Senior Planning Liaison Officer

About the job

Key information

• This role offers hybrid working, allowing you to work either from home or from one of our offices
• 30 days’ annual leave per year (plus bank holidays)
• Take on a leading role withing a small, supportive team
• Fixed-term contract until 31st October 2025

What will I be doing?

Working in Somerset provides the opportunity to get involved in some of the UK’s most high-profile growth initiatives, including new garden communities, housing infrastructure fund, enterprise zones, and national infrastructure projects such as Hinkley Point C.
This provides the opportunity to take on a wide range of challenging and rewarding work – giving you valuable experience that can be difficult to find elsewhere.

Our team has a positive and supportive culture, and an environment that enables people to develop and improve – which means that you’ll have everything you needs to grow (Or even begin) your career in planning.

As a Senior Planning Liaison Officer, you’ll be acting on behalf of the Highway Authority, providing advice on planning applications to the Local Planning Authority as well as to developers, councillors, and other interested parties.
Our team come from a range of different backgrounds, and it is not essential for you to have had experience in the areas below. The skills and experience required can often be developed once you are in the role.

The work is carried, but day to day activities will often include:

• Offering guidance on a wide range of highways development management issues both pre-application consultation and the planning process.
• Negotiating and securing highway works and contributions through legal agreements.
• Undertaking investigations into planning/political and technical issues.
• Representing the Highway Authority at planning committees and appeals.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

Our team come from a range of different backgrounds, and it is not essential for you to have had experience in the areas below. But it is important that you have an understanding of the planning system. This could have been gained through experience in a similar role, or through your own research and learning – you may even be a recent graduate!

It is essential that you are educated to a degree level or have relevant professional experience. Either is fine.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

What is in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave.
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more.

Supporting documents and information

The salary is Grade 10, ranging from £36,124 to £40,476 per annum

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Jon Fellingham, Service Manager: Highways Development Management, on 01823 356298 or via jon.fellingham@Somerset.gov.uk

If you have everything you need, just hit the apply button. We can’t wait to hear from you.

Apply on the Somerset Council website

Apply now