Principal Design Officer

Principal Project Planner (Urban Design)

Salary: PO4 £ 46,142 - £49,282 (pay award pending)

Hours:

37 hours per week

Contract:

Permanent

Location:

Merrion House, 110 Merrion Centre, Leeds, LS2 8BB
. Hybrid working available.

Leeds is the UK’s fastest growing city and is the main economic driver of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, with a £70 billion economy and a combined population of 3 million.

This brings exciting opportunities through new development and investment, to re-shape places, throughout the district and particularly focussing on:

• a Transformational Regeneration programme agreed with the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government, featuring six neighbourhood growth areas across the City Centre where over 20,000 new homes will be built
• a new national poetry centre and British Library development at Temple Works a Grade I listed buidling
• a new Mass Rapid Transit system, being delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and local authorities, which will travel through the Innovation Zone
• A New Town in the South Bank area providing significant housing delivery alongside commercial development and provision of new park space

The City Council is also preparing an extensive update to its Local Plan with planning policies that will frame and help implement sustainable development. A key part of this work is the development of a Design Code for Leeds. Work on this is currently at the early stage so the post holder will have the opportunity to create and shape a code, or codes, fit for purpose in a modern, thriving city and environs.

We are looking to appoint a dynamic and experienced Principal Design Officer to provide high quality expert advice and direction on place making and design matters and with experience of working with design codes and guidance.

This position will sit within the Environment and Design Group which provides specialist advice and stewardship for urban design, architecture, building design, biodiversity and landscape, heritage and conservation, contaminated land and trees. The post will work very closely with the Design team, and alongside policy planners and Development Management officers in order to deliver the Design Code. Other project work involving infrastructure schemes, council housing schemes and area regeneration work, and policy work including site allocation will require flexible skills and an ability to work with a wide range of both internal and external stakeholders.

You will be expected to provide project management and leadership within the role, driving forward your work to meet critical work programme paths. Part of the work may also include providing design advice to Development Management Officers at all stages of the planning process and may involve appeal work and panel appearances so knowledge and understanding of the planning process will be valuable.

You will also work closely with other Council colleagues e.g. legal, transport, city centre management, environmental health, and wider planning colleagues. There will be opportunities to input into other project work that the Design Team undertake including Mass Transit and New Town related projects.

You will be able to demonstrate your personal and project management qualities through the delivery of complex projects, both as a design specialist and as a driven individual.

You will have experience of working on design coding and the delivery of strategies or guidance relating to design issues. You will be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge of how planning relates to design and placemaking and be able to demonstrate innovation and creativity in tackling issues through place-making and planning solutions. You will be able to use and utilise a wide range of digital tools to deliver projects and will need to demonstrate the ability to provide expert advice and guidance both informally and in formal settings to a wide range of stakeholders including elected members.

You will need to demonstrate good personal management skills, motivation and the ability to adapt to a changing work environment.

Above all, you will be an ambassador for design for the City of Leeds and…