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Planning Policy and Environment is a service area within Coventry City Council which supports the growth of the city.

The vision and commitment of the Planning Policy and Environment team ensures there is a robust platform to guide the delivery of sustainable development, making provision for local people through the delivery of housing, jobs, retail and community uses whilst creating high-quality urban and natural environments.

The service area sits within a larger team alongside Development Management and encompasses several individual but related specialisms all focused on delivering a city for those wishing to live and work here. Those specialisms include Planning Policy, Ecology, Trees and Landscape, Urban Design, Conservation, Archaeology and Environmental Protection.

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

We are looking to recruit a Conservation Officer to join our Planning Policy and Environment team. You will be delivering a high-quality conservation service in a way that contributes to the achievement of the City Council’s vision and objectives for a growing and sustainable city.

The main duties and responsibilities of the role include (but are not limited to):

• To provide professional advice on conservation and heritage issues to Members, Senior Officers, external partners and the general public.
• To establish and maintain good links with external heritage bodies and assist with bids for external funding to support heritage improvements.
• Monitor the condition of heritage assets and areas and advise on or initiate and implement appropriate action for their repair, maintenance and enhancement.
• To develop and maintain up-to-date Conservation Area Appraisals for the City

All candidates must have the Right to Work in the UK. We are currently not offering sponsorship for this role.

We are looking for someone who has a detailed knowledge of conservation principles, practise and law, bringing expertise including working with listed buildings and within conservation areas, both in site delivery and providing expert analysis and guidance. We would be very interested to discuss the role with candidates who bring understanding and experience of both above-ground and below-ground heritage and its role in the planning system. You must also know and understand the development process, including economics, cost planning, valuation, and different forms of contract with specific reference to heritage assets.

You will have experience in providing technical advice to a range of audiences on Conservation principles, practice and law; therefore, good communication skills are key.

You must hold a Degree or a postgraduate diploma in Conservation.

When applying for this role, you will be asked to write a personal statement. When writing your personal statement, please include the following:

• Experience in the analysis and evaluation of the quality of design, existing and proposed, of buildings and areas, and present such analysis in a way understandable to lay and expert audiences.
• Examples of an innovative approach to problem-solving.
• Examples of working with a range of bodies to promote heritage assets and support voluntary and community projects
• Beneficial evidence of preparation of conservation policy and related publications, including Conservation Area appraisals

Need help completing your application form? The Job Shop can support you. You can register online here for an initial assessment, or visit the Job Shop in person, please see their webpage for more information. For all other queries, contact Resourcing@coventry.gov.uk.

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document on our jobs page labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies