Director of Planning & Place

Director of Planning and Place

Closing Date: 19/8/2025

There will be a two stage interview process and you will be required to complete an online Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) prior to second stage. The second stage interview will include a focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

First stage interviews will take place week commencing 1/9/2025 and 8/9/2025

A bit about the role...

The Director of Planning and Place is a senior leadership role sitting within the Cambridge Growth Company (CGC), a subsidiary of Homes England.  

The Cambridge Growth Company (CGC) has been established to help deliver the Government's ambition for growth in Cambridge. Its mission is to unlock Greater Cambridge’s full potential by delivering new homes, jobs, and associated infrastructure to support economic growth across the region. Ensuring that this growth sets the standard as an urban exemplar of placemaking will be critical for current and future residents. 

This is a rare chance to work for an organisation which is uniquely positioned to shape the future of place-based housing delivery and regeneration in Cambridge.  Working with influential stakeholders, you will support our experienced team in driving delivery of a range of complex workstreams.

A bit about you…

We are looking for someone with a proven track record in strategic planning and delivery or large-scale housing and economic growth to join our Team. You should understand and be passionate about the planning and delivery of quality homes, placemaking and regeneration and want to work in an inclusive, supportive and driven team. 

You will be motivated by the transformative impact of placemaking and understand the ability of a development led response to tackle social deprivation and economic underperformance.

The successful candidate will use their skills and experience in leadership, strategic planning and delivery of large scale economic and housing growth, complex infrastructure schemes and sustainability and placemaking to support the Cambridge ambition. An excellent understanding and practical experience of all aspects and stages of the planning system including both plan making and development management as well as a good working knowledge of CPO.

The role also requires a deep understanding of sustainable place-making and relevant Government policies and priorities and will have experience of translating policy into operational delivery. 

The successful candidate will have substantial experience of developing well-organised, effective teams and setting clear objectives aligned with the wider strategic ambitions for the wider team. 

Given the anticipated scale of growth for the team, we are not only looking for people with the specialist skills required for this role, but we’re also looking for people with a positive, can-do approach who are able to work in a fast-paced, changing environment who are willing and able to support work right across the wider team.  

As a subsidiary of Homes England, all roles within the CGC will be aligned to Homes England’s expected behaviours and values.

Who are we? 

Cambridge Growth Company

The Cambridge Growth Company (CGC) is a subsidiary of Homes England, established to drive forward ambitious plans for sustainable growth in Greater Cambridge.

Chaired by Peter Freeman, the CGC has been tasked with developing an ambitious plan for housing, transport, water, and wider infrastructure that Cambridge needs to realise its full potential.

The CGC is supported by an Advisory Council consisting of elected local leaders and experts. It works with local and central government, convening and leveraging central government resources to promote and unlock key projects, and to support local authorities and landowners in delivering the infrastructure needed to overcome barriers to sustainable growth.

To learn more about the CGC and its mission, please visit the Cambridge Growth Company website - thecgc.org.uk

Homes England: The Housing and Regeneration Agency

We believe that affordable, quality homes in well-designed places are key to improving people’s lives. As the government’s housing and regeneration agency, we create thriving new places and transform urban areas, combining the full breadth of our powers, expertise, land, capital and influence to bring investment to communities and get more homes built.

How? We form long-term partnerships that bridge the gap between the public and private sector to meet local needs and aspirations. We use our influence to champion the creation of sustainable homes, communities and places that are brilliantly designed for the people that live there now, and in the future. And we use our funding and support to build a more resilient, diverse and innovative housing sector, helping new entrants in the market, encouraging modern methods of construction and design, and promoting the utmost attention to building safety.

Together with our partners, we’re accelerating the pace of house building, remediation and regeneration across the country, as we seek to deliver ever more affordable homes in places people are proud to call home for generations to come.

What we offer... 

As well as a competitive salary and 33 days annual leave, we are committed to 50/50 hybrid working. We’ll support you, wherever possible, so that you don’t miss out on what matters to you. 

Membership of the Homes and Communities Agency Pension Scheme, which is a contributory defined benefit scheme with the amount you receive on retirement based on your salary and years worked at the Agency.

Internal applicants: please note that if you are successful, the salary you are offered will be in accordance with our pay policy. You can find details on the HR Hub SharePoint site.

If you ever need a bit of extra help, we have a great employee assistance programme, financial wellbeing support and access to many great discounts with leading high street names. 

Our range of network groups are also there to support you to be yourself at work and play a key role in helping shape our future. 

If you are a member of a professional body, we’ll pay for your membership and once you get your digital kit, you’ll be good to go. 

Homes England are a geographically diverse community. We work to a 50/50 office/ home based model. Moving back into our office environments has enabled us to utilise our space and time together in the most collaborative way. 

We would encourage all applicants to apply as soon as possible as we may close vacancies early should we receive a high number of applications. 

We also encourage you to apply using the full application option as opposed to quick apply, this is especially important if you would like to indicate to us that you would like to be considered under the disability confident scheme. 

You will be required to have the Right to Work in the UK and Homes England do not offer visa sponsorship. If your application is shortlisted to interview we will require you to provide proof of your Right to Work in the UK at this stage.

Your application needs to be in your own words, reflect your personal understanding and experience, and must not have been generated by AI tools such as ChatGPT.