JOB DESCRIPTION AT OCTOBER 2013
DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS & DEVELOPMENT
REPORTING TO
Chief Executive for strategic matters
Managing Director for operational matters
LOCATION
RTPI London Office
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:
To champion spatial planning through the setting and maintaining of professional standards
and ethics, promoting planning as a career and strengthening the knowledge and skills of
planners in relation to spatial planning.

To act as professional standards champion and advisor for the RTPI and relevant committees,
harnessing its aspirations and vision to develop an internally recognised membership body
that strives to achieve excellence in its skills and capability across the world.

To lead and develop Planning Aid England as core integral function of the RTPI, developing
and aligning its strategic importance and policy insights within professional standards and to
enable the RTPI to continue its’ development as a life-long learning organisation, both
internally and externally.

To strengthen the awareness and develop the professional practice of spatial planning,
amongst members, other built environment professions and the wider public.

To inform, educate and train planners in spatial planning practice, and to develop clear
professional career paths which begins with promoting planning as a career.

To provide professional input to the strategic direction of the membership, education,
qualification, lifelong learning, research, careers and conduct and discipline responsibilities
of the RTPI.

To provide a clear and effective contact point for members as individuals; leading the RTPI’s
strategy for membership, education, lifelong learning and research, developing effective
working relationships with all the Planning Schools and other learning and professional
conduct stakeholders.

As a member of the Executive Management Team to develop a high performing organisation
and effectively managing both human and financial resources and programmes to achieve the
objectives of the directorate and organisation.

Develop and manage the entry to the profession by establishing and managing qualifications
and membership standards and promoting planning as a positive career choice, whilst
developing categories and types of membership.

Develop and manage the RTPI’s educational doctrine for initial professional education and
accreditation requirements and the implementation of policies for Assessment of Professional
Competence.

Input into RTPI Executive Board, General Assembly, committees, networks, associations,
branches and panels within areas of responsibility and lead the support for the RTPI’s
Regions’ supporting the development of branch and regional activities.

Undertake such other duties, commensurate with the post, as may be required by the
Institute.
Person Specification
In your written application, please give evidence of proven experience in response to as many of the
criteria listed in "Part One” of the Person Specification as possible.
These responses will be further developed and discussed with those candidates invited for interview,
together with the other criteria listed in "Part Two".
It is expected that the successful candidate will be able to demonstrate a strong record across a
broad range of the criteria in both Part One and Part Two
Part One: Experience

Experience of working in a senior leadership role within planning within a comparable context
that provides a wider, strategic and development insight of the profession.

Experience of working with senior politicians and officials, with a track record of high level
interpersonal influencing and lobbying

Experience of identifying, building and maintaining partnerships, strategic alliances and
networks in order to achieve strategic aims of the RTPI.

Experience of presenting to and responding to all forms of the media and developing and
sustaining an organisational profile and position.

Experience of delivering effective performance management and service improvement, with,
successful project and programme management to time, cost and quality.

Experience of successfully managing and developing a high performing team, utilising
effecting the financial resources and budgets.

Demonstrable track record of identifying opportunities for innovation and implementing new
initiatives in comparable environments to the profession.
Part Two: Abilities, Skills and Knowledge

A qualification in Town Planning

A member of the RTPI or eligible for RTPI membership

An in-depth understanding of the significance of spatial planning, its challenges and
opportunities as well as international planning

Visionary with highly developed strategic thinking

An understanding of operating within a political environment

The ability to lead and motivate others

The ability to analyse complex issues and produce credible and practical proposals to address
them

An understanding of Higher Education provision and the application of this (nationally and
internationally) to professional planning education and lifelong learning.

An appreciation of the challenges of a charity or membership organisation

The ability to prioritise complex and competing demands

A good understanding of professional ethics

An immediately credible and persuasive Director with highly developed interpersonal skills
and excellent presentable and persuasive oral and written communication skills
Part Three: Personal Style and Behaviour

A commitment to the development of spatial planning to meet changing social, economic and
environmental needs

A far sighted vision for the development of the planning profession and the planning
profession to inspire others

A robust, resilient, confident and resourceful corporate team member, who sets high
standards, constantly seeks improvement for delivery of services and overcomes obstacles to
achieve objectives.

A commitment to genuine engagement and partnership working with a personal and
professional demeanour/credibility that will command the immediate confidence of a range
of stakeholders.

A commitment to equality of opportunity, respect, openness and fairness, promoting high
standards of behaviour and professionalism for self and others.

Articulate, self-motivated, committed and enthusiastic.

Ability to translate broad objectives into effective practical steps.

Leads by example; inclusive rather than exclusive; prepared to share expertise, know how
and skills.

Highly innovative; thinks outside traditional boundaries and ways of doing things; challenging
existing practices in order to pursue continuous improvement; anticipatory–encouraging a
forward-looking inquisitive approach that maximises opportunities before they are lost and
that shrinks risk in good time.

High degree of probity and integrity; committed to the vision, aims and activities of the RTPI.