About the job

Job summary

We are looking for one Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) Casework Manager to manage a variety of proposed NSIP applications, including offshore wind farms, power stations, solar farms, highways, and airport developments. 

The Planning Inspectorate has a long and proud history in ensuring a fair planning system for England. The work we do has a significant impact on people’s lives, the communities where they live and the economy.

We want our colleagues to be able to work more flexibly and more collaboratively, exploring new and innovative ways to improve the way we provide services. 

 

For further information on the Planning Inspectorate, please see the information pack attached. You can also view our careers page at Civil Service Careers

Job description

We are looking for motivated, forward-thinking individuals to work with our existing multi-disciplinary teams in a busy, project-focussed environment.   

You will be one of a number of Casework Managers who lead and coordinate multi-disciplinary teams to deliver robust examinations and recommendations associated with applications for Development Consent Orders.  

You will be the focal point for the wider project team including NSIP Officers (caseworkers), environmental specialists and Inspectors. You will allocate and coordinate work to uphold internal and external deadlines, providing advice and support. You should be organised, able to work under pressure and deliver high-quality work at a fast pace. You will build effective working relationships with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders to help meet statutory deadlines and the Inspectorate’s strategic objectives. It is a role where two days are never the same.     

Our examination events happen all over England and Wales, and you will coordinate the support for these, managing logistics, timetables, administration and organisation of the events. Our events are held on a hybrid basis meaning they are normally part in-person and part virtual. You are likely to be required to attend in-person examination events, potentially several times a year.   

For full information on the role and assessment process please refer to the candidate pack attached. 

Office Attendance 

All of our office-based roles are contractually located at Temple Quay House in Bristol. We encourage office attendance to foster collaboration, conversation, group creativity and employee wellbeing. You will be expected to attend Temple Quay House at least 12 times a year. Depending on your role, you may be required to attend more often than 12 times a year either permanently or temporarily to ensure we deliver our services in the most efficient and effective way for our customers. If you would like to discuss our Office Attendance in more detail, please contact us at PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk  

Person specification

Essential Criteria  

• Demonstrable experience of case work and/or project management, with applied knowledge of related skills.
• The ability to understand and interpret legislation and processes, and to apply policy guidance to decision-making processes. 
• Proven influencing /negotiating skills.
• Good analytical skills particularly with large volumes of written information.
• Ability and willingness to attend hearings and site visits across the country, which could include overnight stays.
• Ability to communicate and present complex issues.

 Desirable Criteria  

• Experience in the planning, infrastructure, or environmental sectors
• Experience of leading teams of varying grades. 
• Full UK Driving licence.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,592, Planning Inspectorate contributes £9,645 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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

Application 

Complete the online application form on Civil Service Jobs which requires the following information: 

• A CV: The CV section is an opportunity for you to detail your career history. It should outline the jobs you have done, the length of time you were employed within each role and a brief description of your role, responsibilities and duties which demonstrate relevance to the role you are applying for against the essential criteria. You must type, or ‘copy and paste’ into the text box called ‘Employment History’ within the online application. You cannot attach a copy of your CV.
• A Personal Statement (1000 words max): The personal statement allows you to outline your suitability for the role in more depth, expanding on your CV evidence. It is an opportunity for you to provide evidence against the essential criteria listed within the candidate pack on the Person Specification page and link your answers to the listed Success Profile elements we are also assessing against. 

We will assess your application on the evidence you have provided against the Essential Criteria and Success Profile elements detailed in the Person Specification in the candidate pack. 

In the event of a large number of applications, a lead sift may take place.  The following point will be used as the lead criteria when shortlisting if this happens, and if you do not meet the minimum standard the rest of your application will not be assessed. 

• Demonstrable experience of case work and/or project management, with applied knowledge of related skills. 

All shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome shortly afterwards. 

Interview 

If you are shortlisted, you will:

• Be asked to attend an interview to have a more in-depth discussion about your experience and suitability for the role
• Interviews will be a blend of behaviour, strength, experience and technical questions
• Need to prepare and deliver a presentation

Candidates who are successful at shortlist stage will be sent full assessment requirements with their interview invitations. 

Other Information 

Shortlist Date: w/c 20th May 2024

Interview Date: w/c 3rd June 2024   

Interviews are currently being completed remotely using Microsoft Teams. We would like to reassure candidates that the virtual interview will not be recorded (or retained) within the Planning Inspectorate, other than usual interview protocol and in line with the Civil Service jobs Privacy notice. 

We encourage all candidates to make themselves familiar with the role and what we will be assessing you against which is detailed in the Person Specification. 

The Planning Inspectorate is committed to finding the right person for the job. We recruit using Success Profiles and consider the criteria you will need to demonstrate to be successful for the role, by doing this we are pushing up performance, diversifying our workforce and creating an inclusive culture. 

ID and Documents

If specific qualifications/memberships are essential for the role and you are successful, you will be asked to provide accurate scanned or photographed images of the qualifications/memberships that you listed on your application prior to your start date. 

We must check that any successful candidates are allowed to work for the Civil Service before we employ them. If successful, you will be asked to do a right to work check using identity document validation technology (IDVT) through the services of an Identity Service Provider (IDSP), Civil Service Jobs.  If we are unable to confirm your right to work and through the IDVT we will need to do a manual right to work check using original documents with you in person. 

Visa Sponsorship

The Planning Inspectorate cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates, we do not hold a Visa sponsorship licence. 

Disability Confident Interview scheme

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. We run a Disability Confident Interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job. 

To be considered for an interview under the scheme you must:

• have a disability defined by the Equality Act 2010
• provide evidence in your application that you meet the minimum criteria in the job description
• meet all of the qualifications, skills or experience defined as essential 

While we will endeavour to provide you with all the appropriate information, you are the expert on your specific requirements so if you require any adjustments, you should consider the information provided about the assessment process in the candidate pack and then:

• Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. The earlier and more clearly you tell us what you need and why you need it, the more likely we are to be able to accommodate you in a timely fashion.

All Planning Inspectorate colleagues must meet the baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window). This is a series of basic security checks to confirm identity and employment history. 

In addition to the BPSS, the level of security clearance required for this role is Security Check (SC) and the process can take a number of weeks to complete. For more details of vetting levels and requirements please refer to the Cabinet Office HMG Personnel Security Controls.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.