Would you like to join one of the UK’s most exciting planning teams? Then come and join the GLA’s Planning Unit! London is already larger than it has ever been and is projected to grow to 10.5 million people by 2041. You could be helping to shape London’s future, maintaining its global status as one of the greatest cities on the planet to work, live, play and study. The team works very closely with the Mayor and his team to achieve good growth that delivers genuinely affordable housing and all the tools that a thriving city needs.

We have two planning teams within the Unit which work closely together. Our Development Management team deals with the city’s biggest and most high-profile planning applications which include large scale, mixed-use schemes, schools and sports stadia. And our London Plan & Growth strategies team plays a key role in shaping London’s growth though the crucial preparations for the upcoming examination in public of the Mayor’s new London Plan and the development of growth strategies for London’s Opportunity Areas.

We are currently seeking proactive and passionate planners to fill two vacancies within the GLA Planning Unit – one Urban Designer and one Strategic Planner

The Strategic Planner role sits within the Development Management team. In this role you would be managing a busy caseload of planning applications that are referred to the Mayor and assessing compliance against the London Plan.  You’ll need to have excellent written, presentation and negotiation skills and ‎the ability to work with a range of stakeholders. You also need to understand how to apply the London Plan and the draft New London Plan in a pragmatic way to encourage development and deliver the Mayor’s key objectives for London.  A good knowledge and understanding of national and regional planning and development issues, legal processes and policy trends is essential, as is a passion‎ for London as a city and a desire to contribute towards its continued success by delivering the principles of ‘good growth’ through planning.

The Urban Designer position sits within the newly formed GLA Urban Design Team – part of the London Plan & Growth Strategies team which works closely with Development Mangement.  This role is driven by the need to implement the Mayor’s ‘Good Growth By Design’ agenda by championing good design in both policy and development management workstreams. In this role you will be providing design comments on planning applications that are referred to the Mayor as they progress from the pre-application stage through to determination as well as working on the development of design-led growth strategies such as Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks.

You will need to be able to build effective relationships with key stakeholders to ensure borough plans are in conformity with the London Plan and contribute towards delivery of our emerging Growth Strategies workstreams. ‎Experience of preparing and implementing policy frameworks and masterplans would be‎ beneficial, as would experience of scrutinizing architectuaral design at the site scale and preparing design comments say either with an understanding of architectural design at a site scale

To be successful in either of these roles you’ll need to be passionate about planning and urban design in London with a track record of achievement in a comparable role and have the skills to deal with complex strategic planning and urban design issues.  You should have a degree/post graduate qualification in planning or equivalent with eligibility for RTPI membership.   For the urban design post you will need a degree/post graduate qualification in Architecture with a strong focus on Urban Design and be able to proficiently use adobe Illustrator, In Design and GIS software packages.

We are looking for flexible and adaptable planners with a can-do attitude and a track record of working on a range of policy areas who share our excitement for delivering the Mayors vision for London's future.  For both posts, you will be presenting directly to the Mayor and Deputy Mayors, so you will need excellent written and verbal communication skills and some experience of operating within a political context would be benefical.

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, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability.

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. 

In addition to a good salary package, we offer an attractive range of benefits including 30 days’ annual leave, interest free season ticket loan, interest free bicycle loan, childcare voucher scheme and a career average pension scheme.

If you have a question about the role or the recruitment process then please contact a member of the recruitment team via email on glajobs@london.gov.uk quoting reference GLA1023.

Application closing date:  Sunday 24 June 2018 at 23:59 GMT
Interviews will take place at: City Hall To be confirmed

Please note we do not accept CV’s for this role. All applications for this vacancy must be submitted via our online recruitment system. To apply and to view a copy of the Job Description and Person specification, please click the "Apply Now" button below.