About this job

PERMANENT
SALARY: £102,606.60 per annum
LOCATION: Tiverton

Relocation scheme available (if applicable)

Mid Devon is a beautiful predominantly rural district, with rolling hills and valleys, picturesque villages and attractive market towns which is recognised for its good quality of life while being within easy access of the M5, the city amenities of Exeter and Taunton and the link road to the beaches and coastline of North Devon. It is a great place to live and work.

This role will report to the Chief Executive and will be part of a team responsible for ensuring the organisation delivers for the communities of Mid Devon and succeeds on the ambition of our members as set out in our corporate plan.

This role provides strategic leadership and expertise to help maximise the positive outcomes from a variety of place-shaping opportunities. In 2024 we achieved success at the LABC awards, as well as the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence. These achievements go alongside services across the Council that are being recognised regularly at a regional and national level.

With everything from neighbourhood plans to a nationally designated garden village on the go, we have a huge opportunity and responsibility to shape the future of these settlements in a vibrant and sustainable way.

This role could be summed up in three words as place, productivity and connectivity, and to be successful will take empathy and emotion just as much as technical expertise. Mid Devon is a fantastic place and our communities are keen that we protect and enhance our places and spaces as well as delivering exciting new developments and opportunities.

If you love your job place-shaping as much as we love Mid Devon then we look forward to hearing from you.

This role will offer an ability for remote working, although there is an expectation of physical presence in Mid Devon on a weekly basis. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from anyone with the ability to do the job

To find out more

To find out more about this role please contact Stephen Walford, Chief Executive on 01884 234300.

For full details please read the Job Description and Person Specification - D04 Director of Place & Economy. 

The Job Description refers to the level of competencies required for this post. For an explanation of what this means, please see Core Competencies.

A satisfactory disclosure check, and three years complete employment history will be requested in the event of you being offered the position.

Unfortunately, we are unable to sponsor skilled worker visas at this time. For more information on pre-employment checks, please review the documents found here.

How to apply

Please download and complete our Job Application Form and send to opportunities@middevon.gov.uk. Alternatively, print and send by post to:

People Services
Mid Devon District Council
Phoenix House
Phoenix Lane
Tiverton, Devon
EX16 6PP

Please remember to quote the following post and vacancy numbers:

CLOSING DATE:	09 October 2025 at 5:00pm
POST NUMBER:	D04
VACANCY NUMBER:	2025111
PROPOSED INTERVIEW DATE:	30/31 October 2025

Mid Devon District Council reserves the right to close this vacancy early. We therefore encourage early applications.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer of first choice reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups. We are keen to make our interviews accessible. Let us know on your job application if you have a disability and need any reasonable adjustments.

We're committed to equality of opportunity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

If we've not contacted you within two weeks of the closing date, please assume your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion. 

Thank you for showing an interest in this vacancy and we wish you every success with your on-going job search.