Town Planning & Heritage Manager and Town Planner Opportunities

Are you the sort of person who loves a challenge? Does the prospect of being part of a team of Town Planning and Property Professionals with a diverse range of skills appeal to you? If so, we’d like to hear from you!

We at network rail are dedicated to becoming one of Britain’s best employers and believe this starts with placing the candidate at the heart of everything we do!

Our ambition to be responsive to passengers and freight users, drives us every day and we’re empowered to do the right thing for those who use the rail network. We actively challenge unsafe practices and take responsibility for addressing risks, resolving issues and protecting safety and wellbeing.

We’re passionate about great service and we ask ourselves, what can we do to put our passengers and freight users at the centre of everything we do? With this in mind, we pull together as one industry because we care about people and teamwork is key. For more information about Network Rail click here

Job Brief / Purpose –

We currently have two exciting London based opportunities within our Southern Town Planning team, providing a high quality and efficient Town Planning service to assist with the delivery of a safe, reliable and efficient railway.

Town Planning & Heritage Manager – Ref IRC2283683

This role will be responsible for the leadership and management of Southern Region’s Town Planning and Heritage Services.

Reporting to the Property Director, this role is to lead a team of Town Planning professionals to deliver an efficient and effective Town Planning and heritage service; to identify and embed opportunities, commercially and operationally, creating a culture of high performance across the team. 

The role will also lead on business change improvements for Planning and Land services Regionally and Nationally.

The full job description and further information can be found below

Town Planner – Ref IRC2282988

As the Town Planner you will be required to secure consents required for the delivery of works on Network Rail's infrastructure with its Southern Region. You will also support our Property function which is responsible for generating sustainable income from our diverse estate, to be reinvested into our rail infrastructure.

Reporting into the Senior Town Planner, you will work closely with project teams in the delivery of advice, planning and heritage consents as well, utilising Network Rail’s Permitted Development Rights where possible.  You will also provide expert advice on complex and sensitive projects affecting the large number of listed buildings and structures in our ownership. 

Some exciting projects include, renewal and enhancement of heritage infrastructure, delivery of station and track enhancements, change of use of assets (e.g., railway arches) and support the accommodation needs for our workforce.

For further information on this brilliant opportunity, including the full job description and salary and to apply, please search using IRC2282988 on our careers website Careers search - Network Rail

Town Planning & Heritage Manager

Key Accountabilities –

1. To take ownership for all client groups and actively manage the relationship in order to be responsive to key customers needs.  To take ownership across all teams for the securing of new business from key external/third party clients and delivering across all Town Planning teams. Support the Property Director in the delivery of advice and direction on Town Planning & Heritage issues to the Property leadership team.
2. To take ownership for the management of key Southern teams.  To identify and lead on the development of new, relationships with external national stakeholders to facilitate delivery of Town Planning and Heritage services, for the client group(s).
3. Define the strategic direction for the client group.  To lead on the development and implementation of continual business improvement plans across Planning and Land Services. To support the Property Director in the delivery of new national initiatives
4. To act as a national role model for all teams in Planning & Land Services.   Lead a team of planners and heritage specialist within the Southern Region. Manage and mentor team members.
5. To embed a culture of high performance across all Town Planning teams and on the delivery of an efficient and effective Town Planning service to the specified client group(s).  Provide professional direction, representation and support at a national level to internal clients and external stakeholders to maximise asset value and minimise project risk.  Manage the delivery of  professional planning and heritage services, including (but not limited to) preparing and submitting statutory planning and related notifications and applications, submitting appeals, representing Network Rail at public inquiries, responding to statutory development plan consultations and providing development appraisals, when appropriate.
6. Provide strategic advice to the Property Director on Town Planning and Heritage issues.  Provide the Property leadership team with advice and direction on Town Planning and Heritage issues.  Lead on client and stakeholder management common to all Town Planning teams.  Fulfil full leadership responsibility and act as a role model for the team.
7. Lead on the development of Town Planning and Heritage services overall strategy and the delivery of efficient and effective services. Provide strategic support and guidance to clients on complex development programmes. 
8. Promote the development and implementation of a safety leadership and cultural change programme to support delivery of a safe working environment and a safe operational and commercial asset. Accountable for compliance of the team with our rules and processes.
9. Proactively enhance, develop and protect the value of the operational and commercial asset bases through strategic approaches to securing planning and heritage benefits.  Accountable for team financial targets.  Collaborate across Network Rail and in the external market to share best practice and drive an ethos of continuous improvement.
10. Accountable for the Town Planning interface with the Southern Region and for the Heritage service across all Town Planning teams and client groups.
11. Responsible for resourcing and supporting the Southern Region and ad hoc projects / programmes for the Town Planning work area and for Heritage strategic support, and on complex cases, across all Town Planning teams.   Manage external Town Planning and Heritage resources when required  

Job Skills, Experience and Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to degree level or equivalent MRTPI or MRICS qualified Significant PQE including experience of complex Town Planning issues
• Experience of managing and developing a team
• Experience of securing work and client management
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills

Desirable

• Experience of the rail industry and/or transport industry
• Experience of heritage legislation and issues
• Experience of environmental legislation and issues Full Driving Licence

How to apply

Salary: £85,395 - £96,070

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Drugs and Alcohol Standard:

Our Drugs and Alcohol Standard is changing as of 16.01.2023. All propective candidates who have not been offered a conditional role by 16.01.2023 will be required to undergo and pass a drugs and alcohol test. Your application will be rescinded if you record a positive test. All positive drugs and alcohol test results for prospective candidates will be securely held on Sentinel database and a 5 year suspension from applying for a safety critical role, a role which requires PTS certification or a Key Safety role on Network Rail Managed Infrastructure will be enforced.

Network Rail adheres to pre-employment Baseline Personal Security Standard (BPSS), this is government standard for pre –employment vetting. BPSS government standard pre-employment vetting requires Network Rail to screen a potential employee’s unspent criminal convictions and undertake 3 year career checks. Employment at Network Rail is subject to employees meeting the BPSS government standard pre-employment vetting.

Network Rail welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, marital status (including civil partnerships), pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, transgender status, sex (or gender), employment status, trade union affiliation, or other irrelevant factor. We will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.

Keeping people safe on the railway is at the heart of everything we do, safe behaviour is therefore a requirement of working for Network Rail.  Applicants should demonstrate their personal commitment to safety in their application.

Network Rail can offer you a rewarding career with competitive pay and excellent benefits including a choice of contributory pension schemes, a generous annual leave package, a bonus scheme and an annual subsidy on season tickets.

Network Rail positively embraces flexible working recognising that employees may wish to balance work and family/home life.

Closing date14^th June 2024, late applications will not be accepted.  We retain the right to close the advert before the listed closing date based on application volumes.