About the job

Job summary

Creating well-designed and beautiful places is vital to the Government’s Levelling Up agenda and the proposed planning reforms. The National Planning Policy Framework and Government’s national design guidance is clear about the importance of design policy and design tools to promote placemaking. You will be joining the Design and Placemaking team at an exciting time, to be part of the team’s diverse work that includes working closely with local planning authorities and other delivery partners to test design coding in practice and draw out the learning through the design code pathfinder programme, preparing to implement the design measures in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 and identifying where improvements need to be made to national design guidance to help local planning authorities make decisions that promote good design outcomes and enable communities to have a meaningful role in shaping the design of development in their area.

The team 
The Design and Placemaking Team is part of the Chief Planner’s directorate, within the wider Regeneration, Housing and Planning Group in DLUHC. The team is focused on ensuring good design is at the heart of the planning system and that Government priorities actively embrace and promote good design and placemaking principles and practice. Our current work includes:
•    Embedding the design tools and processes that Government has produced such as the National Model Design Code and National Design Guide;
•    Developing and implementing the design measures in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 that mandate every local planning authority to prepare and adopt an authority wide design code as part of their development plan;
•    Testing the application of our national design guidance in practice with local planning authorities and other bodies, through the Design Code Pathfinders Programme;
•    Through that same programme, exploring the use of design codes in practice, to determine how they can improve the planning process and make it simpler and more certain for users;
•    Generating an up-to-date evidence base which demonstrates that good design makes a difference across all spatial scales;
•    Identifying gaps in the existing national design guidance  and taking steps to test and introduce new guidance as appropriate where it would strengthen and advance its role planning decisions;
•    Ensuring planning policies are informed by good design standards and practice;
•    Ensuring our work is embedded within DLUHC and across other government departments;
•    Exploring and testing at a local level how design policies can and are being implemented. 

We are looking to appoint a Higher Executive Officer for a fixed term post, commencing as soon as possible. For existing Civil Servants this includes either on level transfer or on promotion. The post holder will report to the team leader for Design Practice and Implementation, and work proactively with the Head of Architecture, as well as the Chief Planner, who has oversight of the wider design policy agenda. 

Job description

We are seeking a motivated and proactive person to join the team as a Higher Executive Officer to deliver key aspects of the team’s work in embedding and promoting design policy and practice in the planning system, and to assist the Design and Placemaking team to implement design codes in the reformed planning system. This will elevate the weight and status of good design in the planning system, ensuring that future development responds to local needs, is respectful to and complements the existing built and natural environments, increases pride in place, and generates support for new development among communities. This comes at a time of increasing interest in design, with Royal Assent of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 which introduces a new duty on local planning authorities to prepare a design code for the whole of their area.

In addition to policy development, reflecting on the findings of design implementation work, you will have an opportunity to work with different planning teams across the department, other Government Departments and their agencies, including Office for Place who will champion and advocate for well-designed and beautiful places.

Responsibilities

Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:
•    Supporting the delivery of the latest phase of the design code pathfinder programme which will focus on the refinement, implementation, monitoring and digitalisation of design codes, helping the team to gather learning from the programme to share more widely.
•    Commissioning and/or drafting monitoring and evaluation materials associated with the design code pathfinders programme, share best practice that will help clarify and simplify the process for local planning authorities when producing their own design codes.
•    Monitoring design policy discourse and identifying necessary changes to planning practice guidance on design, including the National Design Guide, and developing a forward look for updating the guidance.
•    Setting up and maintaining a database of good examples of design policy and practice across the country, to promote the findings of the pathfinder programme.
•    Building and maintaining a body of research on design matters, to help inform future policy development and updates to the national design guidance, and for use in internal and external communications.
•    Working with the team to provide design policy advice in relation to architecture and urban design, nature and climate change, and health and well-being to teams within the Planning Directorate and other government departments.
•    Preparing advice for Ministers, working proactively with Senior colleagues, including the Chief Planner and relevant teams and services across the department (including legal, finance and commercial).
•    Identifying real-life examples of good or exemplary design, and scheduling site visits to build team knowledge and experience.
•    Working with members of the Design and Placemaking team on briefings, correspondence and Parliamentary Questions and urgent requests relating to design and placemaking policy.
•    Establishing good working relationships with colleagues in the Office for Place team to ensure key workstreams are aligned, in particular those relating to design codes.
•    Engaging colleagues across the planning directorate and with wider stakeholders to advocate for the Government’s design and placemaking agenda.

Person specification

You will be able to deliver at pace, work collaboratively and proactively, driving forward your area of work, and engaging confidently with stakeholders both within and beyond the department. You will draw on other’s expertise to develop your approach, apply critical judgement to making decisions and negotiate and influence successfully.

We are looking for the following essential criteria:
•    Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to ensure key issues are quickly identified, escalated, and resolved.
•    Working with others to build relationships and draw upon colleague expertise, to help produce robust policy recommendations.
•    Capacity to manage and progress multiple tasks at any one time, with ability to reprioritise and allocate personal resource accordingly.
•    An ability to identify relevant and reliable data from a range of sources, and use this to help inform decisions.
•    Act objectively on day-to-day issues.
•    Ability to self-motivate and deliver at pace.

Desirable experience:
•    A good appreciation of the planning system and national planning policy.
•    Knowledge of planning, urban design, or architecture.
•    Provide advice on key issues to senior officials and Ministers.

Behaviours:

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
•    Communicating and Influencing
•    Managing a Quality Service
•    Delivering at Pace

We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work.

Important - To apply for this role you will need to submit a CV and covering letter. These need to be merged into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter. There are further details in the Selection Process section further below in this advert.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,178, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £8,688 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

We are for everyone 

 

At DLUHC we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce. We promote equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment and a working environment free from discrimination, harassment, bullying and victimisation. 

 

We would strongly recommend that applicants get in touch with the vacancy manager to find out more information about this role. 

 

We are for everyone 

 

 

CV and Cover Letter Declaration 

We recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - this is called name blind recruitment. 

  

Please remove references to your: 

• name/title
• educational institutions
• age
• gender
• email address
• postal address
• phone number
• nationality/immigration status

 

You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter. 

 

Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors. 

 

At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing: 

 

Examples: 

Experience 

Technical Ability 

 

Your covering letter should be no more than 750 words referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the job description and person specification.

 

The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of experience, technical and behaviour based questions as listed in the advert. The strength based questions will require natural responses from the candidates.  

Candidates will be expected to deliver a presentation t interview stage, the details of which would be provided upon invitation.

In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements: 

 

Experience: Yes - Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description 

Technical: Yes – Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the job description. 

Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Working Together, Delivering at Pace

We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs: 

Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign 

 

SALARY WORDING 

Use BOLD statements in each advert UNLESS confirmed by Pay and Reward 

HEO salary 

• The salary for this role is £32,178 (National). 
• For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable. If you apply for a role that requires a transfer of location, for example if you are transferring from London to a National location, your salary will be adjusted in accordance with our policy on transfer between HQ pay ranges. 
   

Please note that the average employer pension contribution is based upon the National minimum salary for this role. Should your agreed starting salary for this role be different, the average employer pension contribution will be calculated accordingly. If you are a Secondee, this will not apply as you will remain on your home organisation’s terms and conditions.   

Benefits 

Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018: 

Any move to DLUHC from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk. 

For further information about the benefits available to DLUHC employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack. 

 

Location 

• Birmingham
• Bristol
• Wolverhampton 
• Darlington* 

 

There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role. 

 

*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service.   

For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack. 

Sift and Interview dates 
 
We will be sifting applicants as we go – so please don’t wait until the deadline to submit your application. Interview dates will be confirmed at a later stage, all interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall. 

 

Reserve List 

In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list. 

 

CTC (Counter-terrorism Clearance): 

Important note 

 
Successful candidates this role must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete. 
 
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the CTC security checks – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 3 years. Please refer to the DLUHC Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Counter Terrorism Clearance (CTC).  
 

Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by DLUHC. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database. 

Fixed Term Details

For external candidates– you will be offered a 12 month fixed term appointment with a possibility of permanency.  

For existing civil servants – you will be offered a 12 month loan opportunity. Before applying for the role, you will need to seek approval from your parent department to take up a loan appointment should you be successful. 

For DLUHC employees  - you will retain your existing contract 

 

Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the DLUHC candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules 

 

Candidate Pack Information 

Please see attached Candidate pack for further information. 

 

Internal Fraud Database 

The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned.The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to DLUHC as a participating government organisations. DLUHC then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.  

For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.