Team Lead - Mayoral Planning & Development Management

As Team Lead - Mayoral Planning & Development Management, you will lead that work. You will build the team and capability we need, establish the operating model and ways of working for the new service, and forge strong relationships with local planning authorities and other partners across the region. This is not simply about establishing processes. Success will depend on creating a service that combines high-quality professional advice and robust decision-making with trusted relationships across organisational boundaries. You will need to establish credibility quickly, navigate differing priorities and perspectives, and create a culture in which the team can operate confidently on complex and high-profile planning matters. This is a rare opportunity to build a new statutory planning function from the ground up and shape how it operates from the outset. We are looking for an outstanding leader who combines strong planning expertise with the ability to build teams, develop trusted relationships and turn new statutory responsibilities into an effective service. This is a critical time in our transformation and growth journey, and you'll play a pivotal role in helping us achieve our ambitions by:

• Establishing and leading the MCA's new Mayoral Planning & Development Management function.
• Building and developing a high-performing team with the skills and confidence to deliver a new statutory service.
• Creating the operating model, governance, systems and ways of working needed for the function to succeed.
• Developing strong and trusted relationships with the region's local planning authorities and other key partners.
• Creating effective arrangements for handling planning applications of potential strategic importance.
• Providing clear, robust and impartial professional advice to the Mayor and senior leaders.
• Leading the MCA's work on applications called in for Mayoral determination.
What you'll be doing Are you someone who can build a new team and service, establish credibility across organisational boundaries and bring people together around a new way of working? As Team Lead - Mayoral Planning & Development Management, you will:
• Build and lead the MCA's new Mayoral Planning & Development Management team, establishing its culture, capability and professional standards.
• Translate new legislation and policy into a practical and effective operating model.
• Establish the governance arrangements, procedures, casework systems and performance framework required to support the new function.
• Build strong working relationships with local planning authorities and agree effective arrangements for referrals, information sharing and case management.
• Work collaboratively with planning authorities, government, developers, statutory bodies and other partners while navigating different organisational interests and responsibilities.
• Provide trusted professional advice to the Mayor and senior officers on complex and potentially sensitive planning matters.
• Lead the assessment and handling of planning applications of potential strategic importance referred to the Mayor.
• Lead the handling of applications called in for Mayoral determination, including associated planning and section 106 matters.
• Create a service that is responsive, proportionate and respected for the quality and integrity of its professional advice.
• Develop the team and service over time as the new Mayoral planning arrangements become established., The introduction of new Mayoral planning powers gives us the opportunity to build a completely new capability within the MCA and to establish strong, collaborative arrangements for how those powers operate across the West of England.
You will be joining at the beginning, not inheriting a finished model. You will have the opportunity to shape the service, recruit and develop its team, establish its relationships with local planning authorities and create the systems and ways of working that will underpin it for the future. For the right person, that offers something unusual: the opportunity to combine professional planning expertise with building a team, creating a new service and establishing a new set of relationships across the region., We want everyone to have a fair opportunity to work with us. We are committed to inclusive recruitment and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Our recruitment processes are designed to be fair, accessible and free from unlawful discrimination, in line with the Equality Act 2010. Reasonable Adjustments If you have an accessibility need, disability, condition or need any additional support that means you might require changes to the application or recruitment process (for example, you might need to submit your application in a different format), please get in touch with our Resourcing Team at Resourcing@westofengland-ca.gov.uk. We are here to assist and accommodate your needs.

You will be an experienced planning professional, but this role is as much about leadership, relationships and building organisational capability as it is about technical planning expertise.,
• Have a track record of building, establishing or significantly developing teams, services or professional capability.
• Can create clarity and momentum where structures, processes and ways of working are still being developed.
• Are an effective and supportive leader who can recruit, develop and get the best from professional teams.
• Have a strong track record of building trusted relationships across complex organisational and stakeholder environments.
• Can work constructively where organisations have different responsibilities, priorities or perspectives and find practical ways forward.
• Have the credibility and confidence to influence senior stakeholders and provide clear professional advice in politically sensitive environments.
• Can translate legislation, policy and strategic objectives into practical operational arrangements.
• Understand the importance of sound governance, transparency and professional integrity when exercising statutory functions.
• Bring substantial development management experience and the professional judgement required to deal with major or complex development proposals.
Membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute and significant professional experience in development management will be essential., We believe in fostering a culture of continuous learning and development, empowering you to thrive in your career. We prioritise your growth and success by providing a diverse range of learning and development opportunities. Our goal is to keep you motivated, equipped with essential skills, and confident in delivering excellent services.

The West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) is seeking to appoint an exceptional Team Lead - Mayoral Planning & Development Management to establish and lead a new planning function at an important point in the evolution of the region's planning system. The West of England is one of the UK's fastest-growing city-regions, with significant opportunities and challenges around housing delivery, economic growth, regeneration and infrastructure investment. How we work together across the region to manage strategically important development will be critical to achieving those ambitions.

Alongside the opportunity to make a real difference to the people who visit, live and work in the West of England, we offer an excellent benefits package including:
• 26 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, rising to 31 days after 5 years continuous service. There is also the option to increase your annual leave with our annual leave purchase scheme.
• 2 days of paid leave each year to volunteer
• Local Government Pension Scheme (one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK).
• Flexible, family friendly and hybrid working options to ensure you achieve the best work/life balance and career goals. We follow a hybrid working model with typically 2 or 3 days in the office each week
• Reduced bus fare travel across the West of England, The salary for this role is £65,787 - £71,964. This is the full-time equivalent salary, and will be pro-rata for part-time. We advertise salary ranges for job roles, with new appointments for external candidates typically starting at the lowest salary point. In exceptional cases, where higher skill levels or experience are applicable, the salary point may be adjusted to secure the best candidate. This approach allows for potential year-on-year salary increases, offering progression and appropriate rewards to employees.