What's involved with this role: Principal Planning Officer Reference: 000A 8FD1 / 1 Salary: £38.13 per hour PAYE Role length: 6-month initial assignment Job type: Full-time, Temporary Location: Doncaster Postcode: DN1 3BU Hours: 37 hours per week (approx. 3 days a week, workload may vary) Contract Type: Temporary (Hybrid) The role: Our client is seeking an experienced Principal Planning Officer to support the Regeneration & Environment Directorate in delivering a major National Infrastructure Project—a large-scale solar farm application. This role is focused on managing and progressing one major application, supporting policy development, and providing specialist planning advice. Workload will fluctuate, with intense periods of activity followed by quieter phases. This is a hybrid position based in Doncaster. Key Responsibilities: Provide clear, effective planning advice across Development Management and Planning Policy. Manage your own caseload of major planning applications in line with the Council’s scheme of delegation. Lead on statutory and non-statutory policy development, including evidence gathering, data analysis, and contributions to Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan work. Prepare and advise on CIL/s106 policy and implementation. Undertake pre-application discussions with developers to clarify requirements and improve proposals. Act as the Council’s expert witness for planning appeals, enforcement appeals, and examinations in public. Support planning enforcement processes where required. Represent and support the Planning Services Management Team. What the client is looking for: Degree-level planning qualification (or equivalent). Full RTPI membership or clear evidence of actively working towards it. Local Authority experience in Planning Policy and/or Development Management, particularly with major applications. Experience preparing and presenting evidence for appeals or Local Plan examinations. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce complex planning reports. Experience supervising or managing staff or projects. Solar farm planning experience or being involved in national significance infrastructure projects or development consent orders Desirable: National Infrastructure Project experience Experience with solar farm applications or renewable energy development Ability to manage fluctuating workloads What the client offers: Hybrid working arrangement Flexible hours (approx. 3 days per week; may increase or decrease as needed) Opportunity to work on a nationally significant planning project Supportive Planning Services team Contract extension potential depending on project funding and milestones How to Apply Please submit your CV as soon as possible for consideration. We will also add your details to our mail-out lists. Please note you may receive details of roles outside of your immediate vicinity, as many candidates are able to relocate temporarily for work. Please disregard any such emails that are not of interest and let us know if you would prefer not to receive such mailouts and/or if you wish us to delete your details and apply directly to our advertised roles. If you do not hear from us within three working days, unfortunately your application has not been shortlisted on this occasion. Thank you for your interest in working with us. Please quote the Job Title & Vacancy Reference No. in your application, or we will be unable to match your CV to the role being applied for. JD Please note that clients invariably ask us to strip out contact details from CVs before we submit them for consideration. This is always quicker and easier to do if you send your CV to us in Word format, rather than as a PDF please.