Planning Advisor (Town and Country Planning) - 20350

1
North West
Warrington
Richard Fairclough House
Staff Grade 3
Permanent
Full Time
Environment & Sustainability, Planning, Knowledge & Information Management
£24,213
‘Adapt or die’. These were the recent words of the EA’s Chair when speaking about the country’s resilience to climate change. If you want your work to support creating a more sustainable environment, then we have the perfect opportunity.

We are looking for an entry grade Planning Advisor to join the Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire (GMMC) team. You will be on the frontline engaging with Local Planning Authorities, developers and consultants to ensure that the large amounts of growth and regeneration planned over the next 15 years are delivered in a way which protects and enhances the environment for future generations.

In GMMC we have some of the biggest environmental challenges: multiple main rivers, a large coastline and a lot of historically contaminated land. We need a highly motivated and enthusiastic person to take on these challenges and deliver positive outcomes for the environment.

Your work will involve planning application data screening and management, coordinating advice from various internal technical experts enabling us to influence planning application consultations. You will need excellent communication and customer service skills. Good organisational skills are essential and you must be able to meet deadlines under challenging work pressures.
We are a positive, friendly and hardworking team that takes pride in delivering outcomes for the environment. This includes flood risk reduction, pollution prevention, promotion of water efficiency and river corridor enhancement. We work closely with internal teams to provide this service.

Externally we engage with a range of customers, including Councils, water companies, developers and Defra partners.

The multi-functional nature of this roles presents an excellent opening to a career in the Environment Agency.
Essential
- Excellent communication skills: Ability to engage and coordinate with others, displaying a confident and professional demeanour when speaking to internal and external partners.
- Strong customer service skills
- Excellent organisational skills: ability to effectively manage and prioritise own workload and stick to deadlines.
- Energy and willingness to learn and develop
- A real desire to achieve the best environmental outcomes and a flexible, creative approach to move with our changing ways of working.
- Experience of using Microsoft office package

Desirable
- Degree in Town and Country Planning
- Understanding of the planning system
- Experience with using mapping/GIS systems

You will be willing to undertake specialist/or further training when necessary.

The candidate pack and role profile available below, should be read along with the advert in order to understand the key accountabilities and skills needed to succeed in this role.
Interviews will be held 12th and 13th of January 2022.

This role will be based in our Warrington office, with a mix of home and office working.

Please note that you might be requested to undertake other appropriate responsibilities and roles at the same level if there is a business need.

To discuss the role and for further details please contact Malin Lindgren (Sustainable Places Team Leader) by email malin.lindgren@environment-agency.gov.uk or phone 07557631807.

13/12/2021, 23:55 hours

Basic Check
Focuses on Customers and Partners
Please note we do not assess CVs. It is your answer given to the question below that will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your response. A copy of our EA capability dictionary can be viewed by searching online using any web browser.

Provide an example of when you have helped deliver excellent customer service.
Communicates Effectively
Please note we do not assess CVs. It is your answer given to the question below that will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your response. A copy of our EA capability dictionary can be viewed by searching online using any web browser.

Tell me about a time when you have conveyed a complex or difficult issue to a person with little understanding of the subject matter.
Manages Self
Please note we do not assess CVs. It is your answer given to the question below that will be used for interview selection so ensure you draw out your skills and experience in your response. A copy of our EA capability dictionary can be viewed by searching online using any web browser.

How do you manage your workloads when you have competing deadlines?
If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.

This Vacancy is closed to applications.