About the job

Job summary

The Environmental Services Team (EST) is responsible for providing support and advice to applicants, Inspectors and Examining Authorities across all of the Planning Inspectorate’s Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) and Town and Country Planning appeals casework. We work with departmental consenting teams at the Dept. for Energy and Net Zero, Department for Transport (DfT) and Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as well as stakeholders such as Natural England, Environment Agency, Historic England and the Marine Management Organisation to ensure provision of consistent and up to date advice. We are actively supporting the streamlined Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) consent process. Joining us, you will gain experience working in some of the country’s biggest infrastructure projects and help to deliver decisions relating to future energy security and broader infrastructure needs

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.

We will be holding a Question and Answer session on 03 July 2024 via MS Teams. This provides you the opportunity to hear from the Environmental Services Team and learn more about the role.  There will also be the opportunity for attendees to post questions during the session.  If you would like to attend this session please contact us at: PINS.Recruitment@planninginspectorate.gov.uk

We are also recruiting EIA Advisors at different grades, please see our advert reference number 358759 to see which level is of more interest, or to apply for both.

Please visit our Environmental Services careers page at  Civil Service Careers for more detail on the projects we are involved in and our team

Job description

We are looking for people with an environmental planning background, who want to make real difference to the sustainable delivery of major development across the country. You will have experience in EIA and HRA co-ordination or be a specialist e.g., in ecology, landscape or air quality who are looking for experience in a decision-making organisation. You will gain unparalleled exposure to a breadth and depth of the country’s most significant casework.  

The role will suit a knowledgeable and self-motivated individual with an analytical mindset and an ability to communicate with a range of audiences. The role is able to be undertaken with a mixture of working from home and attendance at the Bristol office (ideally once a week). 

You will be able to co-ordinate, review and delegate work effectively. You will have a detailed awareness of environmental assessment and regulation in a project context. You will be able to provide high quality responses to technical questions from applicants, Inspectors and colleagues. You will be working in a team with a strong culture of collaboration. To be successful in the role you will need to contribute to a team culture which encourages everyone to not only do their best work but to take ownership of processes and deliverables. You will show leadership and be willing to help develop the knowledge and capacity of team members.

There isn’t really a typical day in the life of a Senior EIA in the Environmental Services Team but typical daily tasks might include:

• Meeting a developer to talk about the progress of their DCO application;
• Reviewing DCO application documents;
• Technically reviewing screening and scoping opinions, or ES reviews prepared by other team members;
• Co-ordinating the team as the weekly ‘duty’ Senior colleague allocating work and providing advice and support;
• Joining a training session with the rest of the team.

We’re a friendly and sociable bunch. The team and the Inspectorate provide a supportive environment where we hope people can develop their careers and be their authentic selves. We offer a flexible working environment and can support, for instance, if you have caring responsibilities outside work.  

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

Office Attendance

This role is contractually based at Temple Quay House, Bristol which is currently out of use due to undergoing refurbishment work. In the interim, we have the use of alternative office space in very close proximity to Bristol Temple Meads railway station. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in person attendance, which can vary dependent on the requirements of individual business units - the details of which can be discussed with candidates if invited to attend an interview.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Graduate in an appropriate environmental or land use discipline (eg environmental science, environmental impact assessment, landscape, ecology, air pollution management or planning).
• Experienced environmental professional with expert knowledge and experience of leading and managing others in the production and/or review of core EIA deliverables.
• A detailed and extensive understanding of the wide ranging and complex environmental, social and economic issues associated with infrastructure projects.
• A proven track record of leading on and/or responding to major EIA schemes addressing complex environmental issues.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to review complex technical documents and write comprehensive but succinct reports to tight timescales.
• Effective communicator able to work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders.

Desirable Criteria

• Full Member and/or Chartered status in an appropriate professional institute.
• Detailed knowledge and experience of the Planning Act 2008 and Town and Country Planning Act 1990 regimes and experience of their operation in practice.
• Experience of undertaking and/or reviewing HRA and WFD assessments.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,220, Planning Inspectorate contributes £11,984 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.
• Application questions : You will be asked 3 questions in the application form which will be a blend of technical and experience questions, you will have a maximum of 500 words per question

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

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 take part in a discussion, including questions, around your answers to the questions in the application process.  You may want to save your answers to these questions.

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

Other Information 

Shortlist Date: 11th & 12th July 2024

Interview Date: w/c 22nd July 2024 and w/c 5th August 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.

  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.

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.