Graduate Planner

Where successful candidates graduate with a fully accredited RTPI degree (or already hold this qualification), become either a ‘Chartered Member’ of the Royal Town Planning Institute (MRTPI) or ‘Member’ of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (MCIHT), and continually score a minimum rating of ‘Achieving’ in quarterly performance reviews up until this point, they will progress to the Higher Executive Officer grade (current annual salary of £34,233 per annum) and job title of Planning Manager.
Responsibilities
Include, but not limited to:
+ Supporting senior planners in reviewing key aspects of development proposals, with progression towards formulating recommendations on planning applications for which ATE is a consultee.
+ Contributing to the drafting of internal advice notes to facilitate consistent ways of working and embed good practice.
+ Assisting the planning policy team in monitoring ATE’s influence in the planning system and developing a suite of guidance documents to support the delivery of infrastructure to current best practice.
+ Inputting as appropriate into ATE’s learning and development offer for local authorities and the development industry.
+ Attending meetings with a wide mix of stakeholders and interested parties as required.
For further information, please see the attached Role Profile., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Working Together, As part of the application process you will be required to provide a 250 word statement on each of the following Behaviours from the Civil Service Behaviour Framework. Please tailor your statement to the indicators provided:
Seeing the Big Picture
+ Keep up to date with the issues that affect your work area.
+ Take a keen interest in expanding knowledge in areas related to your work.
Working Together
+ Show genuine interest when listening to others.
+ Contribute to an inclusive working environment where all options and challenges are listened to, and all individuals needs are taken into account.
The sift is due to take place from Monday 20th January 2025.
Interviews are likely to be held week commencing Monday 10th February 2025.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.
The selection process will be designed specifically for the role. As a result, your assessment will include:
+ an interview.
This interview will be conducted online via Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.
You’re encouraged to become familiar with the role profile, as you may be assessed against any of the criteria recorded within.
The Department for Transport alongside other Government Departments recruit using Success Profiles. This means for each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate in order to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
For further information on Success Profiles visit our Careers website.
Reasonable Adjustments
As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
+ nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

To be eligible, you will need to hold a fully accredited RTPI degree or be a final-year student working towards this.
We are looking for committed, driven graduates who are keen to continue learning. You will be pro-active and self-motivated with a passion for planning and sustainable development.
You will take ownership of your learning while being comfortable to ask for guidance when appropriate from more experienced colleagues.
You will have strong communication skills, with the ability to tailor this to your audience. In addition, you can build good working relationships quickly and possess strong collaboration and interpersonal skills.
Excellent organisational skills are required, and you will be able to manage and filter workflow as well as organise and prioritise your work to maximise productivity and achieve all deadlines.
You will be highly adaptable and flexible, adjusting to the requirements of the role. Being a team player with the ability to work on your own initiative, making robust decisions as and when required.

Active travel is proven to make happier, healthier communities. By reducing health inequalities, helping make safer neighbourhoods, reducing the cost of living and tackling the climate crises, active travel improves quality of life. There has never been a more exciting time to be working in active travel and ATE is at the forefront of this high-profile agenda. Since June 2023 ATE has been actively participating in the planning system with over 2,400 planning consultations responded to within statutory timescales.

Do you hold a fully accredited RTPI degree or are soon to graduate?
Are you interested in understanding how Active Travel England (ATE) actively participates in the planning system?
If so, we would love to hear from you!
This is a phenomenal opportunity as the role will shape your career and provide you with the skills, experience and certifications to help you progress within this profession.
Would you like to find out more about the role, and what it’s like to work at ATE? If so, we are organising a familiarisation session where you can virtually 'meet the team' on Thursday 9th January at 1pm., Alongside your salary of £29,525, Active Travel England contributes £8,553 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits. We offer generous annual leave, attractive pension options, flexible working, inclusive working environments and much more to support a healthy work/life balance.
Find out more about what it's like working at the Department for Transport.