Principal Planning Enforcement Officer Full Time, Permanent Location: City Hall College Green City Centre Bristol BS1 5TR Salary: BG13: £47,181- £50,269 Closing date: 12 April 2026 Are you looking for an exciting and rewarding opportunity in a flourishing and collegiate team? We are strengthening our Planning Enforcement function, which in conjunction with our large and proactive Development Management Team will offer great progression opportunities also on an ongoing basis. As part of this we are seeking motivated and experienced candidates for two new additional Principal Planning Enforcement Officers roles. You will be leading and mentoring Planning Enforcement Officers as well as working on a wide range of cases to keep our great city going from strength to strength. We welcome innovation, critical thinking and an appetite for dynamic and fast paced working. Key Responsibilities: · Manage and lead a team of dedicated Planning Enforcement Officers. · Lead on the progression of reports of breaches of planning control ensuring swift, targeted, and proportionate outcomes. · Work with the leadership team to strive for improvement and innovate to bring efficient ways of getting effective results that provide robust credibility to the planning service. · Provide technical guidance and support to all stakeholders, the public, members and management. · Manage a caseload whilst managing and development of staff and nurture new talent. · Collaborate with peers within the wider planning service and ensure seamless overlap and support planning decisions and policy. About You: · Proven experience in a planning department with a great track record of dealing with planning enforcement cases. · Strong understanding of planning enforcement and allied legislation. · Excellent ability to work within a positive team environment and support to team members. · Ability to work autonomously, manage and prioritise busy caseload demands. · A commitment to continuous service improvement. · An ability motivate and lead staff. This is an opportunity to progress your career in a busy city environment. You’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to protecting and providing credibility to the planning system. Why Bristol? Bristol is consistently rated as one of the best places to live and work in the UK. Join us and you’ll enjoy all the benefits of living and working in one of Europe’s most vibrant and best-located cities known for its cultural diversity, with great architecture and stunning views, a host of cultural attractions and a great range of places to eat and drink. With the greatest number of listed buildings outside London this also makes it particularly interesting from a planning perspective. The city offers one of the country’s widest selections of music, multimedia and performance venues, nightclubs, art galleries, museums and historic buildings. In and around the hustle and bustle of the city, we boast over 400 gardens and parks, ideal for walking, cycling and relaxation. Bristol is also one of Europe’s most bike-friendly destinations. We have great transport links with unrivalled rail and motorway connections and an international airport. Bristol is within easy reach of some of Britain’s most stunning landscapes, such as the Cotswolds, Cheddar Gorge, Stonehenge and Somerset, Devon and South Wales countryside and coast. At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high-profile organisation. For the majority of our roles hybrid working arrangements are available, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice - mixing both home and office working. Join us and you’ll receive an excellent rewards package including flexible working and flexitime, membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future. How do I apply? To apply, please submit your CV along with a supporting statement that details how you meet the criteria within the Person Specification. To be shortlisted for interview you’ll need to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria in the Person Specification. On occasion we will receive high numbers of applications, we may then shortlist against the desirable criteria along with the essential criteria, so if you can, please demonstrate how you meet this in your covering letter. We're a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We'll make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and provide continued workplace support throughout your career. For further information, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification or alternatively, please contact Steve Pearce, Deputy Head of Planning steve.pearce@bristol.gov.uk At Bristol City Council, we value having a workforce as diverse as the city we serve. We therefore welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit. The personal information section (including your name) you’ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers, but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.