Chief Operating Officer

Job summary

Join the executive leadership team at the Planning Inspectorate and help shape decisions that influence homes, communities, infrastructure and the environment across England.

The Chief Operating Officer is one of the most important leadership roles in our organisation. The Planning Inspectorate sits at the heart of the planning system in England, helping to deliver decisions that shape homes, communities, infrastructure and the environment. The quality, timeliness and effectiveness of our work matter to citizens, applicants, local authorities, government and wider stakeholders.​

As our Chief Operating Officer, you will play a pivotal role in leading our organisation through a period of significant opportunity and change. You will be responsible for the performance, resilience and continuous improvement of our services, ensuring we deliver excellent outcomes while adapting to evolving demands and priorities. As a key member of the Executive Team, you will help shape our strategic direction, strengthen organisational capability and create the conditions for our people to succeed.​

We are looking for a highly effective and inclusive leader who combines strategic thinking with a strong focus on delivery, builds trusted relationships across government and the wider planning system, and is motivated by making a meaningful difference through public service.

If you are excited by purpose, complexity and opportunity to make a lasting impact then this could be the role for you.

Graham Stallwood, Chief Executive, is hosting a drop in session at 10am on Wednesday 2nd September, if you'd like to find out more (please use this link). Joining that session is a great way to get a feel for what it's like working with Graham and the wider organisation.

Job description

We are looking for someone who is :

Proven organisational leader – Experienced in leading complex, large-scale operations and translating strategic ambition into measurable outcomes that improve public services.

Performance and delivery expert – Brings a track record of driving performance, tackling systemic challenges and leading improvement in demanding, high-profile environments.

Influential systems thinker – Builds trusted relationships, aligns diverse stakeholders around shared goals and successfully delivers through complexity and ambiguity.

Strategic and resilient decision-maker – Uses insight, judgement and evidence to navigate risk, seize opportunities and maintain delivery through change and uncertainty.

That person should lead by:

Leading through others – Empower talented people, build capability and create the conditions for high-performing teams to thrive.

Relentlessly improving – Curious, collaborative and outcomes-focused, always seeking better ways to deliver for citizens, customers and stakeholders.

Things to know:

No two weeks are the same. One day, you'll be leading organisational performance and risk as a member of the Executive Team, shaping strategy and ensuring the Planning Inspectorate delivers high-quality services at scale. The next, you'll be working with government and senior stakeholders to influence policy, drive system-wide improvement and support the delivery of national priorities.

You'll lead through senior teams to improve performance, strengthen organisational resilience, tackle complex delivery challenges and build the capability needed for future success. You'll also represent the Inspectorate across government and the wider planning system, building partnerships that enable better outcomes.

Alongside strategic leadership, you'll develop future leaders, shape organisational culture and help define the long-term direction of both the Planning Inspectorate and the planning system itself.

This is a rare opportunity to combine operational leadership, public service impact and system influence in a role that helps shape communities, infrastructure and the future of England.

If you’d like to find out more or have any questions, please join the drop‑in session schedule 10:00-10.45am Wednesday 2nd September 2026 (link in the pack and below).

For full information on the role and assessment process please refer to the candidate pack attached.

Salary

This is an SCS 1 role and new entrants to the Civil Service can expect to be paid a salary of £94,694. Internal rules apply to existing Civil Servants.

New appointments to the Senior Civil Service will be appointed on the terms and conditions set out in the Civil Service Management Code.

Working hours:

Standard working week is 37 hours, with our flexible working hours policy available for job share, compressed working hours and part time hours at a minimum of 30 hours per week. Occasionally, work outside these hours may be needed for business continuity, health and safety, or stakeholder engagement.

Office attendance

This role is contractually based at our office in Bristol, 10-minute walk from Temple Meads train station. Excitingly, we're relocating to a brand new office in December, while maintaining excellent transport links with Bristol Temple Meads station still just a 10 minute walk away. We recognise and value the mutual benefits of hybrid working and have a flexible approach to in person attendance. To provide for senior leadership and collaboration with colleagues, you can expect to be in the office at least twice a week. Travel to other parts of the country to meet colleagues and stakeholders will also be necessary. Please consider this before applying.

Person specification

We will assess your application against the essential criteria:

Essential criteria

• Strategic delivery leadership: Proven experience setting direction and leading delivery at organisational scale in a complex environment, aligning senior stakeholders across functional and organisational boundaries to achieve tangible, sustainable outcomes.

• Delivery and performance: Proven track record of large scale delivery (public, private or third sector) through clear accountability, effective planning, data-led decision making and timely intervention where risks or constraints emerge.

• Governance and risk: Proven experience providing senior oversight of governance, risk and assurance arrangements, ensuring proportionate controls and clear decision making that support pace, quality, accountability and compliance.

• People leadership: Proven ability to lead through senior teams, build capability and foster an inclusive, collaborative culture with high standards of ownership, performance, innovation and continuous improvement.

For guidance on how to structure your application please visit: About the application process , Civil Service Careers

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Proven experience setting direction and leading delivery at organisational scale in a complex environment, aligning senior stakeholders across functional and organisatio