Head of Strategic Planning
Salary: £52,292
Hours: Full time, permanent contract. Flexible working requests will be considered.
Location: Rendcomb, Gloucestershire.
Reporting to: the Chief Executive
We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and inspiring planning professional to join our Senior Leadership Team as Head of Strategic Planning. This is a rare opportunity to play a leading role in protecting and enhancing one of the nation’s most valued and iconic protected landscapes.
As Head of Strategic Planning, you will lead the Cotswold National Landscape’s planning function, ensuring that the statutory purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the Cotswolds is embedded at the heart of planning policy, decision-making, and development across the area.
You will provide expert strategic advice and guidance to local planning authorities and other key stakeholders, helping them to fulfil their statutory duty under Section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Through effective advocacy and influence, you will champion the interests of the National Landscape and ensure its special qualities are recognised and safeguarded.
A key part of the role will be building and maintaining strong, productive relationships with the 15 local authorities that cover the Cotswold National Landscape, as well as government departments, national agencies, and a wide range of partner organisations.
As a member of our Senior Leadership Team, you will contribute to the strategic direction of the organisation, helping to shape its future and maximise its impact. We are looking for someone who combines technical planning expertise with strong leadership, partnership-building, and communication skills, and who shares our ambition to ensure the organisation continues to deliver far beyond its size.
We operate a hybrid working system with the general expectation for the post to based at the office for a minimum of two days per week. The role will include travel throughout the Cotswolds National Landscape.
If you would like to discuss this opportunity please contact Rebecca Waite, CEO at rebecca.waite@cotswolds-nl.org.uk
- To download a full job description and person specification for the role: please click here.
- To apply: please submit your CV and a supporting statement to join.us@cotswold.gov.uk
- Deadline for applications: applications for this role have closed.
- Interviews will take place over: 18th and 21st September.
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Paid Placement Opportunity
Are you looking for experience in the environmental sector but can’t afford to volunteer? Join our paid placement week in the Cotswolds!
- Date Monday 19 to Friday 23 October 2026
- Hours 10:00 – 16:00
- Pay £13.45 per hour, plus subsidised travel and outdoor workwear
- Location Cirencester
What you will be doing – habitat conservation and rural skills including meadow creation, coppicing, building a dead hedge, food growing and harvesting, and improving access and signage.
Who we are looking for – enthusiastic, hardworking young people who love the outdoors and who are seeking paid experience in the environmental sector.
Who can apply – applications are open to anyone aged 18-25 who is looking to gain work experience. As the work may be physically demanding, applicants should have a proficient level of fitness and mobility. No prior experience required.
How you will benefit – you will gain a range of green skills including safe tool use. Additionally, you will gain and use transferable skills including teamwork, communication, time-management, leadership, and self-reliance.
How to apply – If you would like to apply, please download and PP_ApplicationForm.
Application deadline – 13 September 2026 to rebecca.foster@cotswolds-nl.org.uk
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Working with us
Being a member of the Cotswolds National Landscape team gives you the opportunity to contribute directly to making a positive difference to the work we do looking after the Cotswolds. We work with wide range of communities, groups, and organisations devoted to looking after this unique and special area of the country. We want to make sure this is a positive, vibrant organisation – committed to delivering our aims and objectives as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Equal Opportunities
We aim for an inclusive and equal opportunities recruitment process, and we welcome applications from everyone. Each role has specific requirements – and an academic degree or equivalent is not always an essential requirement. We will accept supporting statements in written format, short film format, or voice recordings. All supporting statements will be considered equally. Whatever your method, please ensure that you clearly demonstrate your skills, experience, and suitability – and why you want the job. We welcome applications from people who are from ethnically diverse backgrounds or who are living with health conditions or disabilities.
Diversity Statement
We’re building a culture where diversity is valued, and we can all be ourselves. We still have work to do, but are strongly committed to inclusive practices which demonstrate fairness, equality, and anti-racism in everything we do. We will not tolerate less favourable treatment of anyone, especially those with legally protected characteristics, and welcome applications from all sections of communities.
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Work experience
The Cotswolds National Landscape team welcomes applications from young people for work experience across our dynamic and varied organisation. We are a small, friendly organisation – and we can offer students a positive introduction to a broad range of work experiences in the conservation and environmental sector.
Opportunities for 2026 are:
- 20 – 24th April
- 22 – 26th June
- 13 – 17th July
Occasionally, we have opportunities for work experience at other times in the year – but this is variable and decided on a case-by-case basis.
Places for our four-day work experience programmes are very limited and so we encourage young people to apply early. We will prioritise applications from schools within the Cotswolds National Landscape, and from students with a demonstrable interest in working within our sector.
If you would like to gain work experience with us, please email our Outdoor Learning Officer at helen.komor@cotswolds-nl.org.uk.