Development & Conservation Manager

North Herts Council; United States; Remote; USD 62,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

North Hertfordshire Council is seeking a senior planning professional to co-manage a busy planning service, leading development management, planning enforcement, and specialist functions. You will mentor a team of 30+ officers and shape high-quality development across the district.

With substantial local authority experience and RTPI membership, you will balance strategic leadership with hands-on involvement in complex applications, supporting sound professional judgement and collaborative

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in development management within a local authority or similar.
• Eligible for membership of RTPI or a member in good standing.
• Experience leading planning staff and delivering complex applications.

Responsibilities

• Oversee development management, planning enforcement and specialist functions.
• Lead, mentor and develop a team of 30+ officers.
• Speak for the service in complex decision-making and with elected members.
• Balance competing priorities and ensure service performance and continuous improvement.
• Build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Support modern planning service delivery and shaping high-quality development.
• Contribute to organisational changes and effective governance.

Skills

Development management

Leadership

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

People management

Education

RTPI membership

Job description

Are you looking for your next step in planning leadership? This is an exciting opportunity to jointly deliver one of the Council's key planning services at a time of significant growth and change. As one of two co-managers, you'll oversee development management, planning enforcement, technical support and specialist functions, delivered by a skilled and experienced team of more than 30 officers. You will help shape high-quality development across North Hertfordshire. This encompasses schemes of all scales across approximately 2,500 applications, pre-apps, enquiries and other works each year. The role combines strategic leadership with hands-on professional involvement in some of the district's most complex and high-profile planning matters. Importantly, you'll join an experienced and supportive management team. Our existing manager is moving into flexible retirement, remaining with the service on a part-time basis. This provides a unique opportunity for distribution of responsibilities between the two posts, mentoring, knowledge sharing and support while increasing our overall management capacity. Whether you are already managing a planning service or are an exceptional Principal Planner or Team Leader ready to take the next step, this role offers a superb opportunity.

You will be an experienced planning professional with a strong understanding of development management and the ability to lead and inspire people, manage projects and support complex decision-making.

• Have substantial experience in development management within a local authority or similar environment.
• Be eligible for membership of, or a member of, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).
• Have experience of managing complex and significant planning applications and balancing competing priorities.
• Be confident providing clear professional advice to elected members, senior officers, applicants and communities.
• Have experience of leading, supervising or developing planning staff and creating a positive, high-performing culture.
• Understand the importance of service performance, customer focus and continuous improvement.
• Have knowledge of planning enforcement, appeals and wider development management legislation and practice.
• Be an excellent communicator who can build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.

Most importantly, you'll bring sound professional judgement, a collaborative leadership style and a desire to help shape and improve a modern planning service.

North Hertfordshire is a large rural district with approximately 125,000 residents with four historic towns, Hitchin, Baldock, Royston and Letchworth Garden City. The Council have four priorities: Thriving Communities, Accessible Services, Responsible Growth and Sustainability. The Council Plan sets out our key priorities and themes for the next five years. The North Herts Values define how we as colleagues work with each other, and we strive to be: Adaptable, Inclusive, Learning, Listening, Together.

Why work with us?

We are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion in our recruitment practices and in our employment policies.

We want our employees to feel safe to express themselves and we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds with a wide range of talents.

We are dedicated to promoting a healthy work/life balance, valuing our employees, and enabling them to make a difference to the local community.

At North Herts Council we are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and we guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum requirements for the job.

Please note that all our vacancies require you to live and work in the UK, and selection interviews are face to face in our Letchworth offices or other nearby council sites.

We are changing North Herts Council (NHC) is due to be undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) which is one of the biggest changes in local government we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better.