Senior Urban Design Officer

There’s never been a more exciting time to join Doncaster Council.

We are passionate about Doncaster - it’s a great place to live, do business and visit.

We have plenty to shout about – Doncaster is the UK’s best connected location, we have many major developments in the pipeline, a vibrant urban centre with a thriving arts and cultural scene, sport and leisure attractions, wonderful green spaces and a fascinating heritage.  We firmly believe, as do our partners, that Doncaster is the place to be with a bright future and ambitions ahead of it.  But don’t just take our word for it – anyone joining the council, can look forward to expanding their knowledge and skills in a dynamic, creative and nurturing environment while truly making a difference to the communities we serve.

These are exciting times for Doncaster. We have recently won city status as part of the celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee making us the country’s newest northern City which will help attract more investment and improve opportunities and life chances for our residents and communities. We have a number of significant large-scale developments, regeneration schemes and infrastructure projects that will continue to transform Doncaster.

We are in an enviable position of having a recently adopted Local Plan and are now implementing the new development plan polices, including urban design policies to raise the bar in terms of securing a higher quality built environment across the Borough with higher standards required for new development. As part of this, we are seeking to recruit a Senior Urban Design Officer to assist in bringing forward these new policies, and to support the Principal Planner (Urban Design) with a busy, diverse and exciting workload. Such duties are envisaged to include: advising Development Management on urban design matters; ensuring development delivers on what has been secured through the planning process (including landscaping schemes); assisting with preparing additional design guidance, codes, and Masterplans; facilitating the operation of the Council’s Design Panel; shaping the design of Council developments and public realm projects; and, inputting policy advice into future development plan reviews. We are looking for an appropriately experienced enthusiastic individual to be part of a strong, friendly and supportive multidisciplinary team, all of whom work hard towards developing our planning service and delivering high quality developments.

Further details about the responsibilities and requirements of the role are contained in the role summary and job profile.

In return for your hard work and dedication, we can offer you the chance to be part of a great team dedicated to ensuring that all people in Doncaster thrive. You will also have access to a variety of attractive employee benefits including competitive leave entitlement, local government pension scheme and access to a range of staff discount and flexible benefits schemes. We offer a great work-life balance where you have the responsibility to shape your time and role with the flexibility of both remote and office-based working. Visit our Working in Doncaster page to find out more.

Shortlisting will take place week commencing 19th September 2022 and it is anticipated that interviews will be held on Wednesday 28th September 2022.

Doncaster Council is committed to meeting the needs of our diverse community where we strive to improve the quality of life for all. We are also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults and expect all staff to share these commitments.

Further information

For further details or an informal chat please contact: 

Jonathan Clarke, Planning Policy & Environment Manager, Tel: 01302 735 316, or jonathan.clarke1@doncaster.gov.uk; or,

Jordan Butler, Principal Planner (Urban Design), Tel: 01302 734 892, or jordan.butler@doncaster.gov.uk

How to apply

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply using the Council’s online application and our dedicated webpage on Doncaster Council Jobs. Here you will be able to create an account in order to apply for this vacancy. To create a new jobs account, search for the vacancy via the ‘Job Title’ search box and through entering ‘Senior Urban Design Officer’ in the field. Then click ‘Apply Online’ and answer the screening questions, then click ‘New user registration’.  

Please read the Guidance Notes provided before completing any application and please note that CV’s will not be accepted.

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General Role Description

Support the Principal Planner (Urban Design) and assist with the preparation and implementation of Development Plans and other statutory and non-statutory planning policy functions relating to urban design,

Duties and Responsibilities

Core responsibilities and duties will include:

1. Support the provision of specialist input into all aspects of the Development Plan-making process, and advise on other planning policy matters relating to urban design.
2. Provide design advice to colleagues and developers on minor developments, and assist with complex major developments where necessary. Assist in negotiating with developers to achieve high quality developments to enhance the built environment.
3. Help to ensure that schemes approved through the Development Management process are delivered in accordance with approved plans in relation to urban design, such as monitoring landscaping schemes. Developing innovative approaches to design problems to drive up the quality of development across the borough.
4. Keep up-to-date with, interpret, legislation, strategies, plans, policies and guidance relating to urban design and assist with making recommendations with respect to their implications, in order to respond accordingly for the needs of the Council/Service.
5. Represent the Council at planning appeals, inquiries and hearings as expert professional witness, relating to urban design matters.
6. Assist with the appointment of consultants, where necessary, to undertake and ensure tenders, contracts and budgets are complied with and that consultants are effectively project managed.
7. Work collaboratively, both with external partners and across the Council, to forge links with other services to ensure a consistent, community and customer focused approach to policy development and implementation relating to urban design matters.

Specialist Skills and Knowledge

Essential skills, knowledge and experience required to fulfil the role include, but are not limited to:

• A degree and/or post graduate qualification in a relevant field, e.g. Urban Planning or Design.
• Knowledge and experience of working in urban design in relation to the planning system.
• A good knowledge and understanding of current planning policy and legislation in relation to urban design.
• Hold a relevant professional membership (such as full membership of the RTPI), or be able to demonstrate the necessary experience to be able to gain such a membership, and evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience of undertaking urban design projects and ability to work independently with minimal supervision and manage workload effectively.
• Experience in design review, applying innovative and creative thinking and resolving challenges associated with the field of urban design.
• Experience influencing, negotiating and making decisions in order to reconcile conflicting issues and to handle sensitive situations.
• Experience in written, visual and verbal communication with different audiences, including appropriate graphical skills relating to urban design.
• Ability to undertake any travel in connection with the post.