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Suffolk County Council are looking to recruit a Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician to join our team in Strategic Planning on a hybrid contract based in Suffolk. You will join us on a full or part time, permanent basis. The successful candidates will earn a competitive salary of £29,269 - £33,945 per annum (pro rata for part time).

About the Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician role:

We are looking for a Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician to join our team in Strategic Planning. To be successful, you will share our values, commitment, and motivation to make a difference for our residents, clients, and communities. 

The councils have recently adopted the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Local Plan Part 1 Development Plan Document in November 2023, and are now developing and progressing the Joint Local Plan Part 2 from the initial issues and options stage to adoption. 

The Strategic Planning team are also responsible for monitoring the implementation of Local Plan policies together with supporting Neighbourhood Planning groups develop their Neighbourhood Development Plans.

The Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician will provide a proactive and leading role to maintain high quality data sets, including the use of planning spatial data. 

This data forms an ongoing fundamental aspect of the councils’ Joint Local Plan evidence base and associated monitoring. Accuracy and integrity of the data is therefore essential. 

The information being maintained will include:

new development build progress

local Plan settlement boundaries

site boundaries for proposed land-use allocations.

This will need to be kept up to date, as well as, maintaining constraint layers, and policies maps, showing visually how the policies will be implemented. 

About our Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician:

A specific GIS related qualification or demonstrable extensive GIS experience is essential, using creative skills to design and prepare maps for a variety of different purposes to convey complex information clearly.

You will be able to build on your experience in data handling, producing public friendly documents and applying processes to be able to understand situations and develop solutions to issues that arise, using your own initiative with accuracy.

With excellent IT skills and extensive experience with modern Microsoft products, you will be used to using and trialling a variety of software to input, query and extract data. 

Now is an exciting time as we look to update and develop the software we use with innovative packages to present information in different ways.

There will be a need to produce high-quality reports for internal and external use, accurately analysing, interpreting and collating evidence. Knowledge of Planning, handling planning datasets and plan making public consultation is desirable.

You will have good communication skills for a variety of audiences, and an ability to work under pressure and to deadlines within a collaborative team environment.

Benefits you'll receive as our Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician:

Great opportunities for learning and development.

Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 26 days a year, increasing to 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays).

Competitive Local Government Pension Scheme.

Wellbeing Support Programme.

Employee Assist Programme.

Health Care Options.

About us:

Working together across our councils and with our partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, we provide excellent services to our 190,000 residents across Babergh and Mid Suffolk.

We are proud of the role we play in creating the environment, economy, and communities for our districts. We believe that the heart of Suffolk is an incredibly special place to live and work.

With picturesque market towns, 60 conservation areas and with two National Landscapes within our districts, it is little wonder that we are consistently within the top 50 places to live in the UK.

Closing date: midday, 23rd July 2024

Interviews will be held in person and are expected between 01 and 07 August 2024.

If you think you have what it takes to be successful in this Planning Policy Data and Spatial Technician role, even if you don’t meet all the requirements, please apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies