Senior Planning Officer - ARGBC000032

Argyll and Bute Council; United States; Hybrid; USD 64,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

Argyll and Bute Council is seeking a motivated town planning professional to join the Major Applications Team, handling National, Major, and Local EIA development. The role allows homeworking with regular travel to sites and meetings across the Council area.

The successful candidate will contribute to complex projects, bring RTPI-related expertise, and mentor colleagues while progressing applications with professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate professional experience is required.
• Familiarity with EIA and rural planning issues is advantageous.
• Ability to convey complex information to varied audiences.

Responsibilities

• Process and monitor National, Major, and Local EIA development.
• Be prepared to regularly travel for site visits and meetings.
• Deputise for Area based Team Leaders on local applications and provide peer reviews.
• Mentor less experienced colleagues and support caseload management.
• Support training and professional development within the team.

Skills

Analytical skills

Engagement skills

Negotiation skills

Data management

Education

Postgraduate experience

RTPI membership eligibility

Tools

IT systems

Job description

Interviews are expected to take place w/c 7th December 2026. Shortlisted candidates will be offered an interview slot which they will be able to book.

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and experienced town planning professional to join the Council’s Major Applications Team who are responsible for the processing and monitoring of National,

Major, and Local EIA development across Argyll and Bute.

Argyll and Bute is one of Scotland’s most stunning areas. As its award-winning council, we play a vital

part in the day-to-day life and long-term future of our beautiful and diverse communities. Our unwavering purpose is to make Argyll and Bute the place to be, the place where people want to live, to work and do business. And we are committed to making the council the place to have a great career, by providing excellent benefits and a friendly, dynamic working culture so that each of our 5000 colleagues can deliver services that help our corner of Scotland thrive. Join us to make a difference.

About the role:

This is an exciting opportunity for a motivated and experienced town planning professional to join the Council’s Major Applications Team who are responsible for the processing and monitoring of National, Major, and Local EIA development across Argyll and Bute. The role is suitable for homeworking however the successful candidate will be required to regularly travel throughout the Council area to undertake site visits and to attend meetings as necessary.

About you:

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of projects with plenty of scope for professional development both through their own casework and mentoring others. A familiarity with EIA and rural planning issues, the assessment of complex applications undertaking of planning enforcement, and a track record of dealing with IT and data management systems would all be advantageous.

Candidates require to have considerable professional post graduate experience, have (or be eligible for) professional membership of the RTPI and a detailed working knowledge of Development Management legislation and procedure. Candidates should be able to demonstrate effective analytical, engagement and negotiation skills and the ability to convey complex information to a range of audiences including elected members, the public, and other planning professionals.

In addition to the primary purpose of progressing applications for major development, there will also be the requirement from time to time for the post holder to deputise for and/or assist Area based Team Leaders who are responsible for the processing of ‘local’ applications. In such circumstances the post holder will be required to undertake peer review and sign off of non-contentious ‘local’ applications and to provide mentoring/support that assists with the caseload management and professional development of less experienced colleagues.

Whilst previous experience in the processing of National/Major/EIA development would be of benefit this is not essential as the post is an excellent opportunity for a suitably experienced planning professional to take the next step in their career progression with support and training.

We offer various benefits to support you, such as:

• a competitive salary
• pension scheme
• generous leave entitlement
• cycle to work scheme
• discounts on gym memberships and leisure centres
• wellbeing initiatives
• opportunities for learning and career growth
• a flexible first approach where possible to requests from our employees to how they work
• A relocation package would be available to a successful candidate moving to the Council area to take up employment

We provide information to help with moving to the area, from finding somewhere to live to securing employment, and from schools and wider education to the varied lifestyles available here.

We care about our people and the world around us and always aim to do the right thing. From employee recognition schemes to environmental policies we have many initiatives in place to help us look after the things we all care about. Learn more here

Argyll and Bute Employee Recognition Programme,

Disability Confident,

Equality and Fairness,

Climate Change,

Flexible and Hybrid Working Policy

Argyll and Bute Council recognises the numerous benefits of a positive work-life balance to the wellbeing and productivity of our employees. We will take a flexible first approach to requests from our employees to change the way that they work. While we must balance such requests with the need to ensure the quality of the important services we deliver are not compromised, we will ensure that each request is given careful consideration with a view to achieving a positive outcome wherever possible.

We want everyone applying for a job with Argyll and Bute Council to feel confident, supported and informed throughout our recruitment process. Our

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