Planning Officer

We are seeking a motivated and customer-focused individual to join our Planning Service team, where you will play a key role in delivering high-quality Development Management support and helping to shape sustainable communities.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute proactively and positively to the effective delivery of the Planning Service, working flexibly to support the wider objectives of the Council.

You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council.

In this role, you will be expected to provide excellent customer service in every interaction, engaging professionally with a wide range of stakeholders including members of the public, Councillors, and internal colleagues. You will respond promptly and effectively to enquiries and requests for support, ensuring that those seeking to engage with the Planning Service receive clear, helpful and timely assistance. This will include working closely with the Customer Contact Centre and supporting the Complaints and Customer Feedback teams where necessary.

You will also play an important part in supporting the timely handling of customer, MP and Councillor complaints and feedback, helping to ensure that the Planning Service consistently meets corporate service standards. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records will be essential, as you will contribute to the regular input of data into DEF and associated IT systems, supporting the service in meeting and exceeding statutory and corporate performance indicators while demonstrating best practice.

The successful candidate will contribute to the Council’s place shaping agenda, taking a positive and proactive approach to supporting development that delivers the right schemes in the right place at the right time.

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential.  We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.