Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames - Lead Officer (Development Management)

Lead Kingston’s Growth. Champion Quality. Shape Our Places.

We’re looking for an exceptional planning leader to join Kingston as Lead Officer – Development Management. This is a pivotal senior role at the heart of one of London’s most ambitious and complex planning environments, leading the delivery of high-quality, sustainable development that meets the needs of our communities.

Why Kingston?

Kingston is a borough of contrasts and opportunity — historic neighbourhoods, sensitive heritage assets, ambitious regeneration programmes and significant housing and infrastructure pressures. You’ll work at the forefront of this change, leading complex planning decisions and helping shape places that are resilient, inclusive and well-designed.

What you’ll do:

●       Lead and coordinate the full planning process across all application types, from householders to major, strategic and sensitive developments.

●       Provide authoritative professional advice on planning legislation, the London Plan and Kingston’s Local Plan.

●       Take a leading role at Planning Committee, Member briefings and design reviews, delivering clear, balanced and defensible recommendations.

●       Project-manage Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs), negotiating deliverable programmes and milestones.

●       Act as a key interface between developers, Members, senior officers, statutory consultees and community stakeholders.

●       Lead negotiations on Section 106 agreements, affordable housing, viability and infrastructure delivery.

●       Champion design quality, placemaking, climate-positive development and inclusive growth.

●       Act as expert witness at hearings and public inquiries for major applications.

●       Line manage and support Principal, Senior and Planning Officers, providing coaching, direction and quality assurance.

●       Support service modernisation, performance improvement and digital transformation, deputising for the Head of Planning when required.

What we’re looking for:

●       Degree in Town Planning or a related built-environment discipline.

●       Chartered Member of the RTPI (or eligible for chartered membership).

●       Extensive experience managing major and complex planning applications, ideally within a London or high-density urban authority.

●       Strong leadership skills with experience managing multidisciplinary teams and influencing senior stakeholders.

●       Proven experience of Planning Committee work and high-level Member engagement.

●       Strong track record in negotiating planning obligations, viability and infrastructure contributions.

●       Excellent knowledge of planning legislation, national policy, the London Plan and best practice.

●       Outstanding communication, judgement and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage risk and complexity.

Our values matter.

As a Lead Officer, you’ll role-model Kingston’s STAR values — being Supportive, Transparent, Appreciative and Respectful — and help foster a positive, high-performing planning culture.

Join us and help shape Kingston’s future — delivering confident planning decisions, high-quality places and sustainable growth in one of London’s most dynamic boroughs

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

For further information visit: https://kingstonjobs.co.uk/

Closing date: 11:59pm, Sunday 1st March 2026

How to Apply

1. Upload your CV under “Please select one of the options below.”
2. Complete the short mandatory fields on the next page.
3. Use ‘Add Attachments’ to upload your Supporting Statement and any other documents.
4. Please ensure that the file name of your CV and supporting statement includes your full name.
5. Ensure both CV and Supporting Statement are uploaded before submitting your application.
6. If you have a long term health condition or disability and would like your application to be considered in accordance with a Disability Confident Scheme, please email: execapplications@penna.com to inform the Penna team.