Location
London SW1, Marsham Street

Hours
Full Time, Permanent

Salary
£43,198 per year + £4,406 p.a. Inner London Weighting Allowance

About the Role
Are you passionate about contributing to a more sustainable environment? This is your chance to make a meaningful impact.

We’re seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic individual to work as part of a team that engages with and influences local planning authorities, planning decision makers and developers to secure the best possible environmental outcomes.

As a Planning Specialist, you will be an expert advisor on planning issues, taking and creating opportunities to achieve sustainable economic prosperity that protects and enhances our environment. In this key role, you’ll guide how growth and regeneration happen - ensuring developments safeguard communities, promote biodiversity, and protect our environment.

Your work will involve:
- Providing technical leadership, expertise and guidance, primarily to Sustainable Places, but also other internal consultees involved in the planning process, ensuring the best environmental outcomes are achieved on development proposals and planning appeals.
- Working with a high degree of collaboration, using effective written and spoken communication skills to influence customers, build strong relationships and networks internally and externally.
- Leading on the team’s most high-profile work areas.
- Training and coaching others to equip them with the knowledge and skills to resolve local issues, ensuring decisions are made on sound technical grounds and are in line with local and national guidance.
- Supporting the Team Leader in leading and managing the team and issues, taking ownership of improvement actions.

The Environment Agency reflects the communities it serves. We don’t just talk about inclusion - we live it. Every new team member is welcomed and given full support, induction, and the equipment they need to thrive.

Incident response is central to our mission. Everyone who joins us undertakes training and is expected to support incident response, which could attract additional payments. Full training and flexible working arrangements are provided.

Experience
- Significant relevant experience in a planning-related role, for example working with the Environment Agency as a Planning Advisor or Planning Specialist, or in a consultee team, or working for a developer, local planning authority, or other statutory consultee such as Natural England, MMO, Heritage England, or Highways England.
- Ability to deal with and advise on development issues and/or complex environmental problems.
- Experience working with and influencing organisations and individuals to deliver environmental benefits.
- Problem solving skills with the ability to work on complex issues and opportunities.
- Confidence in communicating strategic and technical issues to a range of audiences.
- Ability to provide pre-application and strategic advice, including the associated recovery of costs for this work.
- Team-working skills and experience working flexibly in a high workload, high pressure environment.

About you
- Highly motivated and enthusiastic with a passion for sustainable development and environmental protection.
- Collaborative with strong communication skills to build relationships and influence stakeholders.
- Willingness to support incident response and participate in training.
- Committed to inclusion and diversity, reflecting the communities served.

Qualifications
- Degree in Town and Country Planning or a relevant discipline such as Geography, Environmental Science, Sustainability, Geoscience, Ecology, or Biology.
- Desirable: Experience managing client-based projects and budgets.
- Desirable: Experience reviewing and improving processes and procedures.
- Desirable: Coaching and mentoring experience.
- Desirable: Membership or demonstrable progress towards membership of a relevant professional body.

Benefits
- Company pension scheme.
- Enhanced maternity leave.
- Enhanced paternity leave.
- 27 days holiday plus 8 bank holidays.
- Options for flexible and/or part-time working considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Paid environmental outcomes days.
- Comprehensive leave schemes including maternity, paternity, and adoption.