Executive Planner

The Position

Westmeath County Council employs over 590 staff across eight service divisions:

• Housing & Building
• Road, Transport & Safety
• Rural Water
• Development Management
• Environmental Protection
• Recreation & Amenity
• Climate Action, Agriculture & Education
• Miscellaneous Services

The Council consists of 20 democratically elected members and is mandated to deliver a diverse range of functions and services, including:

• Economic development
• Community development
• Provision of physical and social infrastructure
• Recreation and amenity services
• Enforcement of planning and environmental regulatory frameworks

The Council now invites applications from suitably qualified persons who wish to be considered for inclusion on a panel from which permanent and fixed-term contract posts for the position of Executive Planner will be filled.

Executive Planners are responsible for implementing programmes of work within the Planning Department and for providing a broad range of planning and related services.

The position is multi-faceted and may include some or all of the following service areas:

• Development Management
• Planning Enforcement
• Forward Planning and Sustainable Development
• Community Planning
• Biodiversity
• Transport Planning
• Conservation / Heritage Planning

Executive Planners will be required to contribute to multidisciplinary project teams under the direction and supervision of the Senior Planner or other appropriate officer.

The Executive Planner may, from time to time, be required to deputise for the Senior Executive Planner or more senior personnel and must be willing to undertake this responsibility.

The ideal candidate will be highly motivated, committed to delivering quality public services, and will demonstrate a clear knowledge and understanding of:

• Local Authority services, key stakeholders, and relationships.
• Local Government structures, democratic roles, and mandates.
• Current Local Government issues, future trends, and the strategic direction of the sector, particularly in relation to planning policy and practice.
• Key policies guiding the Local Government sector.
• National, regional, and local planning issues.
• Building and maintaining productive working relationships both internally and externally.
• Implementing change effectively.
• Integrity and public service values.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties of the Executive Planner include, but are not limited to:

• Assessing planning applications and making recommendations in line with national, regional, and local planning policies, legislation, and guidelines.
• Conducting pre-application consultations and providing planning advice to members of the public, internal departments, and elected members.
• Preparing recommendations on Section 5 exempted development declaration applications and other declarations as directed.
• Providing planning advice on the preparation and processing of Part 8 Local Authority development applications.
• Assisting in the preparation and implementation of the County Development Plan, Local Area Plans, and other planning reports.
• Preparing policies and reports on a wide variety of planning matters.
• Carrying out Planning Enforcement duties, including:
• Assisting with public consultation and engagement exercises related to planning.
• Monitoring and reporting on implementation progress, including gathering and analysing development data.
• Building and maintaining cooperative working relationships and supervising staff where required.
• Representing the Council at meetings with:

The post holder may also be required to perform duties appropriate to the position other than those listed above and shall report to an appropriate officer as assigned by Westmeath County Council.

QualificationsCharacter

Candidates shall be of good character.

Health

Candidates shall be in a state of health that indicates a reasonable prospect of being able to render regular and efficient service.

Education, Experience, etc.

Candidates shall:

• Hold an Honours Degree in Planning (at least Level 8 on the National Framework of Qualifications).
• Have at least five years of satisfactory and relevant planning experience.
• Possess a high standard of technical training and experience.
• Possess a high degree of administrative experience.

Citizenship

Candidates must, by the date of any job offer, be:

• A citizen of the European Economic Area (EEA), consisting of the Member States of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway; or
• A citizen of the United Kingdom (UK); or
• A citizen of Switzerland pursuant to the agreement between the EU and Switzerland on the free movement of persons; or
• A non-EEA citizen who is the spouse or child of an EEA, UK, or Swiss citizen and who holds a Stamp 4 visa; or
• A person awarded international protection under the International Protection Act 2015, or an eligible family member with a Stamp 4 visa; or
• A non-EEA citizen who is the parent of a dependent child who is a citizen of, and resident in, an EEA Member State, the UK, or Switzerland and who holds a Stamp 4 visa.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate should be able to demonstrate:

• Good knowledge of Local Government functions, services, and activities, particularly planning and development legislation and procedures across:
• A good understanding of current and future planning issues facing County Westmeath and the wider region.
• Awareness and management of Health, Safety, and Welfare in the workplace.
• Strong IT skills, particularly:
• Ability to prioritise work efficiently and effectively.
• Experience working within a dynamic and multidisciplinary team.
• Good planning and project management skills.
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• Ability to think laterally and maintain a solution-oriented approach when dealing with a wide range of issues.
• Ability to deal effectively with conflicting demands.
• Ability to deliver competing priorities within prescribed timelines and deadlines.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills.

Particulars of OfficeThe Post

A panel will be established for an initial period of one year, which may be extended for a further year at the discretion of the Chief Executive.

The panel may be used to fill both:

• Permanent positions.
• Fixed-term contract positions.

Vacancies will be offered in order of merit as determined by the panel.

Vacancies may arise on a county-wide basis. Westmeath County Council reserves the right to assign employees to any work location having regard to funding and operational requirements.

Salary

The current salary scale for the position of Executive Planner is:

€59,658 - €82,929 gross per annum (including Long Service Increments), in accordance with Circular EL 07/2025.

Payment of increments is dependent on satisfactory performance.

The entry point on the salary scale will be determined in accordance with Circulars issued by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.

New entrants to the Local Authority Service will commence on the first point of the salary scale in accordance with:

• Department of the Environment Circular Letter EL 02/2011 dated 28 January 2011.
• Circular EL 05/2016 dated 5 February 2016.

Remuneration is paid fortnightly through PayPath directly into the employee's nominated bank account. The pay cycle may be revised during the course of employment.

Salary is subject to all statutory deductions, including:

• PAYE
• PRSI

Annual increments are subject to satisfactory:

• Attendance
• Conduct
• Performance
• National agreements

Increments may be withheld where performance, attendance, or conduct are not satisfactory.

In the event of an overpayment of salary or any other monies, the Council reserves the right to deduct the overpaid amount from wages, in accordance with the provisions of the Payment of Wages Act 1991, Section 5(5).

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