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Ref no:
490568
Published:
28/09/2026
Closes:
19/10/2026
Location:
Civic Centre, Windmillhill Street, Motherwell, ML1 1AB
Salary:
£82,828 - £90,636 per year
Contract Type:
Permanent
Position Type:
Full Time
Hours:
35 hours per week
Work From Home:
Hybrid

INTERNAL APPLICANTS MUST APPLY VIA MYSELF

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced planning professional to join North Lanarkshire Council as Planning and Place Manager / Chief Planning Officer. Reporting to the Chief Officer (Place), you will lead and manage the Planning service, ensuring the delivery of a high-quality, customer-focused planning service that supports regeneration and sustainable growth across North Lanarkshire.

As a key member of the senior management team, you will play a central role in delivering the Council’s Plan for North Lanarkshire, leading a place-based approach that aligns planning, housing, infrastructure and regeneration. You will oversee development management, planning policy, enforcement and performance.

You will work closely with elected members, communities, developers and national stakeholders, representing the Council at regional and national levels and influencing planning policy. You will also lead the preparation and delivery of the Local Development Plan and support delivery of strategic regeneration and infrastructure projects.

We are looking for a motivated, forward-thinking professional with significant senior-level planning experience, strong leadership capability and the ability to operate effectively in a complex legislative environment.

Requirements of the post

  • Degree or postgraduate qualification in Town Planning or a related subject recognised by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI)
  • Chartered Membership of the RTPI
  • Evidence of continued professional development
  • A relevant leadership or management qualification is desirable
  • You will be an effective leader and communicator, with substantial post qualification planning experience at a senior management level in development management and/or planning policy, preferably in a local authority environment.

If you’re motivated, ambitious and driven by achievement, then come and join us. You will be joining a dynamic and flexible team who currently operate a hybrid working model of home-working and office-based working at the Civic Centre in Motherwell.

Please note, as part of your duties and responsibilities, you will be required to participate in the Council Incident Officer standby rota, which will require you to be on standby out of office hours, for a period of one week, approximately four times a year. For this, you will receive payment in line with the Council’s Conditions of Service and full training will be provided. This will be discussed further at interview.


Working here at North Lanarkshire Council

If you’re considering a career with us, you’ll be keen to know what’s in it for you. We have a great package of benefits available, from health and wellbeing to finances and family. This includes 27 days annual leave and 6 public holidays*, and a wide range of benefitsavailable to you,find out more at work well NL.We also have a full package of learning and development through our learning academy LearnNL to help you reach your full potential and further your career.

For more information on local authority careers visit the myjobscotland career hub

North Lanarkshire Council are Happy to Talk Flexible Working, we operate a Smarter Working Policy.

Click here to see our Recruitment Charter.

*For all casual/sessional roles, you will receive 12.1% of your hourly rate for every hour worked in total recompense for annual leave, including public holidays. These rates will be indicated separately on your payslip. You will only be paid for the hours that you work.

North Lanarkshire Council has reached its current allocation of Certificates of Sponsorship and, as a result, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time.

We are a Disability Confident Leader and offer a guaranteed interview to applicants who consider themselves to be disabled, as long as they meet the essential criteria of the person specification/job description.

We have also adopted the Armed Forces Community Covenant to show our support for service personnel, veterans and their families. We offer a guaranteed interview for service leavers, spouses, reservists and veterans, as long as they meet the essential criteria of the person specification/job description.

North Lanarkshire Council is committed to #KeepingThePromise. This means that if you have ever been in care (looked after at home with a social worker, lived with a relative other than your parents, experienced foster, residential or secure care) you are entitled to a guaranteed interview for this post, as long as you meet the essential criteria of the person specification/job description. This is one way North Lanarkshire is demonstrating our commitment to supporting Care-Experienced People.

The Plan for North Lanarkshire is to be the place to live, learn, work, invest and visit. The Council recognises that work is an important part of adult life and is critical to our wellbeing and shaping how we live. The Fair Work Convention’s Framework defines Fair Work as work that offers effective voice, fulfilment, opportunity, respect and security. We believe Fair Work can boost creativity, realise untapped potential and increase productivity. To find out more click on the link.

Alternative Application Packs can be requested in other formats for example, Large Print, Braille, and Audio. To request an alternative Application Pack please phone 01698 403151.

The following link contains our Easy Read documents which will help explain the process and what happens during the selection process: Easy Read – My NL

***PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT ACCEPT CVS IN PLACE OF THE APPLICATION FORM. TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS VACANCY YOU MUST ENSURE AN APPLICATION FORM IS SUBMITTED. ANY CV SUBMISSIONS WILL BE DISREGARDED.***

  • Disability Confident Employer - Leader
  • The Prince's Responsible Business Network
  • Armed Forces Covenant Bronze.png
  • Happy to Talk Flexible Working
  • Equally Safe at Work - Bronze
  • Scottish Living Wage
  • The Promise