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Graduate Planner

Job details
Posting date: 05 August 2025
Salary: Not specified
Additional salary information: Competitive
Hours: Full time
Closing date: 04 September 2025
Location: Manchester, M1 6EU
Company: inploi
Job type: Permanent
Job reference: 75724769

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Summary

Job Purpose

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), is a statutory body consisting of the ten local authorities of Greater Manchester and a directly elected Mayor. It has wide-ranging economic development, regeneration and transport functions and an ambitious agenda to make Greater Manchester a better place in which to grow up, live, work, visit, and invest.

The Pathways to Planning Programme, run by the Local Government Association, provides a unique development opportunity for high calibre graduates wishing to pursue a career in planning.

The successful candidate will be based at the office of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). The Programme is seeking a graduate who will make a positive impact within the Planning and Housing Team, within the GMCA’s Place Directorate, particularly with Planning Policy but might also include involvement in delivery pipelines and development management.

The Programme will engage you in work that is core to the GM’s priorities. Twenty percent of your work hours will be dedicated to completing a long-term corresponding training course.

Our wide range of services and the speed of change in local government mean that we need. The Graduate Programme wants applications from high calibre graduates who will thrive in a challenging and fast-paced environment. They need to be able to work effectively in complex and diverse situations, work in partnership with people at all levels from a variety of disciplines, aspire to become future leaders, are prepared to challenge the status quo to bring about change, are prepared to learn and share knowledge and experiences, are resilient and show dedication to our aim of making GM a great place to live, work, visit, and invest.

Applicants of all ages are strongly encouraged.

NB: individuals who have previously been appointed to, and benefitted from, any Graduate Programme and/or Trainee Programme that the GMCA have previously provided, or currently provide, are ineligible for this Programme; and therefore should not apply.


Key Working Relationships

Work with key strategic partners at local, national and international levels including:

  • GMCA Senior and Extended Leadership Team members

  • Colleagues within the GMCA

  • Greater Manchester’s ten local authorities and TfGM

  • National Government departments and agencies, e.g. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government


Key Responsibilities

As a Graduate Planner, this post holder will:

  1. be supported through placement in the Planning and Housing team of the GMCA.

  1. be expected to undertake the MSc Planning course at the University of Manchester (the course will be fully funded by the GMCA and LGA) (https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/masters/courses/list/09421/msc-planning/).

  1. be supported to take part in a range of local, national training and/or development opportunities which will contribute to meeting the needs of the directorate, the priorities of the GMCA and the local communities it serves.

  1. work collaboratively across the GMCA, TfGM, the ten GM local authorities and other public sector partners and the private sector.

  1. always hold yourself and others to a high standard of professionalism, demonstrating your commitment to our values and behaviours as well as ensuring service confidentiality is maintained throughout all we do.

  1. work with other teams internally and externally ensuring collaboration is maximised and supporting on activity where appropriate.

  1. ensure the services delivered internally and externally are inclusive and accessible.

NB: This list of duties and responsibilities is by no means exhaustive, and the post holder may be required to undertake other relevant and appropriate duties as required.


Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential Criteria

  1. You are required to have a UK Honours degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent, in any discipline (when assessing your academic record, the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification are taken into account).

  1. If English is not your first language, you need to take an English language test to prove your level of ability. For the latest information on demonstrating your English proficiency for those whose first language is not English, please see the University’s language requirements (https://www.seed.manchester.ac.uk/study/taught-masters/standard-elq/).

Desirable Criteria

  1. Communication:
    Ability to negotiate with, influence or persuade internal or external stakeholders. Speaks fluently, expresses opinions, information and key points of an argument clearly, makes presentations and undertakes public speaking with skill and confidence.
    Writes convincingly and clearly, succinctly and correctly, avoids the unnecessary use of jargon or complicated language; writes in a well-structured and logical way and structures information to meet the needs and understanding of the intended audience.

  1. Analytical Skills:
    Application of strong analytical reasoning skills and intellectual focus, taking in the wider external and internal environments and proactively thinks through problems rather than reactively following a procedure-driven approach. Ability to engage with stakeholders to identify information needs and to know how to go about obtaining the relevant information. Also, able to gather and analyse information, opportunities, and problems.

  1. Planning and Organising:
    Ability to organise own time effectively, creating own work schedules, prioritising, preparing in advance and setting realistic timescales for own self and others. Has the ability to visualise a sequence of actions needed to achieve a specific goal and how to estimate the resources required.

  1. Problem Solving and Decision Making:
    Strong decision-making skills and the ability to resolve issues in a pressurised environment. Continually performs at a high-level demonstrating commitment to achieve desired results. Prepared to challenge the status quo to bring about improvements.

  1. Collaborative working:
    Ability to lead and work as part of a team, experience of working in a team environment in an academic, work or voluntary capacity.

  1. Creative Skills:
    Ability to find creative solutions where there are no existing parameters or procedural framework.

  1. Strategic Thinking:
    Ability to contribute to the development, implementation and evaluation of strategy to shape future plans.

  1. Commercial Awareness:
    Demonstrates business intelligence and ability to understand and evaluate all options for optimum service delivery, identify risks and plans to mitigate, to promote entrepreneurial approaches and ensure value for money in all transactions.

  1. ICT Skills:
    Ability to use multiple applications, systems and associated software packages.

  1. Personal style:
    Ability to understand, demonstrate and apply GMCA values.

  • Commitment to Equality:
    Through personal example, open commitment and clear action, ensure diversity is positively valued, resulting in equal access and treatment in employment, service delivery and communications.

  • Driving licence:

A driving licence for travelling to the sites of planning applications is desirable but not essential.


Corporate Duties

Do not behave in way which discriminates against your fellow employees, or potential employees on the grounds of their sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, religion, creed, colour, nationality, ethnic origin or disability.

Safeguard at all times confidentiality of information relating to staff and pensioners. Refrain from smoking in any areas of Service premises.

Behave in a manner that ensures the security of property and resources. Abide by all relevant Service Policies and Procedures.

Records Management / Data Protection - As an employee of the GMCA, you have a legal responsibility for all records (including employee health, financial, personal and administrative) that you gather or use as part of your work with the Service. The records may be paper, electronic, audio or videotapes. You must consult your manager if you have any doubt as to the correct management of the records with which you work.

Confidentiality and Information Security - As a GMCA employee you are required to uphold the confidentiality of all records held by the GMCA, whether employee records or GMCA information. This duty lasts indefinitely and will continue after you leave the GMCA employment. All employees must maintain confidentiality and abide by the Data Protection Act.

Data Quality - All staff are personally responsible for the quality of data entered by themselves, or on their behalf, on GMCAs computerised systems or manual records (paper records) and must ensure that such data is entered accurately and, in a timely manner, to ensure high standards of data quality in accordance with Departmental protocols. To ensure data is handled in a secure manner protecting the confidentiality of any personal data held in meeting the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

Health and Safety - All employees of GMCA have a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Employees are required to co-operate with management to enable GMCA to meet its own legal duties and to report any circumstances that may compromise the health, safety and welfare of those affected by the Service’s undertakings.

Service Policies - All GMCA employees must observe and adhere to the provisions outlined in these policies.

Equal Opportunities - GMCA provides a range of services and employment opportunities for a diverse population. As a GMCA employee you are expected to treat all employees / partners / members of the public and work colleagues with dignity and respect irrespective of their background.

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