Are you curious, analytical, and motivated by uncovering the facts behind what's really happening on the ground? Do you enjoy engaging with people, negotiating solutions, and working collaboratively with a diverse range of residents, developers, and professionals? Would you like to play a vital role in protecting places, upholding planning regulations, and making a visible difference to communities while delivering a high - quality, customer - focused enforcement service? If so, we would like to hear from you We have an exciting opportunity to join our Planning Department as a Senior Planning Officer within the Planning Enforcement team. This is not just a desk job, it is about investigation, problem-solving and getting to the heart of the planning issues. You will carry out detailed enquiries, assess evidence and work closely with residents, developers and other stakeholders to resolve breaches of planning control. If you thrive on variety, enjoy problem-solving, and want to make a real difference in shaping our environment, this is the role for you. There is full information about the role below and attached but, if you would like an informal discussion, please contact Marina Brigginshaw - Planning Enforcement & Building Control Manager on 07594 647093 or email marina.brigginshaw@brighton-hove.gov.uk. About the role We are seeking a committed, well organised, and motivated team player to join our friendly and supportive team in delivering an exceptional service to the public. We are recruiting to one permanent post, offering the opportunity to work across the full range of planning enforcement activity. In this role, you will: Manage a varied and challenging caseload of potential breaches of planning control. Investigate cases professionally and efficiently, in line with the Council's Planning Enforcement Policy. Prepare clear, accurate, and well - reasoned reports to support notices, formal action, and prosecutions where necessary. Respond to planning enforcement appeals and represent the Council at court as required. Engage confidently and constructively with residents, developers, elected members, and professional partners. Manage competing priorities effectively while meeting statutory and service deadlines. You will bring experience in planning, a strong interest in improving the look and feel of the city, and a customer - focused approach. We value our staff and are committed to creating a fair, inclusive, and supportive working environment. In return, we offer: A responsible and rewarding role that you can truly make your own. Opportunities to grow your career through exposure to a wide and varied caseload, including listed buildings and complex enforcement matters. Close collaboration with colleagues across the Council, working collectively towards shared outcomes. The support of a dedicated team with a clear focus on effective planning enforcement. A genuine opportunity to help shape and protect the character and appearance of the city. Encouraging a diverse workforce Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled or trans. Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk). Why work for us? As a council, we want to: • be connected • be confident • be innovative and creative • be diverse and inclusive • be healthy and psychologically safe For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us which gives details of our wellbeing support, our benefits including leave and pensions as well as details of our training and development. How to apply Please read our Apply for a job at the council pages carefully. They give you all the guidance you need to complete your application as well as information on what will happen after you've submitted your application and at interview. As part of your application, you will need to provide your education and career history and answer some application/shortlisting questions. Your answers to the application/shortlisting questions are the most important part of your application as they will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our Shortlisting questions guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process. AI advice for candidates We are interested in hearing about your experience and skills in your own words. While we value people who know how to use AI, we ask that you minimise using it in your application. We are keen to hear how your experience and skills align to our values and the skills and experience needed to perform well in our roles with clear real examples from you. To support you in this, we have guidance on using the STAR model which can help you ensure you are telling us your whole story. We also provide clarity on the skills we are looking for in our adverts and in the job description/person specification attached to each job advert. All the applications we receive are read by at least two hiring managers and we do not use AI in this process. Our experience of reading applications is that those that have heavily used AI contain generic paragraphs that are strikingly similar to other applicants' responses. This makes it extremely difficult to differentiate between applications, and doesn't give us enough evidence of your individual skills. There is a risk that we will therefore not be able to shortlist you. Instead, we recommend you ensure your application stands out by presenting clear examples of your actual skills and experiences in your own words. Additional information Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only. We are a workplace that supports flexibility and employee wellbeing in the way we work whilst providing the best service for our customers. Team and service working arrangements are designed to support both employee work life balance and team collaboration. These would be part of your individual working arrangements alongside any personal preference agreed with your manager in advance of joining. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.