Senior Landscape Officer

East Suffolk Council
Address: Riverside Lowestoft NR32 0EQ and East Suffolk House Woodbridge Suffolk IP12 1RT
Salary: 44075 - 48226 per annum
Hours: 37 hours per week
Contract: Permanent

Help shape East Suffolks landscapes places and communities.

East Suffolk is one of the largest and most diverse districts in the UK from expansive coastlines and riverside estuaries to rural farmland market towns and historic settlements. Our landscapes are a defining part of East Suffolks identity and play a vital role in climate resilience biodiversity placemaking and the wellbeing of our communities.

We are looking for a Senior Landscape Officer to join our ambitious and multidisciplinary Specialist Services team working alongside experts in design heritage arboriculture ecology and rights of way. Youll play a key role in ensuring that development across the district responds to landscape character local distinctiveness and environmental priorities.

This is an exciting time to join us with major place-shaping projects underway including new Garden Neighbourhoods coastal regeneration projects strategic infrastructure schemes (NSIPs) and district-wide design coding work.

What youll be doing

You will be the Councils technical lead for landscape matters providing expert advice on development proposals ranging from small sites to nationally significant projects. You will:

• Provide specialist landscape advice on planning applications pre-applications and strategic growth sites.
• Assess Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIA) Landscape and Visual Appraisals and other supporting information.
• Contribute to masterplans Supplementary Planning Documents Local Plans and Design Codes embedding landscape principles and green/blue infrastructure from the outset.
• Negotiate with applicants and consultants to secure high-quality landscape outcomes and design enhancements.
• Represent the Council at Planning Committees Design Review Panels Public Inquiries and Hearings acting as expert witness where required.
• Undertake site visits and condition compliance checks to monitor the delivery of approved schemes.
• Prepare clear concise reports and briefings for senior officers Members and committees.
• Lead or support community and stakeholder engagement on landscape and placemaking matters.
• This is not just a casework role youll influence projects and policies that will safeguard East Suffolks landscape for future generations.

About you

Youll bring a strong blend of technical expertise creativity and collaboration including:

• Degree (or equivalent) in Landscape Architecture or related discipline.
• Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute (CMLI) - or working towards chartership.
• Significant experience assessing landscape and visual impacts within the planning process.
• Strong analytical negotiation and communication skills with the ability to influence positive outcomes.
• Confidence presenting at committees and public meetings.
• A proactive solutions-focused approach with a commitment to high-quality placemaking.
• A full driving licence and access to a vehicle for site visits across the district with flexibility to occasionally work outside normal hours.

If you dont meet every single requirement but feel you have the passion and potential to thrive in the role wed still love to hear from you.

Why join us

At East Suffolk Council youll be part of a supportive and forward-thinking team where landscape design and placemaking are genuinely valued.

We offer:

• A multidisciplinary environment - work alongside landscape architects ecologists designers and heritage specialists.
• Opportunities to develop your career supported by training professional memberships and CPD.
• Involvement in high-profile design and planning projects with real impact on local communities.
• You can read more about how we work and our collaborative approach in our Specialist Services Prospectus.

Why work for us

East Suffolk Council is a great place to work and there are lots of benefits our employees can access. To find out more about why we are so proud of East Suffolk Counciltake a look at our video and hear why our employees think it is such a great place to work.

In addition to the rural and urban diversity of East Suffolk itself the district is close to the large urban centres of both Norwich and Ipswich with rail services providing access to the Councils offices by might be on the edge but we can be accessed easily from a wide area (jpg)and offer flexible and remote working in a dynamic team.

Here are some of the main benefits:

• Great opportunities for training and development
• Generous leave entitlement (equivalent to 25 days a year increasing to 31 days after 5 years service plus bank holidays)
• Local government pension scheme
• Free car parking (for when you are working in the office)
• Discounts on mobile phones computers holiday and travel fashion and clothing health and beauty and many other products and services.

Please see our benefits brochure for further information.

The majority of our teams are working in an agile way with a mixture of home and office working depending on individual preferences and service requirements. If you wish to discuss how that might impact your working arrangements if you were the successful candidate please contact the recruiting manager listed at the bottom of this advert.

For more information

You can find out more about planning in East Suffolk and the work we do on our planning recruitment webpage.

For an informal discussion regarding this post please contact Nicholas Newton Principal Landscape and Arboriculture Officer on or email

Closing date: 12.00 pm Friday 5 December 2025.

Interview date: Week commencing 15 December 2025 and interviews held in Melton Suffolk.

How to apply

Step 1 -Read the advert and the Job Description and Person Specification

Step 2 -Complete theSupporting Statement template. Your statement needs to indicate how you meet each of the criteria contained within the Person Specification. Please use the template provided (other formats will not be accepted).

Step 3 -Complete the online application and upload your statement. Please note CVs are not accepted.

For more information check out the How to Apply section of our Career Site.