Head of Development Planning

Date: 14 Mar 2025

Company: DWR Cymru Cyfyngedig Welsh Water Plc

City: Cardiff

Address: Cardiff, Wales, GB, CF3 0LT

Job Requisition Number

7404

Work Type

Permanent

Job Function

Operational

Salary Range

Circa. £70,000

Base

Cardiff / Hybrid

Closing Date

23:59 on 28/03/2025

What you 'll be responsible for

Planning

• Lead and direct all activity regarding planning and associated services within DS, such as forward planning and strategy to influence growth and land allocations to ensure DCC’s AMP is the most effective and efficient as it possible can be.
• Actively prevent service failures e.g. DG2, DG5, Pollution incidents, consent breaches and ensure serviceability of DCC’s assets are maintained and protected from the impacts of new development and growth.
• Responsible for ensuring all key performance indicators are met, which shall include compliance with Water UK’s Levels of Service for Developer Services (D-MeX) functions and Welsh Government’s performance measures with DCC being a Statutory Planning Consultee.
• Protect DCC’s reputation by maximising support for economic development which could otherwise impact DCC’s capital delivery and efficiency.
• Responsible for negotiating and influencing financial/commercial contributions from our customers in order to meet the AMP regulatory settlements
• Oversee development planning activity such as responding to Local Development Plan consultations, undertaking pre-consultation site assessments, land availability studies, trend analysis and growth analysis
• Lead and represent Developer Services on strategic internal working groups including the Drainage Policy Group. Take responsibility for assessing and escalating issues of wider concern to the appropriate Heads of Service to mitigate against Company risk.
• Provide Expert witness evidence at planning inquiries and hearings, in order to protect the Company’s asset base.
  Manage the interaction of the Company with the National Infrastructure Planning process for major infrastructure developments, ensuring that the Company’s assets are protected

Build Over Sewers

• Lead and direct on the delivery of the Company’s Build Over Sewer policy and associated procedures. Ensure there is a process for continuous improvement, reduction in service failures and positive engagement with stakeholders
• Be responsible for the relationship with Wastewater Operations and Wastewater Assets to ensure assets are not detrimentally affected by the impact of build over sewer proposals.
  Oversee the Build Over Sewer Applications process to enhance customer experience and improve efficiencies.

Who you 'll work with

Internal

• Business Customer Services Management Team & All BSC staff
• DCWW Leadership team & Heads of Service across the Company
• Asset Planning, Waste/Water Assets and Capital Delivery
• Water & Wastewater Operational teams
  Smart Hub

External

• Senior Staff at Local Authorities (including Planning, Building Control and Drainage)
• Customer Groups (domestic, developers, consultants etc)
• Contractors
• Regulatory bodies (Welsh Government, Ofwat, Water UK, NRW/EA, Planning Inspectorate)
• Other Utility and Infrastructure providers

About you

Qualifications
Professional qualification in Planning and educated to degree level, or equivalent

Experience
Extensive experience in the water sector and/or planning sector, and breadth of knowledge relating to the relationship of both industries
Experience of stakeholder management
Previous experience of managing high performing teams to meet key performance targets and exceptional customer service
Change management experience to lead the continual improvement of ways of working in the department - desirable

Knowledge & Skills
Strong leadership and communication skills are required to motivate, performance manage, develop and lead a team
Strong skills required to appropriately challenge, question, persuade and influence at all levels
The ability to work to tight regulatory deadlines
Excellent team management and coordination skills
Good analytical and data interrogation skills and an ability to extract relevant information and present it in a logical and structured manner - desirable
Commercial and contract experience including working with complex procurement processes - desirable

Good to know

This is a hybrid role and the successful candidate will be expected to be in office around 3 days a week.

Benefits

As well as a market competitive salary, 36 days annual leave (pro rata, including public holidays), we offer a range of employee benefits and rewards including:

• Enhanced employer pension contributions - Up to 11% employer contributions
• Car allowance
• Private Health Care
• Free Mortgage Brokering Services
• Enhanced family friendly policies
• Progression opportunities, including the ability to apply for funded training and coaching and mentoring programmes
• Gym and fitness discounts as well as high street shopping
• Cycle to work scheme
• Discount off all Welsh Water visitor attraction centres and gift shops
• Car-leasing scheme and free on-site parking at all sites
• Health CashBack scheme and access to an online GP service
• An employee assistance programme for employees and their immediate family
• Many more can be found on our website.

Whilst also working for a not-for profit company that truly cares about earning the trust of customers everyday, and about looking after our beautiful environment

Please note, we may close this role sooner if required. We may also extend the original closing date depending on interest.

Due to the nature of the industry, we require satisfactory references, post offer medical clearance, and a criminal records Basic Disclosure check on all new employees joining the business. For some roles there may be additional checks and security clearance required, and this offer is subject all checks being satisfied. You will receive further information on how to complete these checks via email once you have accepted this offer.

Who we are

Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water keep 3 million people healthy each day with safe, reliable water, and take away wastewater to clean, before returning it safely to our beautiful rivers and seas.

To be able to deliver high quality, essential services which help to protect the health of our customers, colleagues and our environment, we need the right people to deliver on our vision. This is achieved by living our core values and demonstrating the core behaviours that underpin them. The security of our people, assets and information is key to us, so we are looking for people who understand and comply with the company’s required security objectives.

We know that the most successful teams are the most diverse teams. Equality, diversity and inclusion provide the very foundation to our culture at Welsh Water. We want every individual to feel confident, proud and able to bring their whole selves to work.

To ensure an improved representation in our workforce, applications are particularly welcome from minority groups including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people, Females, LGBT+, Non-binary and people with disabilities. Together we continue to build a workplace that not only celebrates the diverse voices of our colleagues but also represents each customer we serve.

In essence, ours is a company based on trust, openness, respect, commitment and honesty. A company that our colleagues are proud to work for.

Dŵr Cymru Cyf, a limited company registered in Wales No. 2366777. Registered office: Linea, Fortran Road, St. Mellons, Cardiff CF3 0LT

© Dŵr Cymru Cyf 2019.

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