Kent Downs National Landscape Planning Manager

Role Responsibility

Fixed contract until 31 March 2025

The Kent Downs National Landscape (Previously AONB) is one of the Nation’s finest and most pressurised landscapes.

Getting planning right is one of our most important and most challenging tasks. We seek a Planning Manager able to work in close partnership with our local authority partners positively to influence the strategic policy framework for the AONB. We also want you to make constructive and robust comments in appropriate development management cases.

You will be confident to be able to work at many levels and to represent the Kent Downs National Landscape in an authoritative, helpful and confident manner, sometimes in stressful conditions. You will join our highly experienced team and our established Head of Planning and Place.

An interesting and positive part of your role will be to work with colleagues on the development, review and use of design guidance for the Kent Downs including a new buildings design guide.

We are looking for someone with a good level of relevant experience; this may well include someone who is a Member of RTPI or possess a recognised planning qualification or appropriate skills and experience.

We offer very flexible employment with many of the team working from home much of the time, but we have two office bases, a converted barn at the foot of the Kent Downs, in East Brabourne near Ashford and another on a Lavender farm in Shoreham near Sevenoaks.

This is an important additional planning role which will help us positively influence  the future of the Kent Downs National Landscape. We are looking for someone who is motivated by the conservation of this great landscape and has the skills and abilities to help secure its future.

Please see www.kentdowns.org.uk for further information about the Kent Downs AONB.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.  People of colour and disabled people are currently underrepresented across our service. If you identify as a person of colour and/or are disabled, we are particularly interested in receiving your application. 

Contact Details

For further details please contact:

Nick Johannsen, Director for the Kent Downs National Landscape (nick.johannsen@kentdowns.org.uk) 07923 233 635

Katie Miller, Head of Planning and Place, Kent Downs National Landscape. (katie.miller@kentdowns.org.uk)

About the Company

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county’s working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note – if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.