Specialist Professional (Planning Policy)

Bristol City Council; Bristol; Hybrid; GBP 42,839 - 46,142; Full time

Job summary

Bristol City Council is seeking a Specialist Professional in Planning Policy to join the Planning Policy team in Bristol. This full-time, permanent role focuses on strategic planning and housing, leading on housing land supply and delivery analysis behind the new Local Plan.

You will work with elected members, council services, communities and external partners to shape policy, prepare planning guidance, procure consultants and deliver fast-paced projects in City Hall and the city centre.

Qualifications

• Education to degree level in town planning or related discipline, with knowledge of planning law.
• Proven track record leading on complex local or regional planning policy development and implementation.
• Ability to manage planning projects and heavy workloads.
• Ability to interpret and monitor complex statistical data.
• Experience in preparing briefs for major development sites.
• Excellent stakeholder management; represent the Council in meetings with developers, consultants, barristers, or other external organisations and in inquiries/examinations in public.
• Ability to operate within a complex political, organisational and partnership environment.
• Ability to mentor and supervise junior team members.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver projects with emphasis on strategic planning and housing issues.
• Collaborate with consultants and working groups for coordinated outputs.
• Provide specialist advisory to service manager, other teams and external parties on project plans.
• Prepare planning policies and guidance for plan-making.
• Procure and manage consultants to ensure best value and deliver project outcomes.
• Oversee maintenance and review of datasets.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Policy development

Data interpretation

Brief preparation

Political environment navigation

Mentoring juniors

Education

Degree in town planning or related discipline

Job description

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job details

Job reference VAC008620 Date posted 28/07/2026 Application closing date 06/09/2026 Location City Hall College Green City Centre Bristol BS1 5TR Salary BG12: £42,839 - £46,142 Package Blank Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Job category/type Planning and Building Control Attachments Person Specification.pdf Job Description.pdf

Specialist Professional (Planning Policy)

Full Time, Permanent

Join Bristol City Council and help shape the future of Bristol.

Bristol is among the first authorities to deliver a local plan under the new system, in parallel with shaping the emerging West of England Spatial Development Strategy and overhauling the existing supplementary guidance suite. We welcome innovation, critical thinking and a fast-paced approach to plan-making in a busy core city environment.

We are looking for a planning policy and/ or development management specialist professional to join our Planning Policy team and work on the new framework of planning policy for Bristol.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role as we launch our new system local plan.

You will play an important role in shaping our new framework of local planning policy as we review the local plan alongside a new spatial development strategy that contribute to Bristol City Council's ambition of creating a more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous city.

If you share our passion for place-making and you’d like to join a brilliant team in a great city with lots of fascinating planning work, and one where planners are valued and supported, we’d like to hear from you. We welcome innovation, critical thinking and an appetite for dynamic and fast-paced working.

What will I be doing?

You will have a particular focus on strategic planning and housing issues. This will include leading on housing land supply and analysis of housing delivery that sits behind the new Local Plan.

Working closely with elected members, council services, community organisations, neighbouring authorities and external partners, you will lead the development on specific policy areas including cross boundary strategic matters.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Design and deliver individual projects, within designated areas or topics with a particular emphasis on strategic planning and housing issues.
• Working collaboratively with a wide range of consultants and working groups to ensure coordinated output in accordance with their brief
• Give specialist professional and technical advice to theservice manager, other professional teams and working groups, members of the public and work groups on projects set out in the team service plan.
• Prepareplanning policiesandplanning guidance on all aspects of plan-making.
• Procuring and managing consultants to achieve best value and deliver successful project outcomes and keep up to date individual project business plans and financial appraisals.
• Oversee and contribute to the maintenance, updating of and of review datasets.

What do I need?

We're looking for an individual who can demonstrate:

• Education to a degree level or equivalent in a town planning related discipline,with knowledge of the law relating to planning matters.
• A strong track record of leading on complex local or regional planning policy development and implementation.
• Ability to manageplanning relatedprojects and complex workloads.
• Ability to interpret andmonitorcomplexstatistical data.
• Experience in project brief preparation for major development sites.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to representthe Council in meetings with developers, consultants, barristers, or other external organisationsand in formal settings such as inquiries of examinations in public
• The ability to operate confidently within a complex political, organisational and partnership environment.
• Ability to work as part of a team and to mentor and supervise project work of junior team members.

Why join us?

This is a unique opportunity to join an ambitious and collaborative team that is helping to shape the future of Bristol. You'll work on the new framework of planning policy for Bristol as we launch our New System Local Plan.

Why join us?

This is a unique opportunity to join an ambitious and collaborative team that is helping to shape the future of Bristol. You'll work on the new framework of planning policy for Bristol as we launch our New System Local Plan.

Why Bristol City Council?

At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high-profile organisation.

For the majority of our roles hybrid working arrangements are available, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice - mixing both home and office working.

Join us and you’ll receive an excellent rewards package including flexible working and flexitime, membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future.

We're a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We'll make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and provide continued workplace support throughout your career.

At Bristol City Council, we value having a workforce as diverse as the city we serve. We therefore welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit.

The personal information section (including your name) you’ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.