Strategic Planning Manager

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council; Birkenhead; On-site; GBP 66,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government body in Birkenhead is seeking a Strategic Planning Manager to lead their planning team and advance policy in a crucial role. This position requires strong leadership and relationship management skills with a focus on preserving local heritage. The ideal candidate will have the vision and initiative to shape the future of planning policies, ensuring a holistic approach to development in Wirral. The role promises a supportive work environment with competitive benefits and salaries ranging from £66,950 to £70,149 annually.

Benefits

Excellent benefits including a pension scheme

28 days annual leave plus public holidays

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Experience in strategic planning and leading a planning team.
• Strong relationship management skills with other departments.
• Ability to show initiative and work independently.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Strategic Planners to advance planning policy.
• Build relationships with Development Management Manager.
• Manage the heritage team to preserve Wirral's environment.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Planning

Emotional Intelligence

Relationship Building

Education

Relevant degree or experience in planning

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over‑50s age inclusive jobs board.

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Please apply online by clicking the link below

There has never been a more exciting time to join Wirral Council. We've got ambitious targets to meet and to achieve everything we have promised to our residents, we need people who are ready to deliver the very best for our communities and show how they can #BeTheDifference. Our vision is to secure the best possible future for our residents, defined by the community prosperity we create and supported by our excellent people and services. If you strive to #BeTheDifference and want to be at the heart of our change and improvement journey, then this could be the perfect job for you.

Strategic Planning Manager

We are looking for a tenacious leader to work with our Strategic Planners to take us forward into this new era of planning policy. We have a fully resourced team who have shown remarkable resilience in progressing our Local Plan to adoption in March 2025. We are looking for someone who is ready to scope a way forward, show initiative and act independently but with full support of the Chief Planner.

A critical part of the role will be building a solid relationship with the Development Management Manager to ensure there is a holistic approach to planning for Wirral in the future.

The role specifically recognises the importance of protecting build heritage in Wirral and the postholder will also manage the experienced and successful heritage team, as they seek to proactively manage the remarkable environment across Wirral. We also have ambition to develop the strategic service further and you would be a key part in shaping and realising that goal, bringing your own vision and passion.

And finally, we pride ourselves on creating a supportive environment, the strategic planning team sits at the heart of the service, surrounded by other planning colleagues. We are building strength, skill and positivity together and we need a leader who has presence and emotional intelligence to thrive in this culture, could that be you?

If you would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact [e-mail]

Interviews to be held week commencing 12th January 2026.

Previous applicants need not apply.

If you are a Wirral resident, are unemployed or out of work, and require help with your application, please contact Involve Northwest's employment and skills team on [e-mail] or contact 0151 644 4500 or 0151 652 4349.

If you're already a Wirral Council employee, as part of our Talent Strategy, we're committed to strengthening opportunities for our people to learn, grow, progress and thrive. For many of you, this may be preparing and applying for your next role with us, and we're passionate about ensuring you feel supported throughout your internal recruitment experience. Please get in touch if you want to know more about some of the ways in which we could support you by emailing [e-mail]

Working at Wirral

You'll also want to know what it's like to work here so, as a start:

Our values are more than just pieces of paper on our walls! We've all played a role in developing these, so they reflect the immense pride we have in what we do, what matters to us, what inspires us and inform how we think, approach things and behave.

We believe in ensuring staff are well looked after, staff wellbeing is a priority for us. We're serious about recognising and rewarding people for the great things they do. You'll benefit from our track record of developing, growing and investing in our people.

We have a range of staff benefits including staff discounts, an excellent pension scheme which includes a generous employer contribution rate, immediate life cover and ill-health protection. We have a strong flexible working approach, hybrid working, family‑friendly employment initiatives and an annual leave package starting with 28 days leave plus public holidays.

We have an inclusive, engaged culture, everyone has a voice, everyone is valued for their contribution and understands the role they play in delivering our strategic priorities.

Each voice is heard, each contribution valued. We embrace diversity in our workforce and recognise it is critical to our success. We support an inclusive culture that champions differences and nurtures a sense of belonging. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds, who share our values and our commitment to inclusion to apply for roles with us.

We want you to be your best at work, we create the conditions to help you thrive and we mirror this in our recruitment process. If you'd like us to do anything differently during the recruitment process to make it barrier‑free and as accessible as possible please contact [e-mail]

Please note that in accordance with the Council's policy, employees who are in a formal redeployment situation will be considered in the first instance for all vacancies.

It is Council policy not to re‑appoint any employee who has left under the terms of the Council's Early Voluntary Retirement (EVR) scheme or who have left with a voluntary severance (VS) package, unless in exceptional circumstances.

Applications will be accepted until midnight on the closing date.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified date should we receive sufficient applications.

Applications can only be accepted through the Jobs page following registration. Forms received via the post will not be processed.

All applicants invited to interview must evidence their right to work in the UK. Details of required documents can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the Jobs page.

The job description and other supporting documents will not be accessible once the vacancy closing date has passed so if a copy is required you should download it now.

We do not accept applications or CV's from recruitment agencies, unless otherwise stated. Therefore, any candidates submitted via a recruitment agency will not be considered for this role.

Salary range

• £66,950 - £70,149 per year