Area Development Manager - Braintree District Council

Braintree District Council have an exciting opportunity for an Area Development Manager to join their planning team based in Braintree, Essex. Are you an experienced Town Planner looking to take a step into management or an existing manager looking for a new challenge? Then you may be the Area Development Manager we need to lead a team and provide an effective Development Management Service for an area of the District. This is an exciting time to work for Braintree. The District will grow significantly in the coming years and we are looking to embrace this challenge to deliver well-designed new homes, jobs and the infrastructure required to support this growth, whilst being careful to preserve the character and quality of the District. About the Role This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic and ambitious planning service. As an Area Development Manager, you will have the skills to lead, coach, and mentor a team of 4-5 professional planning officers. This is a pivotal role within the team, being responsible for signing off Delegated Decisions for one of the Area teams, managing and monitoring team performance, ensuring the delivery of excellent customer service, and being the Lead Officer at Planning Committee. In addition, you will play an active role in ensuring continuous improvement and that service transformation is embedded effectively.,

• Checking and signing off reports and decisions to be considered under delegated authority or by Planning Committee, and deputising for other Managers during periods of absence.
• The provision of advice to Planning Committee on all aspects of Development Management, preparing Committee reports and recommendations and assembling agendas.
• To attend Planning Committee meetings and present reports and recommendations.
• To coordinate all aspects of the Development Management Service for an area of the District, including liaison with Parish Councils, interest groups, other Departments of the Council, the County Council and consultees, to ensure high standards of service.
• Management and monitoring of Planning Performance Agreements for an Area Team.
• The implementation of all aspects of the Council's plans and policies through Development Management and through liaison with the Planning Policy team and other Council Services.
• To manage a team of Planning Officers including workload allocation, mentoring, development and performance management and appraisal.
• To engage and liaise with Members on Development Management issues.
• To support the Planning Development Manager in the co-ordination of Development Management input into the development of the Local Plan.
• To assess planning and related applications, discuss proposals with applicants, undertake site inspections and advise the public on proposals, as appropriate.
• To prepare evidence for appeals and represent the Council at Hearings and Public Inquiries.
• To represent the Development Management Service, as required, in the development of cross-Service corporate strategies and projects.
• To deputise for the Planning Development Manager as required and during periods of absence.
  
  The successful candidate will have extensive planning knowledge and experience of working within a Development Management team. You will have a strong proactive work ethic, analytical in your approach, with excellent communication, report writing, and customer service skills, as well as the necessary motivation to deliver high performance and the ability to work accurately and to tight deadlines. If you are hardworking, ambitious, dynamic, and commercially aware, we want to hear from you.
You will need to be a member of the Royal Town Planning Institute or be eligible for membership. If you have previous management experience it would be a bonus.

Braintree District Council is an ambitious and forward-thinking authority with a vision of creating a great place for our residents and businesses. As a Council our role is as a guardian of the place and its people; where residents live well in healthy and resilient communities; a well-connected district with high-quality homes delivered with the infrastructure and a place which attracts and provides good employment opportunities. We are becoming one of the fastest growing Districts in the East of England with three growing towns, London just 45 minutes away and the district located directly between the international transport centres of Stansted Airport and Harwich and Felixstowe International Ports. We have a deserved track record for delivering and a strong reputation within the business community and are committed Braintree District Council is a great place to work. We pride ourselves on our creative and innovative approach which is led by our staff. We are committed to having an engaged workforce who understand our strategy and how they can help deliver it. Some of the benefits of working for Braintree District Council are:
• Flexible working
• Free parking
• Local government pension scheme
• Learning and development for all staff
• Staff recognition schemes
• Extensive health and wellbeing programme including discounted gym membership.