MoJ Property Directorate Town Planning Advisor (Ref: 88209)

Position Town Planning Advisor Location NationalBand Grade 6Contract Type PermanentOverview The MoJ Property Directorate is a customer focused organisation that exists to enable our customers to perform to their very best. We do this by providing high quality, easy to use services, and working environments that our customers want to work in, which support them to deliver their individual outputs efficiently. Our job is to manage one of the most diverse and complex estates in Government hosted by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). MoJ Property brings together a property portfolio including Prisons, Probation, and MoJ HQ and Arms Length Bodies. We also provide property services on behalf of the Home Office.MoJ Property provides specialist services including facilities management, health and safety, fire safety and security, technical design expertise, and sustainability. We also have business management teams who support the entire Directorate and each of our partners is supported by account management teams. We are responsible for a great deal - our portfolio consists of properties valued at 8.5bn for the MoJ alone. We are part of the Government Property Profession (GPP) and through active membership and engagement we will work with the Office of Government Property to develop the maturity of the profession and also encourage our people to join the GPP. We continue to build our capability through training and recruitment, aspiring to be the best that we can be as individuals and as a directorate.We continue to deliver new ways of working across our portfolio leading on the scale and pace of activity for central government proposing ways to achieve, and then providing more dynamic and flexible workspace, while driving down the cost of the estate.Job Description, Duties and Responsibilities The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting the delivery of a programme of new prison development and other associated built infrastructure across MoJs estate. This is an operational role that requires a high level of technical Development Management related town planning expertise and the ability to work independently providing expert advice to our programmes on all town planning matters. It is envisaged that suitable candidates will have gained this experience working directly in Development Management, planning consultancy and/or in a planning advisory capacity. The successful candidate will be responsible for advising on all planning aspects of prison and related infrastructure delivery nationwide. This role will primarily involve providing initial and on-going advice on strategic and site-specific planning issues; ensuring that planning advice is available through the life of a project; that suitable planning strategies are in place to ensure the timely delivery of planning permissions; and that planning risk is appropriately assessed through the life of a project. An important part of the role is to ensure that the quality and level of planning and related technical expertise is provided and maintained by contractors as part of the contractors acceptance of planning risk. Day to day the role will require the successful candidates to: - Provide advice on all planning related matters across a wide geography from site selection to site delivery; - Identify and pro-actively resolve planning problems as they arise to minimise impact on programme delivery. Ability to recognise when there is a need for challenge and when it is necessary escalate matters to senior management;- Appoint and manage external planning and legal professionals, (including agreement of scope and on-going liaison) to provide input on projects as required;- Engage with contractors to monitor progress and performance on the delivery of implementable planning permissions;- Input into planning advice within Ministerial and other formal submissions in relation to MoJs decision making processes and review advice provided by other planning advisors including appointed consultants; - Develop & maintain effective relationships to work with property, legal, commercial and technical experts to ensure that wider programme and department objectives are met;- Identify / implement planning process improvements that could deliver better day-to-day working practices;- Disseminate information on changes to the planning system where this will be beneficial to operational delivery, efficiency and meeting programme objectives; - Track the planning status of all projects and ensure accurate reporting and timely completion of commissions to support programme analysis;- Develop and maintain strategic relationships with DLUHC, local planning authorities (and other key stakeholders) to influence emerging policy and work with MoJ colleagues (including HMPPS and HMCTS) on other initiatives to support the delivery of prison infrastructure;- Provide strategic advice and recommendations on the need for representations to Local Plans and local policy where relevant, with the aim of gaining greater policy certainty on sites at an earlier stage in the process; - Assist senior managers with programme strategy and policy development, incorporating lessons learnt from projects and the wider experience of the market, urban planning and Government infrastructure projects. The successful candidate will have responsibility for c. 50 active projects. Whilst the primary focus of the role will be on operational and development management related matters, the successful candidate will also need to be skilled, knowledgeable and confident advising on planning policy matters and willing to work flexibly as the need arises. The role requires effective prioritisation of work and balancing competing demands. It also requires an ability to develop close working relationships with other members of the Infrastructure Delivery Team, MoJ, HMPPS and others to support the delivery of new prison infrastructure and disseminate good practice. Skills and Experience Essential Established reputation as a planning expert within a Development Management context, likely to be gained through working directly in either Development Management, planning consultancy and/or in a planning advisory capacity; Ability to think strategically and provide sound advice on planning strategies; Experienced at building relationships particularly with Local Authorities and other public sector organisations; Ability to operate confidently in a complex organisation and provide written and oral briefings Highly Desirable Successful experience of delivering challenging programmes/policy solutions and change in a complex environment to demanding timescales. Project management experience, particularly in construction Awareness of Government Property ProfessionQualifications Qualified Town Planner (MRTPI and/or RICS) with at least 10 years post qualification experienceGovernment Property Profession (GPP) Technical Skills The GPP Framework is aimed at staff working in property or property-related roles who consider property to be their career anchor profession. This usually encompasses posts where professional qualifications and experience are directly relevant to the work being undertaken. However, it is also applicable to those who are currently not qualified property practitioners but wish to make this their profession of choice. Those with a property background at any level are encouraged to register with the GPP, which exists to support property practitioners at all levels. Details of the GPP Career Framework can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-government-property-profession-career-framework--2This role falls under Planning & Development Senior Practitioner and some or all of the following Technical Skills will be tested during the selection process: Strategy and business planning - W Property Professional Expertise - E Analytical decision making - P Customer and client focus - P Stakeholder engagement - EBehavioursWe will assess you against some or all of these behaviours during the selection process: Seeing the Big Picture Communicating & Influencing Delivering at pace Making Effective Decisions- A self-motivated individual confident in advising on complex projects/policy matters. - A problem solver with the ability to communicate professional planning knowledge to non-experts effectively- Ability to work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams. - Confidently engage with stakeholders and colleagues to gain commitment and build trust. Flexible working hours The successful candidate will need to be available to be at various MoJ sites including London HQ as required and often for 2 to 3 days in a week to attend meetings with Local Authorities, in MoJ offices and/or on site.The Property Directorate offers a flexible working system in many teams. Requests for reduced hours contracts will be considered in line with business needs.We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce and pride ourselves as being an employer of choice. We are happy to accommodate any reasonable adjustments you may require during the selection process. To find out more about how we champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversityThe Property Directorate is supportive of and encourages flexible working subject to local agreement. Non-civil service candidates would typically start on the pay band minimum.