Town Planning Team Leader

Town Planning Team Leader 
Hertfordshire 
£72/hour, Umbrella

We are seeking a Town Planning Team Leader to join a Local Authority in Hertfordshire. You will play a pivotal role in managing and supervising a team of planning policy staff through key stages of the local plan process and the development of future policy documents, guidance notes, and SPDs.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a team of planning policy officers and external consultants.
• Oversee the delivery of policy programs, ensuring compliance and strategic alignment with local objectives.
• Maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders to ensure 'duty to cooperate.'
• Allocate and delegate workstreams within the team, ensuring timely and quality delivery.
• Review and sign off delegated reports, ensuring accuracy and adherence to planning policy.
• Engage in community and stakeholder consultations to gather feedback and inform policy development.
• Provide policy comments on major planning applications.
• Represent the Planning Policy Team at various council meetings, including the Member Planning Panel, Cabinet, and other councillor sessions.

Essential Experience and Skills:

• Proven track record in handling complex policy planning work in high-pressure environments.
• Project management expertise with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
• Leadership experience managing a team of professional, technical, and administrative staff within a service-based environment.
• Innovation and initiative, demonstrating consistent achievement within a public sector setting.
• Strong ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Skilled in the preparation, submission, and presentation of committee and management reports.
• Experience in applying and developing IT solutions to support a dynamic and changing environment.

Ideal Candidate:

• Extensive experience leading a Town Planning team.
• Strong knowledge of UK planning legislation and local government policy frameworks.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• A strategic thinker with the ability to innovate and drive forward policy initiatives.