Principal Planning Officer

Principal Planning Officers (Strategic Development Team)

Royal Borough of Greenwich
Location: Woolwich, London
Salary: £45,750 – £52,194 (depending on experience)
Contract: Permanent / Full-time

About the Role

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is experiencing significant growth and transformation, with a high-profile pipeline of regeneration and major development schemes. We are seeking motivated and skilled Principal Planning Officers to join our Strategic Applications Team, playing a key role in shaping the future of the borough.

You will manage a varied caseload of major and strategic planning applications, including large residential, mixed-use, and regeneration developments. Working at the heart of the Council’s growth agenda, you will help deliver high-quality, sustainable development while balancing competing priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess and determine complex major planning applications and pre-application proposals
• Provide clear, professional advice to developers, agents, and internal stakeholders
• Lead on negotiations to secure high-quality design, planning obligations, and policy compliance
• Prepare detailed committee reports and present applications to Planning Committee
• Collaborate with colleagues across planning, regeneration, transport, and infrastructure teams
• Contribute to the delivery of the borough’s strategic regeneration objectives
• Engage effectively with members of the public, councillors, and stakeholder
• At PO4 level, you will additionally take on leadership responsibilities including deputising for the Deputy Team Manager, overseeing complex caseloads with minimal supervision, managing performance targets, commissioning consultants and leading key regeneration‑focused projects.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll bring:

• At least three years’ post‑qualification experience and eligibility for membership of an appropriate professional body (e.g., RTPI).
• Strong knowledge of planning legislation, the NPPF, London Plan and local policy.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• A solution‑focused, creative and pragmatic approach to problem‑solving.
• The ability to manage your workload independently and work to changing deadlines.
• A commitment to delivering high‑quality customer‑focused services.
• Alignment with the Council’s values of public service, equality, respect and continuous improvement.

Why Join Us?

At the Royal Borough of Greenwich, we are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive working environment where you can thrive.

We offer:

• Competitive salary and Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Professional development and career progression opportunities
• The chance to work on exciting regeneration and development projects

For an informal discussion please contact Beth Lancaster at Beth.Lancaster@royalgreenwich.gov.uk or 0208 921 5875

Diversity Statement: Royal Borough of Greenwich values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce that reflects this. We therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community.

Advert Close: All vacancies close at midnight unless otherwise stated.

Early Advert Close: Royal Borough of Greenwich reserves the right to close any job advert earlier than the advertised closing date where there is reason to do so (for example high volume of applications).

How Applications are Scored: Each application is scored according to how well the supporting statements addresses each point on the Person Specification for the role. Candidates will be short-listed for interview on the extent to which they meet the specific points within the Person Specification. The Person Specification is supplied with the job advert. When completing your application, please use the supporting statements section to tell us how you meet each of the points on the Person Specification. We need to have this information in order to consider your application.

Salary: Salaries advertised are for a standard working week of 35 hours unless otherwise stated. Please use this 'Salary Calculator to help you calculate a pro rata salary.

Our Staff Values: Our Staff Values are important to us. Candidates will be continuously assessed against our staff values throughout the recruitment process. Where candidates demonstrate views and behaviours that do not meet the standards of our staff values, we reserve the right to reject their application/ registration.