Career Grade Development Management Officer(P01441)Salary £34,431 - £41,254 (Planning Officer) £41,992 - £49,608 (Senior Planning Officer)inclusive of outer fringe allowance (Career Grade Scheme with appointment leveldependent on experience)37 hours per week (Hybrid working)Are you looking for a new challenge in an area steeped in planning history?Do you enjoy being part of a small team, and want the opportunity to work on a mixture of urban and rural applications? If so, this could be the next Planning role for you.A fantastic opportunity is available at Welwyn Hatfield Council for a Career Grade Development Management Officer.In this challenging and hugely rewarding opportunity, you'll be responsible for managing a caseload of planning applications (ranging from householders up to major schemes depending on experience). In addition,you will be expected to proactively develop a customer-focussed service. You will be carrying out site visits, dealing with complaints, providing advice to a range of stakeholders, and representing the Council at appeals.ABOUT YOUTo succeed in this role, you'll need to have completed a degree or equivalent in Town Planning or a related subject.Some development management experience and a proactive, customer focussed approach will also help you to thrive in this position.Excellent communication skills are also essential, as you'll be expected to hold meetings with customers and council members to provide advice, guidance, and feedback on planning and related matters.ABOUT USWelwyn Hatfield includes the two towns of Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield but also encompasses a significant rural area which is designated as Green Belt.This creates a vibrant mix of opportunities and developments including major brownfield re-development within the main towns, urban extensions delivering new homes and jobs, to rural agricultural development as well as conservation and heritage work.With a strong legacy of planning principles embedded within our area from the Garden City and New Towns movements and a newly adopted Local Plan, the postholder will have a key role to play in delivering positive project outcomes as well as helping to make sure our planning service is working in a modern, efficient, and effective way, with customers at is heart.You will join a forward-thinking council that puts their customers first. We know that to provide the best for our residents and visitors, we need to do the same for our people.We have set out to make our workplaces vibrant and happy places to be, places where our people feel safe, content and valued.Our COREvalues guide everything we do – Collaborative, Open, Responsible, Excellent.We can offer you flexible working to help balance work and home life, electric pool cars, local government pension scheme and generous annual leave and much more. You can view our benefits here My Rewards – CareersWe do not offer sponsorship for employment in the UK.Closing date for applications: 12 October 2025Remote Assessments: 17 October 2025Interview Date: 24 October 2025 Keywords Planning, Town Planning, Applications, Regeneration, Rural, Major Schemes, Dwellings, Hybrid, Working, Hertfordshire