Apprentice Technical Officer - REQ004259

Job title: Apprentice Technical Officer

Salary: A1-B3 £24,413 - £28,142

Contract: This is a permanent role as well as career grade Apprenticeship

Location: Merrion House

As an Apprentice Technical Officer you’ll thrive on providing excellent customer service.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.

About you

As an Apprentice Technical Officer you will bring to the role:

Good organisational skills
Excellent communication skills
Good ICT skills including outlook, word and excel
Motivated working in a team environment

About the role

Technical and Customer Services provides administrative support to ensure the smooth delivery of planning and building control submissions from receipt through to decision and are the first point of contact for Applicants and Agents.

An opportunity has arisen to recruit a permanent Apprentice Technical Officer to work within the Building Control Administration Team to carry out a wide range of administration tasks including;

Inputting of information into computer systems registering building control applications
Scanning and indexing of plans and documents
Dealing with customers over the telephone and by email taking building control fee payments and booking in site visits for Building Control Inspectors

As our next Apprentice Technical Officer as you will liaise with applicants, agents and building control officers on a daily basis.

You will have a flexible approach to your duties as you will be required to learn a variety of processes.

Full on the job training will be given 4 days per week in the office and 1 day working from home for an initial 4 week period and thereafter you will be expected to work in the office a minimum of two days per week between core office hours.

This is a career grade position and you will attend Leeds City College one morning a week to complete a NVQ2 Customer Services Practioner qualification for a period of 12 – 18 months.

Future career progression can lead to opportunities to work as a Technical Officer working with complex administration duties, or a Building Control Assistant.

Candidates should have a minimum of 5 x GCSE’s including Maths and English (Level 4 or above)

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Apply for this job online. Please complete the online application form.

Read our guidancefor further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Lynne Gledhill lynne.gledhill@leeds.gov.uk

Please visit Leeds City Council’s apprenticeship page which contains information you may find useful

We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.  

This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. 

If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.

Job description

Job purpose: Responsible for carrying out a wide range of administrative processes related to planning and building control applications, within agreed timescales and performance criteria. The primary objective is to provide an efficient and customer focused service to various stakeholders, including elected members, applicants, the public, internal customers, the Planning Inspectorate, and solicitors.

Responsibilities

Grade A1-A3

To register and record customer information on computer databases, including interrogating computer systems to retrieve information and interpreting graphical information.
To scan, index and upload general planning documents and plans to planning applications and public access.
Dealing with customers over the telephone, by email and in writing.
To take and record payments to planning and building control applications.
Preparation, collation, copying and distribution of relevant documents.
To maintain, manage and order planning files from off-site document storage facilities.
To file and retrieve planning files and general information from on-site and off-site document storage facilities and microfiche readers.
Maintaining positive and productive team relationships, encouraging initiative, innovation and effective communication.
To abide by the Council’s equal Opportunities Policy and health and Safety Policy in the duties of the post and as an employee of the Council.

Grade B1-B3

Checking and validating planning and building control applications in respect of the standard of detail and information on the drawings, plans, forms and other submitted information using geographical information system, including the ability to accurately measure plans both electronically and in paper format.
To keep up to date with current planning and building control legislation and have an understanding of permitted development rights.
To interpret statutory requirements for planning and building control applications and keep up to date with current planning legislation and planning inspectorate procedures.
Responding to a wide range of customers enquiries from customers via the telephone, in writing and face to face.
To check, validate and administer planning appeals in respect of standard forms and other submitted information and plans, through to appeal decision whilst liaising with planners, agents, solicitors and the planning inspectorate.
To organise and administer planning appeal hearings and inquiries, and prepare, collate and produce evidence for use at public inquiries.
To prepare planning officers reports and plans for presentation at plans panel.
To provide administrative support at plans panel meetings.
Checking, redacting and uploading planning comments to Public Access and ensuring comments comply with Data Protection.
Recording of customer focused information and advice on computer databases, including plotting application boundaries, interrogating computer systems to retrieve information as required, application boundaries including analysing and interpreting graphical information such as planning constraints.
Recording, collecting, collating, filing, retrieving and distributing information using computer based, manual and graphical systems.
Ensuring that information and administrative systems (including electronic, document files and graphical systems) are up to date and properly maintained.
Scanning, inserting and indexing of plans and documents and ensuring that records are consistent between systems.
Such other specific regular or ad hoc tasks commensurate with the responsibility level and grade of the post.

Essential requirementsIt is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Excellent interpersonal skills
Excellent keyboard skills both in terms of speed and accuracy
Experience of working to strict deadlines
Experience of using IT systems and data inputting
Awareness of and an ability to respect the sensitive and confidential nature of the work
Possess an understanding of the principles and importance of customer care

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct.
Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon.
Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.
Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.
Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities, including developing and agreeing with a Personal Action Plan and achieving its aims and targets.
Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
Prepared to be flexible and proactive and adapt to changing circumstances at short notice and ability to respect the sensitive and confidential nature of the work.
The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.
Customer focused with good understanding of service delivery issues.
Conscientious and committed approach towards completing tasks accurately and to deadlines to achieve service objectives.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates.

Able to scan and index plans and documents
Able to resolve problems and achieve successful solutions
Able to use initiative and resolve conflict
Able to deal with telephone calls
Able to access and interpret information and reference sources
Able to measure plans both electronically and in paper format
Able to prepare evidence both electronically and in paper format
Experience of dealing with customers and handling difficult situations
Knowledge of planning and building control processes and their implementation
Understanding of the Data Protection Act and its application in a planning and development environment
Experience of CAPS Uniform system and /or other geographical-based computer systems including electronic document imaging
Understanding of the Town and Country Planning system and knowledge of planning legislation

Prospects

This is an entry level post in City Development and appointment at grades within the A1-B3 range will be dependent upon highest level of qualifications and relevant working experience:

Appointment and/or progression to B1 and then B3 upon successfully meeting all other required criteria in the person specification.

It is intended to provide the post holder with a clear progression route with set criteria that if met, will enable movement into higher salary bands within the A1-B3 structure. Progression to B1 and B3 would be made upon meeting all other required criteria in the person specification. Post holders are encouraged to discuss their training needs and plans with their line manager to ensure that these meet the progression criteria by being in an area related to the work of the service.

Subject to satisfactory performance, your salary may rise by annual increments up to the maximum of each the grades within the A1-B3 range. Increments are awarded on 1 April, except in the cases of appointments made between 1 October and 31 March where the increment is then awarded 6 months from the date of appointment and thereafter on 1 April.

The Directorate has a positive commitment to the training and development of employees in all areas of its activities. Similarly employees are also expected to adopt a positive and proactive attitude to any training provided and also to their own personal and professional development. Whilst no guarantee can be given to subsequent promotion, there is every opportunity and support to access training, gain qualifications and formal accreditation that will support progression through the career grades.

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