Devolution Officer

Overview

We’re looking for a capable and well‑organised Devolution Officer to support the effective management of devolved highway responsibilities across Buckinghamshire.

Reporting to the Highways Technical Lead Officer, this role plays a key part in ensuring that highway devolution arrangements are robust, compliant and consistently applied. You will act as the Council’s point of coordination for devolved highway activities, supporting parish and town councils, internal teams and service providers to ensure works are delivered safely to standard and in line with agreed responsibilities.

This role is ideal for someone with experience in highways, infrastructure or public‑sector coordination who enjoys working across organisational boundaries and managing multiple stakeholders.

About us

Buckinghamshire Council is one of the largest local authorities in the country, responsible for a diverse highway network serving urban, rural and strategic transport needs. Our ambition is to provide a safe, reliable and sustainable transport network that supports economic growth, environmental responsibility and thriving communities.

The Highways Asset Management Team, within the Infrastructure and Capital Schemes function, is responsible for the stewardship of the council’s highway assets. The team develops long‑term asset management strategies, maintains asset data and condition information, prioritises investment, and ensures that maintenance and improvement programmes deliver best value and comply with statutory and national requirements.

An important part of this is the Council’s devolution arrangements, which enable town and parish councils to deliver certain local highway improvements with appropriate governance, standards and technical support.

The Devolution Officer role helps ensure these arrangements deliver local benefits while maintaining safety, consistency and value for money across the wider highway network.

About the role

As Devolution Officer, you will be responsible for the day‑to‑day management and coordination of highway devolution processes and agreements.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the development, maintenance and review of highway devolution agreements
• Acting as the main point of contact for town and parish councils on devolved highway matters
• Advising on scope, standards, procedures and responsibilities associated with devolved works
• Coordinating internal input from highways officers, inspectors, asset managers and service providers
• Ensuring devolved schemes comply with highway standards, health & safety requirements and legislative obligations
• Managing enquiries, correspondence and requests relating to devolved highway activities
• Supporting approval, monitoring and close‑out of devolved schemes
• Maintaining accurate records and reporting on devolution activity and performance
• Providing clear guidance and documentation to support consistent delivery of devolved works
• Escalating risks, issues or non‑compliance to the Highways Technical Lead Officer as appropriate

You will work closely with colleagues across the highways and technical service and help support positive, constructive relationships with local councils and community representatives.

About you

You will be an organised and confident professional with experience working in a highways, infrastructure or local‑government environment.

We’re looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• Experience in a highway, technical, infrastructure or public‑sector coordination role.
• A good understanding of how local authorities operate, including governance and stakeholder relationships.
• Knowledge of highway standards, procedures or maintenance activities (or the ability to quickly build this knowledge).
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain technical or procedural requirements clearly.
• Confidence working with parish and town councils, contractors and internal teams.
• Good organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple pieces of work at the same time.
• A proactive, solutions‑focused approach and the confidence to raise issues where necessary.
• Accuracy and attention to detail in record‑keeping, reporting and correspondence.

You will be comfortable working across teams, handling enquiries professionally and supporting the delivery of local highway improvements within a clear governance framework.

If you enjoy enabling local decision‑making while ensuring safety, consistency and standards are upheld, this role offers a rewarding opportunity to make a visible difference within the highways service.

Other information

For further information on this role please see the attached job summary.

We offer hybrid working arrangements

Closing date: 25 May 2026

Interview date: Week commencing 01 June 2026

Interview-type / process: Either MS Team and/or In Person, to be confirmed.  

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: Syed Shah 07977 611481

This post is politically restricted under the terms of the Local Government Act 1989.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While we welcome innovation, we expect all submissions to reflect your own experience, skills, and achievements accurately. Please ensure your application is truthful and demonstrates your personal capabilities, as this will be assessed during the selection process.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. 

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards
• Cemeteries and Crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment. 

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/