Specialist Professional (Planning Policy

The job requirements are detailed below. Where applicable the skills, qualifications and memberships required for this job have also been included.

Job reference VAC
008620 Date posted 28/07/2026 Final date to receive applications 06/09/2026 Location City Hall College Green City Centre Bristol BS1 5TR
Salary BG12: £42,839 - £46,142 Package Blank Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Job category/type Planning and Building Control Attachments Person  Job

Full Time, Permanent

Join Bristol City Council and help shape the future of Bristol.

Bristol is among the first authorities to deliver a local plan under the new system, in parallel with shaping the emerging West of England Spatial Development Strategy and overhauling the existing supplementary guidance suite. We welcome innovation, critical thinking and a fast-paced approach to plan-making in a busy core city environment.

We are looking for a planning policy and/ or development management specialist professional to join our Planning Policy team and work on the new framework of planning policy for Bristol.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a leading role as we launch our new system local plan.

You will play an important role in shaping our new framework of local planning policy as we review the local plan alongside a new spatial development strategy that contribute to Bristol City Council's ambition of creating a more sustainable, inclusive and prosperous city.

If you share our passion for place-making and you’d like to join a brilliant team in a great city with lots of fascinating planning work, and one where planners are valued and supported, we’d like to hear from you. We welcome innovation, critical thinking and an appetite for dynamic and fast-paced working.

What will I be doing?

You will have a particular focus on strategic planning and housing issues. This will include leading on housing land supply and analysis of housing delivery that sits behind the new Local Plan.

Working closely with elected members, council services, community organisations, neighbouring authorities and external partners, you will lead the development on specific policy areas including cross boundary strategic matters.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Design and deliver individual projects, within designated areas or topics with a particular emphasis on strategic planning and housing issues.
• Working collaboratively with a wide range of consultants and working groups to ensure coordinated output in accordance with their brief
• Give specialist professional and technical advice to the service manager, other professional teams and working groups, members of the public and work groups on projects set out in the team service plan.
• Prepare planning policiesandplanning guidance on all aspects of plan-making.
• Procuring and managing consultants to achieve best value and deliver successful project outcomes and keep up to date individual project business plans and financial appraisals.
• Oversee and contribute to the maintenance, updating of and of review datasets.

What do I need?

We're looking for an individual who can demonstrate:

• Education to a degree level or equivalent in a town planning related discipline,with knowledge of the law relating to planning matters.
• A strong track record of leading on complex local or regional planning policy development and implementation.
• Ability to manage planning related projects and complex workloads.
• Ability to interpret andmonitorcomplexstatistical data.
• Experience in project brief preparation for major development sites.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to represent the Council in meetings with developers, consultants, barristers, or other external organisations and in formal settings such as inquiries of examinations in public
• The ability to operate confidently within a complex political, organisational and partnership environment.
• Ability to work as part of a team and to mentor and supervise project work of junior team members.

Why join us?

This is a unique opportunity to join an ambitious and collaborative team that is helping to shape the future of Bristol. You'll work on the new…