Job Introduction
A great opportunity to join our expanding Planning Obligations Team within the Planning and Placemaking Service in a new Principal role.
Milton Keynes is a city with a history of delivering growth. We’re currently finalising our MK City Plan 2050, which describes our vision of growth until 2050, by which time we’ll be larger than Cardiff.
As Principal Planning Obligations Officer, you’ll help to ensure the future growth ambitions of the city are supported by the timely delivery of necessary infrastructure.
Working with the Monitoring and Implementation Leader and other service leads, you’ll assist in providing a proactive Planning Obligations Service that helps to deliver improved outcomes for the growth and development of Milton Keynes.
This role is ideal for someone who is currently working within Planning Obligations and is keen to take on more responsibility and help to shape a team as they progress their career to a Principal level.
Please see the attached job description for further information. If you’d like additional information or would like an informal discussion about the post, please email James Williamson on james.williamson@milton-keynes.gov.uk.
Interviews will take place weeks commencing 18 and 25 November.
Main Responsibility
- Assist in creating and maintaining a proactive Planning Obligations Service which is actively involved throughout the full process from negotiating a new S106 agreement, to monitoring its delivery and ensuring all obligations are met, to administering the use of S106 funds to deliver projects.
- Lead on the Planning Obligations Team’s proactive monitoring of S106 agreements, maintaining the effective management of cases to ensure compliance of Planning Obligations and where necessary, reporting concerns and issues in a timely and appropriate manner to ensure required action is taken.
- Assist the Monitoring and Implementation Team Leader in managing, administering, analysing and reporting on the S106 budget so as to support senior managers, Council boards and committees and elected members to make decisions to improve outcomes for the growth and development of Milton Keynes.
- Assist the Monitoring and Implementation Team Leader in the continued monitoring and review of systems, processes and procedures implemented and used by MKCC in relation to Planning Obligations so as to seek and deliver continual improvements to the service to enable additional benefits the team can provide to be realised.
- Manage the planning obligations workload of the Monitoring and Information Team to ensure that both day-to-day, business as usual work is completed and medium to longer term project work is progressed in a timely manner.
- Build strong working relationships with MKCC services and external partner organisations (such as the Integrated Care Boards, emergency services and parish/town councils), to aid them with accessing S106 funds to deliver infrastructure projects and to ensure S106 funds are being spent accordingly and on time.
- Provide advice on and assist with the preparation of new S106 agreements to ensure they are compliant with Community Infrastructure Levy regulations, deliver the necessary infrastructure obligations (both financial and non-financial) and are fit for purpose from a monitoring perspective.
- Lead on the preparation of relevant reporting, including statutory reports such as the annual Infrastructure Funding Statement and to ensure all Planning Obligations monitoring platforms are maintained and up to date, including public facing elements.
The Ideal Candidate
- Educated to degree level in a relevant field, the post holder will be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge and understanding of Planning Obligations and will ideally have had significant professional experience of working in Planning Obligations.
- A proven ability to plan the workload of a wider team, alongside managing their own workload, demonstrating an ability to work flexibly and manage work with competing demands and deadlines when under pressure.
- Attention to detail and will be able to demonstrate an ability to analyse detailed, and often competing information and views so as to make evidence based and considered recommendations and decisions whilst also not being afraid to think outside of the box and challenge others to arrive at suitable solutions.
- Adept at building and maintaining strong working relationships, utilising effective communication, negotiation and facilitation skills to achieve cooperation from other MKCC services, Councillors, external stakeholders and members of the development industry.
- Ability to quickly acquire a practical understanding of Planning Obligations processes and procedures in place at MKCC, including in relation to the use of digital platforms used for the monitoring of Planning Obligations and finances, whereby previous experience in the use of the Exacom Planning Obligations system would be preferable.
- The post holder will be enthusiastic, demonstrate a willingness to learn and desire to continually develop and, will be committed to building a culture based on excellence and collaboration, including through an ability to coach, mentor and support the professional development of others within the team.
Package Description
In addition to your salary, we offer a range of benefits including:
- Great holiday benefits - most roles include 28 days annual leave every year on top of public (bank) holidays, increasing to 32 days after five years. In addition, there is a holiday purchase scheme allowing staff to purchase up to 5 additional days of leave each year.
- Excellent pension – everyone who works for us can join the national Local Government Pension Scheme, widely regarded as one of the best available.
- A full range of family friendly policies including enhanced maternity, adoption and paternity support and a childcare subsidy.
- Access to an award-winning employee benefits programme that includes a health cash plan, a low-cost bike purchase scheme as well as high street discounts and money off entertainment and travel.
- Salary sacrifice car scheme – low-cost leasing of electric and low emission vehicles.
- Blue Light Card - employees working within social care can qualify for an additional range of discounts from national retailers and local businesses.
Our roles are either designated ‘site based’ or ‘home based’. ‘Site based’ roles can include up to two days a week working from home whilst ‘home based’ roles are based at home four days a week. Of course, managers designate which category roles are in based on the needs of the service and the circumstances.
About The Organisation
Milton Keynes City Council is a large, modern and financially stable employer with around 2,500 people working across our eight areas. Together we provide local residents and businesses with a wide range of important round-the-clock services and aim to make our city a better place to live.
We work hard because of the demands placed on us, like protecting children from harm or preventing homelessness. However, working for the city is always rewarding and everyone has the opportunity to make a real difference.
We’re very proud of our diversity and are committed to having a workforce that reflects the community we serve. Whatever your background, you will be welcome here if you share our values of being dedicated, respectful and collaborative.
We offer great training and support and because of the size and scale of the organisation there are always new opportunities to explore when it’s time for a new role.
If you’d like to know more about how we do things and what matters to us, take a look at our short booklet What makes us Milton Keynes City Council.
