Planning Manager – National and Local Planning Policy x3 

Closing date  

29/06/2026, 16:00 

Advertising basis  

Permanent

Actual starting salary  

A starting salary between £37,111 and £41,834 will be offered to the successful candidate based on their skills, knowledge and experience and performance at interview. This range is not negotiable.

Salary range or pay band  

HEO £37,111 to £45,378

Work pattern  

Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)

Location (s)  

Pan Wales

‘Pan Wales’ means the post holder can be based in any Welsh Government office, subject to business needs. Roles based outside Wales, including London, are not available unless explicitly stated in the advert.

A list of the Welsh Government’s offices can be found on www.gov.wales/welsh-government-offices. Please note it may not always be possible to accommodate a preference for a specific office location.

The post holder’s travel from their home to their assigned Welsh Government office is considered their ‘ordinary commute’ and must be done in their own time and at their own cost.

Purpose of post  

The Plans and Policy job family requires applicants with relevant skills and experience to work across the functions of policy development and development plans work.

Post holders will be responsible for inputting into the drafting and updating of National Planning Policy together with the preparation and implementation of Future Wales our National Plan. These documents evidence the principles of placemaking as a central tenet of the planning system in Wales and they are integral to the way in which we work.

The postholders will be key members of the Plans and Policy Team and will develop expertise across a range of policy topics. They would be expected to develop key specialisms related to planning policy and take the lead for developing new, and revising existing, policy.

They would input into a wide range of other initiatives across Government and be expected to support the other work of the Planning Directorate such as, legislation, development management and case work.

Key tasks  

Under the supervision of a Senior Planning Manager, Planning Managers in the Plans and Policy family will be leading on specific policy areas to articulate the policy position and to support and deliver evidence-based policy across a range of specialist topics related to placemaking as well as some of the topics covered by the wider team. Topic areas include:

·       Climate Change adaptation & mitigation including flooding

·       Economic Development

·       Energy

·       Green Infrastructure & Biodiversity

·       Historic Environment

·       Housing

·       Leisure & recreation

·       Mineral & Waste

·       Noise & Soundscape

·       Retailing

·       Transport

Key responsibilities include:

1. The production of draft advice and documents relating to planning policy such as Planning Policy Wales, Future Wales and various Technical Advice Notes
2.  Assisting Senior Planning Managers with preparing and implementing engagement exercises with external stakeholders.
3. Drafting advice for Ministers during policy preparation and liaising with Private Offices.
4. Support the Legislation and Casework job family within Planning Directorate at times of high demand

Development opportunities  

The post provides opportunities to develop national planning policy on a wide range of topics and will provide the chance to engage with policy development across Government. The role has a major outward facing element, engaging with a range of wide stakeholders, the postholder will build a wide knowledge and personal contacts.

An important part of the role, under the management and support of Senior Planning Managers, is to address new policy questions. It will require exploration of new policy including the initiation and use of a variety of evidence sources such as research, consultation and stakeholder engagement, leading to co-design of policy, working with a variety of stakeholders to produce options and solutions which may include considering legislation and regulations.

The post holder will be focussed on long term priorities but operate flexibly to handle new priorities which can arise rapidly.

Other vacancy related information  

Candidates must be a graduate in town and country planning or an appropriate environmental/ land use discipline (e.g. urban design, architecture, environmental science, environmental impact assessment, landscape, ecology, air pollution management, transport planning). Evidence of the relevant qualification must be supplied with your application.