Transport Planning Officer

North Somerset Council; Weston-super-Mare; Hybride; GBP 30 000 - 50 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

North Somerset Council in Weston-super-Mare is seeking a Transport Planning Officer to join the Home to School Transport Service, delivering planning, procurement and monitoring of transport services for eligible children and young people.

You will contribute to policy development, contract management and sustainable travel initiatives while collaborating with schools, families, operators and council services to ensure safe and value-for-money transport.

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent in transport planning or related field.
• Experience in transport, passenger transport or education transport.
• Strong analytical and organisational abilities to prepare reports.
• Excellent communication with families, schools, colleges and partners.
• Ability to balance statutory duties, policies and resources when solving problems.

Responsabilités

• Provide policy advice and technical support for transport services and projects.
• Develop travel policies, strategies and service improvements for sustainable travel.
• Assist in procurement tendering, contract management and monitoring.
• Prepare reports, briefings and recommendations for senior officers and committees.
• Manage medium-sized projects and budgets contributing to service development.

Connaissances

Analytical skills

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Empathy

Stakeholder engagement

Formation

Degree in transport planning

Outils

GIS

Transport databases

Description du poste

Transport Planning Officer

Company: North Somerset Council

Salary: £29,542 to £49,817 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: Weston-super-Mare, BS23 1UJ

Working pattern: Hybrid - 2 days remote

Job type: Permanent

Posting date: 4 Nov 2026

Closing date: 4 Dec 2026

Summary

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Transport Planning Officer to join our Home to School Transport Service. The Home to School Transport Service is responsible for planning, procuring, coordinating and monitoring transport services for eligible children and young people across North Somerset. The team works closely with schools, colleges, families, transport operators and other Council services to ensure safe, efficient and best value transport arrangements whilst meeting statutory duties and supporting sustainable travel objectives.

In this role, you will provide professional advice and support in relation to the planning, delivery and development of transport services and transport-related projects. You will contribute to transport policy development, service improvement initiatives, contract management activities and the delivery of sustainable transport, whilst ensuring services meet corporate standards and relevant legislation.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide policy advice, analytical input and technical support for transport services and projects.
• Initiate, develop, and review travel policies, strategies, and service improvements that support sustainable travel objectives.
• Assist in procurement tendering, contract management and performance monitoring of travel services.
• Prepare reports, briefings and recommendations for senior officers, elected members, forums and committees.
• Manage medium-sized projects and budgets that contribute to service development and continuous improvement.

We are looking for a friendly, compassionate and resilient professional who enjoys solving problems and supporting families through complex situations. You'll be able to balance empathy with sound judgement, making fair and consistent decisions in line with Home to School Transport policies. You'll be passionate about passenger transport and delivering excellent travel services, with strong communication and organisational skills and the ability to work positively with families, schools, colleges, transport providers and colleagues.

Essential Requirements

The ideal candidate will have the following skills and experience:

• Educated to degree level or equivalent in transport planning, education or a related discipline, or able to demonstrate equivalent relevant experience.
• Experience of working within a transport, passenger transport, education transport or related service area with knowledge of transport legislation, policy and operational practices.
• Strong analytical and organisational skills, with the ability to prepare reports and make evidence-based recommendations.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with families, schools, colleges, transport providers, elected members and partner organisations.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to analyse complex and sensitive situations, identify practical solutions and make recommendations that balance individual circumstances with statutory duties, transport policies and available resources.
• Demonstrable ability to communicate with empathy, professionalism and sensitivity when supporting children, young people and families, including those with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) and other vulnerabilities, whilst applying Council policies and procedures consistently and fairly.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of contract management, procurement processes or transport scheduling.
• Experience of using mapping, GIS, transport databases or other transport planning systems

About Disability Confident Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Related jobs

Finance Business Partner (Environment, Assets & Transport Services)

from £65,495 per year

North Somerset Council

Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset

Hybrid Permanent Full time

Transport Policy Team Manager

£57,679 to £63,637 per year

North Somerset Council

Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset

Hybrid Permanent Full time

Senior Engineer

£36,581 to £43,149 per year

North Somerset Council

Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset

Hybrid Permanent Full time