Head of Strategic Planning

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Job Title: Head of Strategic Planning Salary: Dir 60% (JNC Terms & Conditions) £79,938.72 - £87,722.06 Location: Leeds (Hybrid working available) Contract: Permanent, Full Time

About Leeds City Council

Leeds is one of the UK's largest and fastest growing cities , with bold ambitions to be a healthy, inclusive and sustainable city, delivering significant growth that benefits all communities. As a Core City, major regional centre and national economic driver, Leeds is leading transformative regeneration, infrastructure investment and place based growth across the city and wider region. Leeds has plans to re-shape and double the size of its City Centre, including through the South Bank regeneration area, which is a proposed New Town.

Planning & Sustainable Development plays a critical role in shaping Leeds' future - driving inclusive growth, supporting housing delivery of over 3,500 homes per annum, responding to the climate emergency, and ensuring high quality places for generations to come.

We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions .

About the Role

Leeds is a growing, ambitious and forward thinking city. As one of the UK's leading core cities, our planning agenda plays a critical role in shaping the places where people live, work, invest and thrive. We are now seeking an exceptional Head of Strategic Planning to lead one of the most influential planning functions in the country.

This is a senior leadership role at the heart of the Council's strategic direction. You will provide clear, collaborative and confident leadership across our Policy & Plans and Environment & Design Groups, ensuring Leeds continues to deliver high-quality plan-making, place-shaping and strategic growth.

What You'll Do

As Head of Strategic Planning, you will:

• Lead the development, delivery and continuous improvement of the Council's statutory planning frameworks, including the Local Plan, design codes and evidence base.
• Shape and drive programmes of strategic significance aligned with the Council's priorities, ambitions and organisational plan.
• Provide expert leadership on longterm place strategy, environmental quality, sustainable development and spatial visioning.
• Work collaboratively across the Planning & Sustainable Development Service, the wider City Development directorate and corporate teams to respond effectively to crosscutting city challenges.
• Build strong and influential partnerships with regional and national bodies, including the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, government agencies, neighbouring authorities and key stakeholders.
• Ensure Leeds remains a well planned, well designed and sustainable city through leadership in policy, design, conservation, landscape, ecology and environmental planning.
• Champion innovation, evidence based decision making, service modernisation and organisational learning.
• Lead, motivate and develop a multidisciplinary team, fostering a positive, inclusive and high performing culture.

About You

We are looking for a strategic leader who can bring:

• Significant senior experience in spatial planning, urban policy, planmaking or a related field.
• A strong track record of leading complex programmes, influencing senior stakeholders and developing highperforming teams.
• Deep understanding of planning legislation, national policy, design quality, environmental policy and strategic growth.
• Excellent communication, political awareness and partnershipbuilding skills.
• A commitment to inclusive growth, climate action, high-quality place-making and improving outcomes for communities.
• The ability to think strategically while delivering operational excellence.

Why Leeds?

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Apply Here: Head of Strategic Planning - Apply Here

Read our guidance for further advice on completing your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role contact:

Martin Elliot, Chief Planning Officer at [email protected]

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job Description

Job purpose - Provide effective leadership and management, working in partnership with others, to meet the needs of the city's residents, elected members, the council's staff and broader stakeholders, ensuring the delivery of all relevant strategic outcomes and objectives.

Responsibilities -

• Take lead and be responsible for implementing the service plan and drive continuous improvement initiatives through leading and contributing to cross Council projects, collaborative working with partners and supporting Directorate management teams.
• Support the delivery of programmes of strategic significance to the Council in order to deliver services in line with Council & Directorate priorities.
• Drive a programme that delivers the Council's ambitions, in terms of time, budget, quality, quantity and that fits with the Council's wider strategic goals and values.
• Work as a team for Leeds by developing and maintaining good working relationships with internal and external customers, other stakeholders and partners to achieve excellent outcomes for the citizens of Leeds.
• Work co-operatively with other teams in Planning and Sustainable Development, in the City Development Directorate and corporately to effectively respond to cross cutting issues within the Council as defined by the Chief Planning Officer.
• Work collaboratively and build consensus with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority on a range of strategic planning ...