: 12 month fixed term / secondment x2

Closing Date: Wednesday 7th October 2026 at 23:55

Alternative flexible working options available / open to discussion

Anonymised Application: in keeping with Camden's commitment to inclusion the recruitment to this role is anonymised and supports the objective of reducing the impact of unconscious bias.

About Us

In Camden we are committed to working together to make our borough the best place to live, work, study, and visit. Partnership with our communities is central to the way we work, so that everyone can access opportunities, and nobody gets left behind. Here's where you can help decide a better future for us all.

Camden 2025 sets out a vision for the future of the borough, where everyone contributes to achieving a safe, fair, creative and active community. The Council's Planning service is key to ensuring the delivery of the objectives for the borough.

The Role

We are looking for two Senior Planning Officers to work within our Development Management team. You will work as part of a team, working flexibly according to the needs of the service.

As a Senior Planning Officer, you will contribute to providing a responsive, high performing and high quality Development Management Service. You will take the lead on a varied personal caseload including more complex, major and politically sensitive applications and pre-applications. As part of working on a caseload that includes complex and major cases, you will undertake consultation with external and internal consultees, negotiate planning performance agreements as well as securing planning obligations and/or contributions through CIL/S106 to be invested in the Borough's built environment and infrastructure.

You will also have responsibility for the mentoring and supervision of planning officers. A key part of this supervisory role is the moderation process whereby you will check and sign off on other officers' applications, making sure that decisions comply with relevant legislation and policies / guidance to enable high quality decision making that promotes the Borough's objectives.

Further duties involve the preparation of evidence for appeals including presenting at hearings. There may well also be opportunities to work on specific non-casework projects.

About You

We are looking for enthusiastic, organised and personable planners with strong communication and negotiation skills who are motivated to deliver for the people of Camden. The successful candidates will be working with high caseloads and multiple demands on their time and so will need to be able to work efficiently. A good understanding of the London planning system is essential as well as a keenness to keep up to date with any policy changes. A recognised RTPI qualification is essential and having worked at an officer level within a local authority is an advantage. As well as working well independently, the role also involves working effectively as part of a wider team and so collaborative and delegation skills are also important.

Working for Camden

We're ready to welcome your ideas, your views, and your rebellious spirit. Help us redefine how we're supporting communities and creating places, and we'll redefine what a career can be.

At Camden, you'll receive a host of benefits as well as joining a flexible working employer. Click HERE to see full details of our benefits.

Additional Information

To view the Job Profile, please click HERE

To discover more about Camden and our commitment towards diversity, equality and safeguarding, please visit our recruitment website

Asking for Adjustments

Camden is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact us on 020 7974 6655, at [e-mail] or post to 5 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG.