Planning Technician

This is an exciting opportunity to work within the Southern and Western area team as a Planning Technician supporting our Planning Officers, and customers to help shape the future development of Dorset.

You’ll be working alongside a team of colleagues that are friendly and supportive. With flexible working and regular team days in the Dorchester office once a week, to help build team rapport, attend team meetings and share knowledge.

You are welcome to work from the office more frequently (range of office locations available) if it suits, or you can work from home.  

What you can expect to be doing:

You will be working with our planning officers and other colleagues within the council, liaising with customers, and various external bodies such as Parish and Town Councils to bring forward appropriate new development.

You will assess the adequacy of plans and supporting documents to validate and process applications in our electronic database in accordance with guidelines and legislation.

You will also be responsible for administering planning appeals, and undertaking general technical duties to support the service, including dealing with technical customer and case related enquiries via email and telephone.

About you:

You will be expected to have at least 5 GCSE’s at Grade C/4 or above, including English and Maths, and have good I.T. skills with knowledge and experience of Microsoft Office including Word, Outlook, Teams and Excel. Knowledge and experience of using GIS software and databases would be advantageous but is not essential.

You will have great communication skills, the ability to interpret and analyse information from drawings and documents and a high attention to detail.

You will be a good team player, able to work well as part of a team and independently on your own initiative, willing to be adaptable where required, to support the service need.

If you would like an informal chat about the role, please get in touch with Emma-Lea Brown, 01305 838092  [email protected] 

The assessment process will be a question-based interview which may be virtual or in person, more information will be provided to those taken forward to interview once the shortlisting is completed. 

At Dorset Council, we are working together to create a fairer, more prosperous, and more sustainable Dorset for everyone, now and in the future.

We: 

• provide essential services that support over 380,000 residents 
• work in partnership to make a real difference 
• value every role and the impact it has on our communities 
• support our employees to grow, develop, and thrive 

You will: 

• be part of a team that works together for a better Dorset 
• have access to a range of benefits and support 
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression 

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation where different skills, perspectives, and backgrounds strengthen both our council and the communities we serve. 

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. If you declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role, we will offer you an interview. We also want our recruitment process to be accessible. If you need any reasonable adjustments, just let us know on your application. 

This role is UK-based, and we will need to confirm your Right to Work as part of the appointment process. We use generic job descriptions and person specifications, so the job title in any attachments may differ from the advert. If needed, we will provide additional details in a context statement. 

If you’re passionate about making a difference, we’d love you to join us. 

Find out more about how to apply.