Chief Officer - Strategic Place Planning

Job Purpose:

Please see attached job profile and link for further information: CO-SPP-pack-October-26-v3-1.pdf

Aberdeen City Council is seeking an exceptional leader to guide one of Scotland's largest local authorities.

This role will provide the strategic lead for the development and delivery of the Council’s and the Community Planning Partnership’s strategic priorities in relation to place shaping and place planning.
The postholder with discharge the statutory role of Chief Planning Officer in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (as amended).
This role will ensure the Council’s compliance with statutory obligations and scrutiny regimes pertaining to services within the function.
Reporting directly to the Executive Director City Regeneration & Environment, the Chief Officer – Strategic Place Planning will play an intrinsic part of the Extended Corporate Management Team and will ensure excellent working relationships with all appropriate internal stakeholders including other functional areas, elected members, trade union representatives, and employees.
Key external stakeholders will include all Community Planning partners, community groups, development community, NESTRANS, SEPA, Scottish Government and its relevant agencies.

Before applying for this job, it is important that you read the guidance by clicking on this link and the Job Profile attached. These explain the job role and the type of person we're looking for.

The post holder needs to hold as a minimum:

A degree in Town Planning or an associated discipline, or professional qualification and / or extensive experience related to the role

Relevant professional membership / registration required - Chartered membership of the Royal Town Planning Institute   Evidence of continued professional development  

The postholder is able to demonstrate:

Candidates must be able to demonstrate:

Proven extensive experience in:
Strategic policy development and implementation
Developing/Managing strategic partnerships
Service transformation and improvement
Successful balance sheet management
Developing integrated services
Managing consultation forums and relationships with trades unions
Risk analysis, risk awareness, monitoring and management of risk
Understanding key drivers in a business area and working in partnership with stakeholders to measurably improve service delivery
Practical knowledge of negotiation and influencing in a complex organisation
Practical knowledge of working in a commissioning organisation
Embracing new technology to deliver services in an innovative way

As a minimum, demonstrate an understanding of:

Current and emerging Scottish legislation on Planning, Building Standards, Transport and Climate Change
Approaches to delivering a net zero City
Key drivers in a business area and working in partnership with stakeholders to measurably improve service delivery

Terms and conditions of employment:

The terms and conditions of employment associated with this role are in accordance with and subject to collective agreements negotiated from time to time by the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee for Chief Officials of Local authorities, set out in the SJNC Scheme of Salaries and Conditions of Service for Chief Officials (the ‘Chief Officials Book’), as supplemented by local collective agreements reached with trade unions recognised by the Council.

For more information about the role, please view the job profile and candidate pack.

About Us

Please see the Job Profile for further details.

Aberdeen City Council is an equal opportunities employer and we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. For further information, please see our Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Recruitment pack.

Flexible Working

We are happy to talk flexible working and offer flexible working for most roles in the organisation meaning that many of our employees enjoy the freedom of choosing a working pattern that suits them as much as it suits the organisation.

Disability Confident

We are a Disability Confident Employer.  If you consider yourself to have a disability and think you may require a reasonable adjustment to be made for this part of the selection process, or would like further information in relation to reasonable adjustments, please contact Recruitment@aberdeencity.gov.uk.

Armed Forces

We are a forces-friendly employer, have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and are a gold award recipient in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme.  We have a specific email address for those in the forces, those who have left the forces, as well as their partners / spouses / families: armedforces@aberdeencity.gov.uk.  We are able to answer questions about jobs and our application / selection process, as well as about our employee support provisions.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

We have a number of guaranteed interview schemes available to applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the role they are applying for who:

• have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010 (all jobs)
• looked after young people, those that are in continuing care or are a care leaver up to the age of 29 (all jobs)
• are aged 16-24 and live in Aberdeen City or have been to an Aberdeen City Council school and are applying for a Modern Apprenticeship (except Trades apprenticeships)
• have done a Foundation Apprenticeship with Aberdeen City Council and are applying for any apprenticeships relevant to the area in which they did their Foundation Apprenticeship
• are New Scots aged 16-24 and are applying for any apprenticeships

Please note that eligibility to work in the UK is dependent on legal status and all applicants must have the right to live and work in the UK.