Planner Masters Degree Trainee

• Planning__Masters_Degree_Trainee_2026__Role_Profile

At Arun District Council, we are continuously working to improve wellbeing, housing, the environment and the economy within the district. We care about making a difference to those who live, work, and visit Arun, and you could be that difference.

Overall Job Purpose:

We are looking for a planning degree trainee! This is an exciting opportunity to gain a Chartered Town Planner Masters degree whilst working and gaining hands on experience in planning. The post is for three years (starting in September 2026) and you will be day released to attend university on a part time basis.

In the work place you will have your own workload and undertake a range of planning tasks including assisting with the processing and validation of planning applications, writing reports on different types of applications, and assisting more senior team members in preparing their reports. As you learn and develop your skills and knowledge you will be able to respond to enquiries from the public, carry out site visits and liaise with colleagues and external agencies. The role will adapt and develop across the three years so you will gain a good knowledge of the work of a planning department.

This post is subject to you being accepted onto a course ready to start in September/October 2026 and you will need the relevant qualifications for the course.

The job is based at the Civic Centre in Littlehampton and this will be your contractual job location. However, it is likely there will be some working from home and so will need an appropriate space to work from.

Whilst not essential a driving licence/access to a car will help you get the most out of the job as it involves attending site visits, generally starting in the second year.

For more information about joining the Planning Team, the role profile is located at the bottom of this advert. It details the main duties of the job as well as the behaviours and competencies (evaluated at interview stage).

We love to invest in our people, providing the opportunity for professional development and fulfilment. Work life balance is encouraged, and we enjoy a variety of flexible working arrangements. Please see Why work for Arun for more information on what Arun offers their employees.

We're an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, veteran, neurodiversity status or disability.

For support with your application and CV writing, please visit Applying for a job with us. If you need further support with the application process, please contact Askhr, regarding alternative ways to apply.

Please note in order to apply for this position you must submit your CV and include within it a statement on what motivates you to apply for this position and why you think you would be a good fit for this role. You cannot already have a Masters Degree.

Interviews, via MS Teams, will be 23 July 2026 and the successful candidate will need to be accepted by the university ready to commence studies in September 2026.

CLOSING DATE 30 June 2026

INTERVIEW DATE 23 July 2026