Principal Development Management Officer

About the role

North Northamptonshire Council is committed and passionate about providing high-quality services to our communities, residents and businesses.

North Northamptonshire is a high-growth area offering an exciting opportunity for professional development. With six sustainable urban extensions in differing phases of delivery, a wealth of large commercial and industrial development proposals and everything in between, you will find this job both challenging and rewarding. Based on your existing experience in dealing with complex and extensive planning matters and commitment to high standards of customer service, you will have the opportunity to contribute towards the sustainable development of a high growth area and develop your career in the process.

Working as a Principal Development Management Officer you will be implementing, processing planning submissions, appeals in accordance with local performance targets.

This will be a varied role and will include dealing with a personal caseload as well as overseeing officers.

Please note interviews will take place on the 21st/ 22nd January 2026

What will you be doing?

As part of the role you will be supporting senior colleagues and management with day-to-day operations in the planning service, you will be reviewing systems and processes and assisting with the validation of planning applications, from time to time this may include attendance at meetings, exhibitions and committees and representing the council at hearings or inquiries.

- Supervise, mentor direct staff, support the preparation and maintenance of personal development plans, appraisals and reviews of team.

- Assisting in validation of planning applications and submissions

- Carrying out site inspections, research, consultation and assessment of cases

- Preparation of reports and conducting where appropriate

- Providing advice and assistance to the public and prospective applicants

About you

- You will hold a relevant degree to allow access to Chartered membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute or equivalent

- Chartered membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute or equivalent or demonstration of eligibility for full Chartered Membership

- Demonstration of extended experience and success of being responsible for a range of major planning applications or largescale complex planning policy projects

- Extensive knowledge of the English plan-making system including legislation, the National Planning Policy framework

- Able to work well under pressure and be a effective communicator

- Able to travel independently to multiple sites or further to undertake site visits

Our Benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

Disability Confident Employer

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

Our Employment and Disability Service provides bespoke support to individuals facing barriers to employment, helping them work towards their goals to start, stay and succeed in employment. For further information please click here The Employment and Disability Service (EADS) | North Northamptonshire Council

Armed Forces Community

The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)