Spatial Planning Manager

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Job Description

About the job

Ready to shape the future of planning and transport on one of the world's most advanced road networks? As a Spatial Planning Manager at National Highways, you'll lead a team that ensures local development plans and transport strategies work seamlessly with the Strategic Road Network.

Whether your background is in town planning, transport planning, development management or consultancy, this is your chance to influence big decisions, drive continuous improvement, and leave a positive legacy for generations to come.

Based at one of our South East offices (Maidstone, Basingstoke or Guildford) on a hybrid basis, you'll also spend plenty of time out and about - meeting external stakeholders, representing National Highways across the region, and occasionally travelling to our Head Office in Birmingham to collaborate and share best practice.

You will:

• Shape future development by managing National Highways' role in the spatial planning system across the South East, making sure local authority and stakeholder plans consider the strategic road network.
• Be the go-to expert for the region, leading on statutory and regulatory duties while creating efficient processes and managing resources across both in-house teams and external consultants.
• Drive collaboration by managing our specialist spatial planning consultancy contract and ensuring we get the best value and expertise to support our ambitions.
• Lead and inspire a talented team of Spatial Planners and Assistant Spatial Planners, fostering a culture of high performance, recognising and developing potential, and promoting best practice in people management.

About you

• Chartered Transport or Town Planner, or demonstrates equivalent relevant experience.
• Awareness and knowledge of the Spatial Planning system in England and the duties and obligations of the parties involved.
• Proven track record in a leadership role and significant experience in managing a team.
• Experienced in developing and delivering continuous improvement initiatives and sharing best practice in areas of varied transport and planning expertise.
• A clear communicator with proven negotiating and influencing skills, able to direct and motivate a diverse range of colleagues, stakeholders and customers.

About us

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England's motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.

Operations is at the heart of keeping the strategic road network moving and ensuring our customers get the best possible experience when using our roads.

We address over 39,000 customer enquiries every month, plan and deliver all maintenance activities on the network, drive efficiencies and improvements across our systems and roads, and respond to incidents across 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads that we manage. All to make sure National Highways customers have safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys.

External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

About Us

Why you should join us

At National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We're proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers.

So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it - then you'll be a great fit for our organisation.

A connected and sustainable working approach has been adopted across National Highways. For some roles, this means being able to work in a hybrid way spending up to 60% of time working from a remote location such as home.

We offer many different ways to work flexibly and we're open to discuss part-time working, job shares, and flexible start and finish times.

Please wait until the interview stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what is possible.

Our benefits package

• Our total reward package includes basic salary, the potential for a performance related bonus
• Contributory pension scheme with employer contribution of up to 10%
• Annual Leave starting at 26 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising by 1 day each year up to 31 days (plus Bank Holidays)
• Flexible hours and an approach driven by connected and sustainable working which includes hybrid working
• Life assurance of 4 times annual salary
• Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders. Plus access to a wellbeing app to enhance your self-care 24/7, Occupational health service and flu vaccines
• A cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel
• Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on job experience

And we are

• Family friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave (15 days), shared parental leave, adoption leave. Plus access to financial support for holiday play schemes and paid special leave (up to 5 days pa), eg for caring responsibilities
• Money friendly with access to a discounts platform including over 3000 discounts for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays. Alongside a financial wellbeing programme
• Community friendly - offering paid leave to volunteer, 3 days basic/year

If you are successful, it is key to know all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks which include:

• Right to work check
• 3 year employment history references
• DBS criminal record check
• Social media and adverse journalism check
• Driving licence check (if applicable)
• Fit to work questionnaire (for all), followed by a medical check (if applicable)
• Qualifications and/or professional membership check (if applicable)

And finally

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