Principal Travel Plan Officer

Some key information

• This role provides the opportunity for hybrid working, allowing you to work either from home, subject to managerial approval, or from one of our offices.
• 30 days' annual leave (in addition to bank holidays).
• You will join a team that is dedicated and committed to transforming our communities through high-quality, safe, and accessible development, while striving to create desirable places for people to live and work as part of Somerset's ambitious growth plans.
• The contract offered is permanent and full-time (37 hours per week).
  
  

What will I be doing?

We’re working to improve the lives of people in Somerset – and you’ll be a key part of that. You would act on behalf of the Highway Authority to lead the Council travel plan activity in relation to new development areas (ranging from large urban extensions to numerous medium sized housing and commercial developments). Provide policy and guidance for planning authorities and developers as well as delivering the wider sustainable travel agenda set out by central government, engage in the planning system from the development of local plans thought to implementation and monitoring of individual applications, and determine the extent of the Councils direct delivery of travel planning activity on behalf of developers based on secured funding contributions. Guide and supervise the development of staff within your team.

The range of opportunities is both challenging and rewarding. Somerset provides the opportunity to get involved in some of the UK’s most high-profile growth initiatives including, new garden communities, housing infrastructure fund, enterprise zones, and national infrastructure projects such as Hinkley Point C.

Your day-to-day work will involve:

• Providing advice and guidance to colleagues, managers as well as to developers on a wide range of highways development management issues during both pre-application consultation and the planning process.
• Negotiating and securing travel plan obligations and contributions through legal agreements.
• Delivers travel plan activity on the ground, on behalf of developers.
  
  

Your role will be to lead the team and:

• Undertake more complex investigations into major planning /political/technical issues.
• Lead on development work on travel policy to keep the authorities plan up to date and in line with central government decarbonisation and active travel agendas.
• Provide advice to senior managers on undertaking travel planning activity on behalf of developers.
• Ensure appropriate systems are in place to provide effective monitoring and enforcement of travel plan requirements.
• Provide and deliver presentations to support planning committees, appeals and member training.
• Contribute to development, delivery and evaluation of the groups works and service improvement plan.
  
  

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including working from home, with agreement from the manager.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you:

• Are educated to degree level or equivalent through relevant professional development.
• Have experience of working within the planning system preferably with highways development management experience.
• Ability to monitor performance against deadlines and milestones.
• Ability to motivate and empower others.
• Ability to prepare observations and communicate them clearly and unambiguously in writing and verbally to a range of audiences.
• Ability to assess the implications of proposals and work with people to develop appropriate solutions (for example, agree travel plan documentation and targets with developers)
• Ability to assimilate information from technical reports, to read and understand policies, and guidance.
  
  

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

What's in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more
  
  

Anything else I should know?

The salary for the role is Grade 9, ranging from £40,476 to £44,711 per annum.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Jon Fellingham on 01823 356298 or [email protected]

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button - we can’t wait to hear from you.