Good Growth

Good Growth is responsible for delivering and implementing the Mayor’s environment, transport and economic strategies and for the effective implementation of the London Plan. The Directorate is also responsible for regeneration (where the programme is not housing led), enterprise, growth, capital projects and design work.

About the role

The roles are in the Development Management team in Planning and Regeneration  where you will be part of a high quality strategic planning service dealing with a wide  variety of applications with competing priorities. You will be assessing planning applications that are referred to the Mayor and you will understand how to apply the London Plan in a pragmatic and sensible way that encourages and delivers the Mayors objectives.

We are recruiting for 2 positions. 1 fulltime permanent position and a fulltime fixed term position ending on 7 June 2025.

What your day will  look like

Your job will involve a wide range of duties including:

• Attending meetings with developer teams and boroughs to discuss forthcoming strategic developments across London
• Assessing applications referred to the Mayor and preparing written reports for presentation  to the Mayor and Deputy Mayors at the Mayors weekly planning meeting
• Working collaboratively with other teams across the GLA including viability,  the Design Unit  and the Place Unit,  TfL, Environment and London Plan teams
• Engaging with London boroughs and applicants to ensure delivery of Good Growth ambitions

Skills, knowledge and experience

To be considered for the role you must meet the following essential criteria:

• A detailed knowledge and understanding of  national,  regional and London strategic planning and development issues and relevant  legal processes
• You will be expected to present reports to the Mayor and Deputy Mayors directly so you will need excellent, written and verbal communication skills.
• You will also need exceptional negotiation skills and the ability to work successfully with a range of internal and external stakeholders. 
• You will have a degree/post graduate qualification in planning or equivalent with eligibility for RTPI membership. You will also have demonstrable post-qualification experience in dealing with sensitive planning issues. 

How to apply

If you would like to apply for the role you will need to submit the following:

• Up to date CV
•    Personal statement with a maximum of 1500 words. Please ensure you address how you demonstrate the essential criteria and behavioural  competencies listed in the job description below in this  advert.

Please note all applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. We do not accept CVs alone for this role. Please upload a personal statement to the ‘Additional Documents’ section of the form. Word or PDF format preferred and do not include any photographs or images. 

Please ensure your CV and personal statement documents are saved with the job reference number as part of the naming convention (E.g. “CV – applicant name - 012345)

Please note, if you do not provide both a CV and a personal statement, you will not be considered for the role so please ensure the above has been submitted before the deadline.

If you wish to speak to someone about the role, Allison Flight the hiring manager would be happy to speak to you about the role. (Alison.Flight@london.gov.uk ). 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, contact the glaopdcrecruitment@tfl.gov.uk who support the GLA with recruitment.

Assessment process 

Once you have submitted an application, your details will be reviewed by a panel.

If shortlisted you’ll be invited to an interview. The interview date is to be confirmed. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion

London's diversity is its biggest asset and we strive to ensure our workforce reflects London's diversity at all levels. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

We particularly encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic candidates and disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We would welcome applications from candidates who are seeking part time work as this role is open to job share. 

Please note we are a Disability Confident Employer so for candidates who wish to be

considered under the scheme and meet the essential criteria, they will automatically be invited to interview. Please note, should you require any adjustments through the process, we will accommodate as much as possible. Please contact the recruitment team for further information if required.

GLA staff are hybrid working up to 3 days a week in our offices and remotely depending on their role. As part of this, you will need to split your time between home working and coming into the office.

In addition to a good salary package, you will be paid every four weeks, providing frequent salary payments. We also offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan and a career average pension scheme.

Additional Information

Please note, all candidates will need to confirm that the information provided in this application form is true and correct. Should a candidate deliberately give false information, including the use of AI software, they understand that this would disqualify them from consideration.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record (DBS) check but some roles may require additional security screening. 

Job Description

Principal accountabilities

1. Assist with

(i)     spatial strategies: development, monitoring and review of the Mayor's strategies, especially the spatial and economic development, housing and transport strategies;

(ii)    processing strategic planning application referrals and negotiating Section 106 agreements;

(iii)   conformity monitoring and advice on borough development plan documents, local plans and associated local plan-making statutory and supplementary planning documents;

(iv)   the production of Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks;

1. Briefings and reports for the Mayor, Assembly and other organisations on planning and spatial development issues.
2. Assist in the design, management and completion of relevant policy development projects and research.
3. Assist in providing advice on planning briefs, development proposals and the plans and strategies of other agencies especially Local Development Documents and the development plans of adjacent authorities
4. Contribute to coordination, liaison and engagement processes necessary to address spatial development and planning issues.
5. Assist in the preparation of responses on behalf of the GLA to complex issues raised by the public and diverse agencies.
6. Work with GLA group staff and external organizations including boroughs, partnerships, consultancies, academic and voluntary agencies to address the Mayor’s planning and spatial development concerns. 
7. Assist in the representation of the Mayor’s planning and development policies, concerns and objectives to examinations in public (including those into Local Development Documents), commissions and public inquiries.
8. Realise the benefits of London’s diversity by promoting and enabling equality of opportunities and promoting the diverse needs and aspirations of London’s communities.
9. Realise the benefits of a flexible approach to work and participate in multi-disciplinary, cross-department and cross-organisational groups and project teams.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Technical requirements/experience/qualifications

Grade 6

1. Substantial progress towards either a degree in planning or equivalent or post graduate qualification with eligibility for Royal Town Planning Institute membership.
2. Knowledge and understanding of national, regional and London strategic planning and development issues, legal processes, policy trends, and broad knowledge and understanding of local planning issues and processes and a knowledge of urban design and place making.
3. Evidence of an ability to investigate, analyse and present policy and urban design solutions for planning issues.
4. Excellent communication skills; and evidence of ability to prepare clear and concise reports, presentations and briefings, including an ability to illustrate ideas through mapping and graphics presentations.

Grade 7

1. Qualification in planning or related field with at least 1 year’s post-qualification professional experience.
2. Knowledge and broad understanding of national, regional and London strategic planning, policy and development issues and trends.
3. Broad understanding and experience in either: strategy or policy production, local plan-making and supplementary planning documents, projects and development frameworks, development management and strategic planning application assessments.
4. General understanding and experience of infrastructure planning, delivery and funding mechanisms, including S.106 agreements and community infrastructure levy (CIL).

Behavioural Competencies

Communicating and Influencing

.is presenting information and arguments clearly and convincingly so that others see us as credible and articulate, and engage with us

Level 2 indicators of effective performance

• Communicates openly and inclusively with internal and external stakeholders
• Clearly articulates the key points of an argument, both in verbal and written communication
• Persuades others, using evidence based knowledge, modifying approach to deliver message effectively
• Challenges the views of others in an open and constructive way
• Presents a credible and positive image both internally and externally

Strategic Thinking

.is using an understanding of the bigger picture to uncover potential challenges and opportunities for the long term and turning these into a compelling vision for action.

Level 1 indicators of effective performance

• Understands how own and team’s work contributes to the delivery of the GLA’s objectives
• Uses understanding of different parts of the organisation to accomplish goals and objective.
• Understands what specific actions need to be taken to contribute to organisational objective.
• Shows consideration for wider organisational implications of personal work

Managing and Developing Performance

is setting high standards for oneself and others, guiding, motivating and developing them to achieve high performance and meet the GLA’s objectives and statutory obligations.

Level 1 indicators of effective performance 

• Keeps up to date with new processes and information in own role
• Seeks opportunities to develop, taking responsibility for own personal development plan
• Takes a methodical and consistent approach to completing work in line with personal objectives
• Seeks clarity on objectives, ensuring a good understanding of expectations
• Openly shares constructive feedback, supporting the delivery of own and others’ work

Decision Making

is forming sound, evidence-based judgements, making choices, assessing risks to delivery, and taking accountability for results.

Level 1 indicators of effective performance

• Takes personal responsibility for own decisions
• Makes straightforward decisions to progress own work
• Asks others for input, recognising the benefit of more than one perspective
• Understands which decisions are within own area of responsibility and which to pass to others
• Understands the risks associated with decisions, informing others of these risks

Planning and Organising

is thinking ahead, managing time, priorities and risk, and developing structured and efficient approaches to deliver work on time and to a high standard.

Level 1 indicators of effectiveness

• Plans and prioritises own workload to meet agreed deadlines
• Advises colleagues or manager early of obstacles to work delivery
• Perseveres and follows work through to completion
• Checks for errors to ensure work is delivered to a high standard first time
• Effectively juggles priorities.

Problem solving

.is analysing and interpreting situations from a variety of viewpoints and finding creative, workable and timely solutions

Level 2 indicators of effectiveness:

• Processes and distils a variety of information to understand a problem fully
• Proposes options for solutions to presented problems
• Builds on the ideas of others to encourage creative problem solving
• Thinks laterally about own work, considering different ways to approach problems
• Seeks the opinions and experiences of others to understand different approaches to problem solving

Research and analysis

.is gathering intelligence (information, opinion and data) from varied sources, making sense of it, testing its validity and drawing conclusions that can lead to practical benefits.

Level 2 indicators of effectiveness

• Proactively seeks new information sources to progress research agendas and address gaps in knowledge
• Grasps limitations of or assumptions behind data sources, disregarding those that lack quality
• Analyses and integrates qualitative and quantitative data to find new insights
• Translates research outcomes into concise, meaningful reports
• Identifies relevant and practical research questions for the future.

More Support

If you have a disability which makes submitting an online application form difficult, please contact resourcingteam@london.gov.uk.

Disability Confident employer scheme

The GLA is proud to be a Level 2: Disability Confident employer. We are committed to becoming a more inclusive and accessible organisation, and creating a truly inclusive and accessible workplace and culture for our disabled staff. We have named Disability Equality as a key corporate priority within our EDI Strategy. We welcome and encourage applications from disabled applicants. Should you wish to opt into the scheme, please let us know during your application.