Highways Development Manager

Overview

A career within Planning and Environment at Buckinghamshire Council offers huge variety, at scale. We’re a big Council, covering a big area, and that offers the opportunity for you to make a big impact. Are you ready to help shape the future of Buckinghamshire?

We have Green Belt, Grey Belt, National Landscape, and historic towns nestling in the countryside. We have new railways being built, and proposals in the new local plan for more than 90,000 new homes. This is an ambitious place, with ambitious people, and we are looking for a dynamic and experienced leader to manage and develop our Highways Development Management Team in Buckinghamshire. This is a critical job, which is pivotal to the delivery of our ambitious growth plans.

This role involves leading a motivated and agile team to deliver the high-quality, customer-focused major development management, urban and landscape design service. You will oversee the delivery of an effective statutory service for strategic, major and core development proposals, developer funded infrastructure delivery and adoption of assets, ensuring all statutory requirements and best practices are met.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact, ensuring our planning services support growth while protecting Buckinghamshire’s natural, built, and historic environment. Additionally, you will drive service improvements and cultural change to enhance productivity and service delivery.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Majors Development Manager (covering area teams) and all Team Leaders and other stakeholders both internal and external, providing strategic direction, performance management, and expert advice to elected members and committees. If you have a passion for planning and a track record of delivering results, we want to hear from you.

Salary of up to £76,335

About us

As one of the largest Councils in the country Buckinghamshire covers an area of 724sq miles to the west of London and is one of the England’s ‘Big 8’ Council’s.

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous four district authorities with the County Council to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally.

At Buckinghamshire Council we are dedicated to delivering high-quality planning services to the residents of Buckinghamshire. The Highways Development Management team is responsible for assessing the impact of planning proposals on the highway network and delivering subsequent infrastructure from Inspection through to Adoption, across the whole of the Buckinghamshire Council area. We have a focus on the use of PPA’s that include both the Highways DM Planning and Delivery sides of the team, in which we have established an innovative approach. This role will work collaboratively with the Planning & Environment service, to provide strategic direction and vision for the service to all stakeholders. The team also plays a crucial role in planning appeals as well as providing expert advice to elected members and committees, ensuring that consultation responses are technically sound, transparent, and responsive to the needs of the community.

In addition to their technical expertise, the Highways Development Management Team is committed to fostering a collaborative and customer-focused approach. They work closely with multiple stakeholders, including other council departments, local communities, and external bodies, to achieve key outcomes. The team is proactive in driving service improvements and adopting innovative practices to enhance productivity and service delivery.

The Buckinghamshire Council Highways Development Management team strives to maintain a resilient and adaptable service that meets the evolving needs of the residents and supports the Council’s strategic objectives.

About the role

Highways Development Management is organised into two teams: HDM Planning and HDM Delivery, and you will work closely alongside the Major Development Manager and Natural Historic & Built Environment Manager. You will lead teams of specialist professional staff to ensure the delivery of expert advice and construction supporting strategic growth. Your role will involve driving service improvements by developing and implementing an agile and efficient Highways Development Management team that meets customer needs, enhances productivity, and delivers high-quality service. You will also lead cultural change initiatives in line with the Council’s corporate priorities.

You will be responsible for the performance management of the Highways DM Team across Buckinghamshire, working collaboratively across the Council with teams including Development Management, Building Control, Enforcement, Spatial Planning & Climate Resilience and Buckinghamshire Highways to provide strategic direction and vision. This role requires strong leadership and project management skills, particularly for large, long-term projects which will have PPA’s at their core ensuring timely and detailed delivery. Additionally, you will provide expert advice, prepare reports, and brief elected members, including representing the team at Cabinet and Council meetings when necessary.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

 

About you

We are seeking a highly experienced and knowledgeable Highways Development Manager to join our team. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of Transport Planning and Highways Engineering, appreciating the impact of current and emerging policies and infrastructure delivery mechanisms. With significant experience in leading and developing high-performing teams within a Local Planning Authority environment, you will be adept at assessing the impact of complex planning applications on the highway network, planning performance agreements and appeals both inquiries and hearings, as well as working collaboratively with members, including portfolio holders, committees, and working groups.

The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to build and lead a team, influence stakeholders at all levels, and deliver high-quality planning policies, strategies, reports, and presentations. You will have a proven track record of delivering major applications, managing budgets effectively, and implementing innovative ideas to enhance service levels. Strong organisational and project management skills are essential, along with a positive, results-focused approach and the flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.

In this role, you will also be responsible for managing information, including sensitive data and handling Freedom of Information requests. Your excellent written and oral communication skills will enable you to advocate and influence effectively in various settings. A commitment to continuing professional development and a positive customer-focused mindset are crucial, as is the ability to work with diplomacy and political awareness. If you are a strategic thinker with a positive solution-focused approach and a passion for delivering high-quality planning services, we would love to hear from you.

Other information

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

The team currently work a hybrid working style with a mandatory 2 days a week from one of the 3 office locations with the main office base being Walton Street, Aylesbury.

Number of positions available: 1

Interview-type / process: In person

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please contact: Jo Thornton 01296 383611 or [email protected]

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 Planning, Growth and Sustainability directorate works with partners to help shape the future of Buckinghamshire.  We deliver services on planning, economic growth, regeneration, strategic infrastructure, transport and property.

 Our key priorities include developing the economic narrative for Bucks, creating more jobs and delivering the right infrastructure to help businesses and residents thrive. We also aim to provide a proactive planning service that is responsive, whilst making the best use of the Council’s land and property portfolio. This will in turn support community services and create housing, jobs, regeneration and income to support public services.

 It’s a great time to join one of our teams. As part of the Planning, Growth and Sustainability function you will not only get to help shape the economic future of Buckinghamshire; you’ll also be involved in delivering high-profile development projects and work on some of the biggest infrastructure projects in the UK. You will support us to deliver the results that our local residents and businesses deserve.

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/