Team Manager - Highways Planning Liaison

East Midlands Councils/East Midlands Jobs; East Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Senior leadership

Diverse projects

Supportive environment

Hybrid working

Benefits package

Job summary

East Midlands Councils/East Midlands Jobs invites a seasoned transport planning professional to lead the Highway Planning Liaison Team within Derbyshire's planning framework. You will oversee the statutory highway consultee function, guiding planning applications from housing to major infrastructure and shaping future development across the county.

You'll manage a team, ensure high‑quality advice, support planning appeals, and collaborate with planning authorities, developers and elected members

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in highway development management and transport planning.
• Experience leading a professional technical team.
• Comprehensive knowledge of statutory planning system and highway legislation.
• Experience assessing complex development proposals and providing clear reports.
• Experience representing an organisation at planning committees or inquiries.
• Strong leadership, resource management and performance improvement.
• Excellent negotiation and communication with developers, planning authorities and stakeholders.
• Degree in transport planning, civil engineering or related field; membership or commitment to professional development.

Responsibilities

• Lead Highway Planning Liaison Team and oversee statutory highway consultee function.
• Provide expert advice on planning applications from housing developments to major infrastructure.
• Manage service performance and resources; promote quality and consistency of advice.
• Support planning appeals and inquiries; represent the Council in discussions.
• Guide complex proposals with clear, authoritative professional advice and reports.

Skills

Highway development management

Transport planning

Team leadership

Policy interpretation

Stakeholder engagement

Planning appeals/inquiries

Negotiation and communication

Education

Degree in transport planning / civil engineering or related

Job description

Company:

We're looking for an experienced transport planning professional to lead our Highway Planning Liaison Team.

This is a varied and influential role overseeing the County Council's statutory highway consultee function, where you'll lead a team of specialist officers, providing expert advice on planning applications ranging from housing developments to major infrastructure schemes across Derbyshire.

As part of a busy and dynamic service, the team provides advice on over 4,500 planning applications and pre-application consultations annually, playing a key role in shaping future development and infrastructure.

Working closely with local planning authorities, developers, elected members and colleagues across the council, you'll help ensure new development addresses highway safety, accessibility, sustainable travel and impacts on the local transport network.

You'll also manage service performance, resources, and support continuous improvement, and promote the quality and consistency of the team's advice. The role includes providing expert guidance on complex and high profile proposals, supporting planning appeals and inquiries, and representing the Council in professional and stakeholder discussions.

What we're looking for

• Substantial experience in highway development management, transport planning, including managing or leading a professional technical team.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the statutory planning system, relevant highway and planning legislation, national and local policy, and the transport implications of new development.
• Significant experience of assessing complex development proposals, interpreting technical transport evidence and preparing clear, authoritative professional advice and reports.
• Experience of representing an organisation at planning committees, appeals, public inquiries or other formal proceedings, with the ability to communicate and defend technical advice.
• Strong leadership and management skills, with demonstrable experience of managing resources, competing priorities, service performance and delivering measurable improvements.
• Excellent negotiation, communication and partnership working skills, including experience of engaging with developers, planning authorities, elected members and senior stakeholders.
• A relevant degree or equivalent professional experience in transport planning, civil engineering, highways or a related discipline, alongside membership of, or commitment to professional development through, an appropriate professional institution.

What we can offer

• A senior leadership role with the opportunity to influence development across one of England's most diverse counties.
• Interesting and varied projects, from strategic housing developments to major infrastructure schemes.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment.
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements.
• A comprehensive benefits package including annual leave, learning and development opportunities, and employee wellbeing support.