Head of Planning Policy

Please apply online via the link provided.

There will be 2 information sessions running on the dates below via teams:
Session 1 (15 July 3-4pm) - https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NjM5NjMwMmUtOGY1ZS00NmZjLTg1Y2YtODVhOWJlMzA5YWQ5%40thread.v2/0?context=%7B%22Tid%22%3A%2250d8c115-b77f-4395-a3ba-3b407caf0d88%22%2C%22Oid%22%3A%223f60dac1-f357-4898-a277-d58e7e018e57%22%2C%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3Atrue%2C%22role%22%3A%22a%22%7D&btype=a&role=a

Session 2 (17 July 11.30am-12.30pm) - https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZDI1MmYzYWUtMmQ2My00YWNhLWEzMzYtNjcwZWVjZjQ3MGM4%40thread.v2/0?context=%7B%22Tid%22%3A%2250d8c115-b77f-4395-a3ba-3b407caf0d88%22%2C%22Oid%22%3A%223f60dac1-f357-4898-a277-d58e7e018e57%22%2C%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3Atrue%2C%22role%22%3A%22a%22%7D&btype=a&role=a

About Us:

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF DAPHNE’S INSIGHT

Corporate Services in Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories, where passionate and expert professionals go above and beyond for their colleagues every day.

Daphne, our champion for people with learning difficulties, is a real beacon. She doesn’t just advocate for colleagues with these difficulties, she teaches managers how to identify and understand the conditions and support their teams at work. Daphne has an innate ability to see the human behind every situation, helping them capitalise on strengths and overcome challenges to be their very best. With her empathy and expertise, she’s a natural. But then, a lifetime of managing her own dyslexia and dyspraxia brings with it unique insight. Our people – and ultimately residents – benefit every day.

Please view the extraordinary story of Daphne’s Insight here.

The Role:

As joint Head of City Planning Policy, you can make your own powerful contribution to Westminster’s success. This is a rare opportunity to lead city-wide planning policy development in one of the most complex, high-profile urban environments in the world. Working as part of a flexible job-share (three days per week), you will shape the long-term physical fabric of Westminster – from iconic landmarks to distinct neighbourhoods – ensuring that our planning policy framework supports the city’s evolving needs, communities and strategic goals.

You will lead on the development and implementation of key planning workstreams, including supplementary planning documents, neighbourhood planning, planning evidence and monitoring (such as the Authority Monitoring Report and Annual Affordable Housing Statement), and the Council’s response to national, regional and London Plan policy reform. While the other half of the job-share leads the full review of the City Plan (Westminster’s Local Plan), you will have substantial involvement in the project, maintaining a practical, detailed understanding of progress to ensure continuity and support across the full policy programme.

You will provide strategic advice and direction to Members, senior officers, and partners – helping to shape Westminster’s corporate position on major planning issues. Your work will be critical in supporting the Council’s leadership, including engagement with residents, businesses and visitors in the development of spatial, environmental and neighbourhood planning policies. You will also prepare and present Westminster’s responses to planning policy changes – including consultations led by the Government and the Mayor of London – ensuring alignment with council priorities and contributing to shaping wider policy direction.

A key part of your role will be to collaborate across departments and external partners to ensure integrated, multidisciplinary working – aligning spatial planning policy with wider social, environmental and economic objectives. You’ll bring together insights from Town Planning, development management, public policy and community engagement to ensure planning policy is grounded in evidence and shaped by the needs of residents.

You will be expected to lead by example – modelling inclusive values, embedding equality and diversity in your work, and proactively promoting fair access to the planning profession. You will also be responsible for maintaining compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, ensuring Westminster’s policy outputs reflect best practice and are legally robust.

Working across a complex stakeholder landscape, you will demonstrate excellent relationship-building skills, balancing technical planning expertise with the ability to engage and influence at all levels. You will help the Council deliver value for money, ensuring resources are prioritised to support policy objectives, and that expenditure aligns with the Fairer Westminster vision.

Please refer to the Job Description for more information.

About You:

You will bring a successful track record of leading and developing functions within a large, complex, multi-disciplinary organisation, managing comparable resources and budgets. With experience navigating complex policy and service environments, you’ll be confident working with senior managers, councillors, statutory bodies, and a wide range of internal and external partners to deliver shared outcomes.

You will have sound knowledge of town planning and the wider challenges facing local government, with a clear understanding of the legal, political and financial frameworks that shape public sector delivery. Experience of managing resources and delivering high-quality services through robust budget management, business planning and performance monitoring will be essential.

Equipped with excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, you will influence, negotiate and build productive relationships at all levels. You’ll bring advanced interpersonal skills to lead, motivate and develop high-performing teams, and be confident translating strategic objectives into deliverable plans.

You will also have strong political awareness and the ability to work effectively within a democratic environment. A visible commitment to equality, diversity and inclusive leadership is central to how you work, ensuring these values are embedded in both team culture and policy delivery.

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role.

The Council is committed to achieving diverse shortlists to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce. We especially encourage applications from a Global Majority (GM), people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual-heritage, indigenous to the global south, and or have been racialised as 'ethnic minorities' (formally known as B.A.M.E, Black, Asian and multiple ethnic) background and, while the role is open to all applicants, we will utilise the positive action provisions of the Equality Act 2010 to appoint a candidate from a global majority background where there is a choice between two candidates of equal merit. If you are from a Global Majority background, you can self-declare this to the hiring manager as part of our positive action commitments.

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council’s strategy is to work towards a Fairer Westminster. A Fairer Westminster is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe.  

At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is the Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health-strategy-policies-and-reports/equality-duties 

As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working. 

The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.  

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.