Place Planning Officer

Date: 10 Jun 2026 Job Location: This is a Gloucestershire County Council job. Job Title: Place Planning Officer Job Location: Shire Hall Salary: £41,771 - £47,181 per annum Hours per Week: 37.00 Contract Type: Permanent Closing Date: 28/06/2026 Job Requisition Number: 14168 This post is not open to job share Are you passionate about ensuring Gloucestershire has the right school places in the right locations for every child? If so, the role of Place Planning Officer could be the ideal next step for you. About the team and the role Our team delivers an essential service within the Council’s Education Department by making sure education data is accurate, up to date and reliable. This information supports school place planning and the management of education buildings across the county. Each year, our work helps thousands of children and young people access a good, inclusive education, and the Place Planning Officer plays a key role in meeting the Council’s legal responsibilities. In this role, you will look after the Council’s main school capacity and place‑planning data. You will track changes in population and housing developments and produce pupil forecasts to support future planning. You’ll analyse data and share clear, easy‑to‑understand updates with senior managers, councillors and partner organisations to help them understand pressures, risks and options. You will also lead the annual school capacity return to central government to secure Basic Need funding, respond to Freedom of Information requests, support policy development, and work with colleagues and partners across education to help deliver good value for money and positive outcomes. About you We’re looking for a confident, analytical professional who enjoys working with complex information and turning it into clear, compelling insight that supports effective decision‑making. You’ll have experience analysing, managing and presenting detailed datasets for a wide range of audiences, alongside strong forecasting skills and the ability to assess impact and risk. With excellent report‑writing skills and close attention to detail, you’ll be comfortable managing competing priorities while maintaining high standards. Confident in building effective relationships with schools, academies, local authorities, government bodies and other key partners, and will have experience contributing to or leading projects, including those that may be sensitive or politically complex. Strong IT skills, an understanding of statutory processes within education, and the resilience, political awareness and motivation to operate successfully in a busy, fast‑paced environment are essential. A full UK driving licence is required, and occasional work outside normal hours may be necessary. Please also read the job profile which provides further information on the experience and attributes sought of our ideal candidate. About us Hybrid working arrangements are available for many of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office-based working. Joining us could mean access to these great benefits: Flexible and agile working opportunities. 25.5 days annual leave rising to 30.5 days after 5 years of continuous service. An option to purchase 10 days of additional leave per year (pro rata for part-time staff). Family friendly employer offering benefits to help support you and your family. Career development and qualification opportunities. Supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision. Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS). Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential, counselling and advice for employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone. An in-house Occupational Health service. Employee discount scheme. Cycle to Work scheme (Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply). Green Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme (Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply). Links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) network and the Young Employees Network. How to apply For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Stephen Chandler, Place Planning Manager via email [email protected] Closing date 28 June 2026 Short-listed candidates will be contacted by e-mail and invited to interview week commencing Monday 13 July 2026. Interviews will be held on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 July 2026. If you feel you have the skills, enthusiasm and experience required to undertake this role then please submit your application and personal statement today by clicking the “Apply Now” button. Additional Information To access the Job Profile for this role, please follow the link below:- Place Planning Officer - Job Profile The council is not currently able to offer sponsorship in this role. Candidates will need to have right to work that enables them to commit to at least 6 months' employment. Right to work is not transferable from a sponsored role held with another employer. We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential. It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English. Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.