Principal Planning Officers

Principal Planning Officers (Development Management)

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 seeking motivated and enthusiastic Principal Planning Officers to join our dynamic Planning Service. We are recruiting to career‑graded posts (up to PO4) within our Development Management Team. This is a fantastic opportunity to build your planning career in one of London’s most distinctive boroughs—home to a World Heritage Site, historic town centres, the River Thames, and major regeneration areas including Woolwich, Charlton Riverside, and the Greenwich Peninsula.

You will manage a varied caseload of planning applications and contribute to the delivery of high-quality, sustainable development that supports our communities and aligns with our strategic priorities.

About the Role

As a key member of our Development Management service, you will:

• Manage your own varied caseload, including complex and sensitive applications, and associated enforcement matters.
• Lead on planning appeals, including Public Inquiries, and represent the Council as an expert witness.
• Provide high‑quality pre‑application advice and clear guidance on planning legislation, policy and procedure.
• Present applications at Planning Committee and support officers you supervise in doing the same.
• Work collaboratively with applicants, agents, residents, Members and internal stakeholders to secure high‑quality development outcomes.
• Prepare robust, well‑written reports, statements and legal documentation.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of the Planning Service, including policy development, service innovation and best‑practice initiatives.

At PO4 level, you will additionally:

• Lead on complex non‑major applications with minimal supervision.
• Oversee the quality and accuracy of delegated and committee reports across the team including making delegated decisions.
• Deputise for the Deputy Team Manager when required.
• Drive service improvements and ensure performance targets are met.
• Commission and manage external consultants (e.g., viability specialists).

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 Greenwich?

Working for the Royal Borough of Greenwich means:

• Being part of a borough with major growth areas, strategic regeneration sites and a diverse range of planning challenges.
• Opportunities for career progression through our structured Career Grade Scheme.
• A supportive, collaborative team environment.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• A strong commitment to professional development.

Why Join Us?

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.