This is an exciting opportunity to join North Norfolk District Council. With a recently adopted Local Plan, significant site allocations coming forward, a five-year housing land supply and work commencing on the next Plan under the new plan making system we are expanding our teams and looking for a motivated & ambitious Planning Policy Manager seeking a fresh challenge by working in a unique and special coastal area.
We are looking for an experienced and forward-thinking individual to lead our planning policy service and help shape the future of our district. This is an exciting opportunity for a qualified, experienced planning professional to play a leading role in reviewing and developing planning policy, working closely with Members, colleagues, communities and external partners.
As Planning Policy Manager, you will provide leadership to the Planning Policy team, ensuring the service remains ambitious, customer focused and high performing. You will lead the Local Plan review process from evidence gathering and policy development through to consultation and examination, helping to guide sustainable growth, infrastructure delivery and investment across the district.
You will be a qualified Town and Country Planning professional and hold full membership of the RTPI. You will bring strong knowledge of planning policy and the Local Plan process with a demonstrable track record within local government.
You will be a confident and professional communicator, able to build positive working relationships and present complex information clearly to a wide range of audiences. You will be comfortable making decisions, managing competing priorities and motivating others to deliver excellent results. We are looking for someone who is proactive, resilient and adaptable, with a genuine passion for planning, public service and helping communities thrive.
If you are passionate about place-shaping, leading a team in an award winning Department and delivering high quality public services, we would love to hear from you.
Application Information
Applications for part time hours will be considered.
Please be aware that this is a politically restricted post.
Closing Date
11.59pm on 22 June 2026
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a sufficient number of suitable applicants.
Interviews
tbc
Get in Touch
For an informal discussion, please contact David Glason, Assistant Director Planning on:
North Norfolk is a fantastic place to live, work and visit. It covers 360 sq miles of coastal and rural environment, with over 100,000 people living in 120 distinct communities. Our district is one of England's top holiday destinations and a place where people positively choose to live.
We're committed to promoting equality of opportunity for the people and communities of North Norfolk. We respect and value differences in our district and across our workforce, and we want everyone to feel included and able to play their part in making North Norfolk a great place to live, learn, work and visit. Our coast and environment are extremely important to us.
Recognising that North Norfolk faces a very real threat from climate change, the Council has declared a climate emergency. We have developed a Net Zero strategy to support our ambitions and all staff have a role to play in meeting our carbon reduction targets.
We have a supportive culture that enables our people to learn and grow through attending courses, e-learning, and their daily job roles. We provide excellent opportunities for communication through updates from Directors and the Chief Executive. Our onsite recognised union is UNISON.
Our Cromer office is clean, modern and light, with onsite lunchtime catering and free onsite parking. As one of the largest employers in the district, we offer several benefits to all our employees:
- employee assistance program
- discounts portal
- salary sacrifice schemes (bikes, home electricals and EV car leasing - available after completion of probation period).
You will also enjoy:
- a good work-life balance, with many roles following our hybrid approach to work (if your role supports hybrid working, all we ask is that you have a stable and reliable internet connection)
- 25 days' holiday per year, plus bank holidays, increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service (assuming the role is full-time)
- access to an excellent local government pension scheme based on your local authority career average earnings
We encourage applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
