Salary: up to £58,000 per annum
Hours: Full-time, 37 hours p/w
Closing Date: 20 Apr 2026
Location & Travel: This is a hybrid role, requiring attendance at the CIHT office in central London two days per week, with Wednesday being mandatory. Fully home-based working may be considered at a reduced salary, subject to a justified case. Regardless of whether the role is hybrid or home-based, it involves regular travel across England and occasional work outside standard office hours for events.
Term: Fixed term from Spring/Summer 2026 to 31 March 2029. The contract may be renewed in March 2029.
Applications must include a cover letter outlining your reasons for applying; applications without a cover note will not be accepted.
About us
About CIHT
The Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) is a charity, learned society, membership body and leading voice for those who work in the transport and infrastructure sector.
CIHT is the home for all people working in highways and transportation infrastructure. CIHT members come from within the private, public and academic sectors.
We champion equality, diversity and inclusion. We work with employers to encourage people from all backgrounds to choose a career in our sector.
CIHT works with our members to improve the standard of practice across the fields of highways, transportation and infrastructure. We are the lead voice of the highways and transportation profession in the UK and globally.
The Bus Centre of Excellence team
This role sits within the Bus Centre of Excellence (BCoE) team, which is run and managed by CIHT with funding from the Department for Transport. The BCoE team works closely with a wide range of organisations and individuals who are engaged with the delivery of bus services in England, to help improve capability within the sector and promote best practice.
About the job
Job Purpose
The purpose of the role is to lead the Bus Centre of Excellence's (BCoE) stakeholder engagement team, managing two Stakeholder Engagement Leads and acting as the primary relationship manager between BCoE and Local Transport Authorities (LTAs), Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), and Sub-national Transport Bodies (STBs). The role will drive support for franchising authorities and enhanced partnerships, coordinate technical outputs and expand BCoE's networks and forums to build local capability in delivering bus reform.
Key Contacts
Stakeholders include: BCoE Members, urban & rural Local Transport Authorities, Mayoral Combined Authorities, Sub-national Transport Bodies, BCoE Advisory Group, BCoE Forums/Networks, advocacy groups and commercial entities such as bus operators and suppliers to the bus industry.
CIHT marketing and communication colleagues
CIHT members, external participants in events, external suppliers and venues
Responsibilities
Strategic Stakeholder Management
Lead strategic engagement with LTAs, MCAs, and their elected members
Act as the primary named contact and stakeholder relationship manager for LTAs and MCAs.
Provide support to LTAs and MCAs on franchising and enhanced partnerships through understanding their unique challenges and coordinating BCoE resources to meet their needs.
Collaborate with Sub-national Transport Bodies (STBs), as their operational landscape changes.
Support authorities undergoing change due to devolution by acting as a focal point for their questions in relation to impact on planning and delivery of bus services and providing events and resources to help them manage the challenges of devolution for local bus services.
Assist the Head of BCoE in meeting strategic organisational objectives, including enhancing the reputation, brand and profile of BCoE and CIHT.
Consultancy and Technical Outputs
Define the scope for consultancy support and manage consultants to deliver technical outputs, for example Enhanced Partnership templates, and evidence-based reports or case studies.
Ensure all technical outputs are disseminated effectively through BCoE channels and hosted on the BCoE website.
Capacity Building and Knowledge Exchange
Lead and organise regional and/or thematic workshops (in-person and virtual) to assist LTAs with their challenges, facilitating peer learning and equipping authorities with practical expertise.
Transfer knowledge from individual LTAs to the wider bus sector (and vice-versa), through events, Network meetings, conferences.
Lead the expansion of BCoE Networks, help organise and deliver the BCoE Bus Forum.
Facilitate monthly drop-in sessions, giving an opportunity to interested LTAs to raise issues and ask questions on any bus delivery topics. including the opportunity to raise questions directly with relevant DfT policy officials.
Attend and represent BCoE at regional bus forums and other regional bus-related events (virtual or in-person).
Research, Reporting and Evaluation
Take responsibility for conducting and reporting on the annual LTA Capacity and Capability Survey, analysing findings and translating them into actionable insights.
Collaborate with Transport Focus to improve capability on data collection
Monitor emerging transport challenges and policy developments, ensuring BCoE's offer remains relevant and responsive to sector needs.
Team Management
Line manage the two Stakeholder Engagement Leads (Rural and Urban), providing direction, support, and performance management.
Coordinate the work of the team to ensure comprehensive coverage of rural and urban LTAs across the UK.
Support team members in identifying LTA challenges and developing appropriate solutions.
Person Specification
Essential Experience:
Substantial experience of working in or with Local Transport Authorities and/or DfT
Substantial experience of working in transport policy or transport consultancy
Proven track record of building and maintaining effective stakeholder relationships at senior levels, including with elected members.
Experience in managing people
Demonstrated experience commissioning and managing consultancy support or technical outputs.
Experience of working with MS Teams and MS Office
Essential Knowledge and Skills:
Knowledge of bus policy frameworks, including Enhanced Partnerships, franchising, and devolution arrangements.
Knowledge of urban and rural transport challenges and solutions.
Experience in identifying and collating stakeholder needs and proposing practical solutions
Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse audiences from Transport Officers to elected members.
Strong analytical skills and the ability to translate research findings into practical recommendations.
Ability to work independently, prioritise competing demands, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
Commitment to capacity building within the bus sector and supporting professionals to develop their skills and knowledge
Ability to chair meetings
Degree level education or equivalent.
Desirable Experience:
Experience working with DfT, Mayoral Combined Authorities or other central government departments.
Experience in carrying out or leading work around bus network planning, bus priority measures, managing/analysing bus data and delivering transport modelling studies.
Desirable Knowledge and Skills:
Project management skills
Equality and Diversity Statement
CIHT is committed to equality and diversity in its role as an employer, valuing the benefit a diverse workforce brings. It is our intention not to discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Our Values
Professional
An effective, high-performing and ethically focused Institution that has integrity, acts impartially and strives to do the right thing, in a fair and responsible way
Inclusive
An accessible Institution that values equality, diversity and inclusion by supporting all our members, regions and national groups, committees and panels
Collaborative
A membership body that engages with our stakeholders, supports common interests and informs and influences decision-makers
Progressive
An ambitious and innovative Institution committed to positive change
How we value our people
We recognise that our people are central to our ability to deliver high-quality and professional services. We offer a welcoming working environment and a commitment to good people management, including our performance and development review process.
Learning and development
We are committed to supporting employees’ learning and development. Ensuring every employee has a learning and development plan is part of our annual performance development process.
Working environment
We are a friendly team located in central London, close to transport links, in a well-resourced light and airy building.
Wellbeing support
We provide a range of benefits to support staff wellbeing: Healthcare cash benefits plan provided (post probation), employee assistance programme (post probation) and opportunity to apply for flexible hours.
Pension and life assurance provision
All employees are eligible for the statutory provision, and additionally we provide a good pension scheme with 8% employer contributions (employee contribution is minimum 5%). Group Life Assurance scheme is offered to all staff after probation.
Other benefits
Generous holiday allowance (27 pro rata days plus bank holidays), with option to buy/sell leave
Healthcare cash benefits plan provided by SimplyHealth (after probation)
Cycle to Work Scheme