Senior Director of Planning Permits

Every planning permission tells a story. And in a growing and ambitious municipality like Apeldoorn, those stories are never monotonous. As a senior planning permission manager, you therefore play a crucial role in shaping our urban development. Are you ready to support our residents and businesses?

This vacancy from Senior Director of Planning Permits  (32–36 hours) is your next step if you:

• wants to create an accessible local authority where residents and businesses feel their voices are heard and receive appropriate assistance with their planning applications.
• want to organise your own work within a dedicated team.
• It puts a smile on your face when you can help local residents and businesses.

Here’s what you’ll be doing
As a director of planning permission at Apeldoorn City Council, you’ll have the opportunity to be part of projects that form the heart of our city. Take, for example, the construction of a road or cycle path through the Veluwe, where various interests need to be balanced, or the provision of accommodation for migrant workers. And let’s not forget complex housing developments, such as the Oranjerie in the city centre. For these kinds of more substantial and complex planning permission applications, you will oversee the application process from the preliminary consultation right through to the granting of the permit. In short: you’ll make a tangible contribution to the realisation of homes and businesses. You’ll explore opportunities within the regulatory framework to make things happen. In practical terms, this means that you’ll:

• coordinates and assesses more complex and substantial building plans and planning applications. You issue planning permissions (including where there is a deviation from planning regulations, for both building works and unauthorised use).
• ensures that licence applications are properly assessed and processed in a timely manner, in terms of both content and procedure.
• carries out the environmental planning assessment itself. For matters such as technical assessment, spatial quality, retail, traffic, ecology and so on, you call on internal advisers where necessary.
• It flags up instances where a planning application affects current local authority policy. And it establishes contact with colleagues responsible for this policy.
• answers members of the public’s questions about building options during face-to-face appointments and telephone or video calls.

Working for Apeldoorn…
…means working for an open and ambitious organisation. With a population of 168,500, we are the 13th^e one of the Netherlands’ largest municipalities. And between now and 2030, the population is set to grow by at least 15,000, as Apeldoorn is undergoing rapid development. Together with some 2,000 colleagues, we contribute to the organisation’s strategic goals: strengthening Apeldoorn as a family-friendly city, promoting a sustainable and enterprising Apeldoorn, and developing a world-class tourist destination.

So there’s plenty of challenge in store for you and your team! You’ll be working within the Environmental Law & Planning Permits department, covering the entire process of spatial planning, permit granting, supervision and enforcement. Together with around 25 colleagues, we deal with environmental permits relating to spatial planning.

What sets your new team apart?

We are committed. Committed to our clients, by thinking alongside them and providing a service-oriented approach. And committed to one another. The atmosphere is good and we know we can rely on one another. No one is left to cope on their own; we sort things out together. You can also count on our legal expertise, and we’re constantly learning.

Here’s what we offer you

• An employment contract initially for a period of one year;
• A salary of up to €5,624 gross per month (pay scale 10) based on a 36-hour working week. The actual salary will depend on your experience and qualifications.
• An Individual Choice Budget (IKB) of 17,45% on top of your salary. You can use this, for example, for:
• Extra income by having it paid out.  
• Buying extra holiday hours.
• A good work-life balance, with the option to save up leave and flexible working hours;
• A focus on the opportunities we offer as an employer in the areas of learning and development, both in terms of professional skills and career progression;
• The option to work from home;
• 201.6 holiday hours based on a 36-hour week;
• An attractive pension scheme;
• It’s a lovely setting, as our townhouse has been beautifully modernised and fitted out to support flexible working;
• Can you work (partly) from home in your role? If so, you will receive a home-working allowance;
• Do you travel to work by public transport? If so, you’ll be fully reimbursed. Do you travel by car, bike or on foot? If so, you’ll receive an allowance for this.

Things to bring with you
Following the rules and processing applications, properly and on time: plenty of others can do that. What makes you so special is that service provision is in your blood. By thinking alongside residents and business owners, by being approachable and by improving internal processes. With your specialist knowledge, approach and personality, you exude authority. Sometimes you’ll be faced with conflicting advice from various stakeholders. That’s why it’s vital that you can make decisions quickly and independently. You must be able to analyse all available information in a short space of time and, based on that, make decisions that do justice to all aspects of the situation. In addition, you have:

• A higher professional education (HBO) or university (WO) degree in Environmental Law or Architecture, or a senior secondary vocational education (MBO) qualification in Architecture supplemented by AWB1 and AWB2. A qualification in the Building Regulations or the Building and Living Environment Decree would be an advantage.
• extensive experience in the licensing process and an affinity for (ICT) systems and processes.
•  You are able to apply the latest developments in legislation and case law to day-to-day practice.
• experience in (co-ordinating) politically sensitive and structurally complex situations and issues that require a holistic assessment.

Fancy applying?
Ready to help residents and businesses obtain the right permits? Want to make a difference to the municipality of Apeldoorn? And help build the Apeldoorn of tomorrow? This vacancy has no closing date. We will process your application as soon as possible. Any questions about the vacancy? For more information about the role, please contact Edward Habing, Administrative Lawyer specialising in the Environment Act (06 18 41 84 32) or Marike Zoontjens (06 48 42 59 54). 

Everyone’s taking part
Apeldoorn City Council is an inclusive organisation. We firmly believe that a diverse organisation enables us to be better prepared for developments in society. As well as your talents and qualities, you also bring your background and preferences with you. You’re welcome here!