Planning Development Manager (Highways) As Cities & Places, we create thriving places across different scales: from regions to cities, neighbourhoods to individual buildings, by offering an integrated design approach. We have a tremendous opportunity to build upon strength to develop an interdisciplinary planning, design and delivery practice that is uniquely Jacobs, that sets the direction for the industry and is home to the very best and brightest design thinkers, disruptors, technical experts, visionaries and storytellers. Our business unit brings together engineers, architects, surveyors, urban designers, project managers and transport planners to provide collaborative and coordinated sustainable, value design solutions for our clients both nationally and internationally. Working collaboratively with Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) and its supply chain, Jacobs provides program / asset management and technical support to the Highway and Environmental service - to protect and maximize value from HCC's £8 billion of highway, structures, and environmental assets. About the opportunity We work exclusively for Hertfordshire County Council acting as the Highway Authority in its role as statutory consultee. The Local Plans & Strategic Development team, where the role is based, support the planning process in terms of identification of the most sustainable sites for growth and support the evolution of those sites through the master-planning process/pre-application process. If successful, you will be part of a wider team that also deals with Development Management and is the home to head of profession who are focussed on influencing the design of places which encourage active and sustainable travel. Your new role. What's involved? This role focuses on supporting housing and infrastructure development from a transport planning perspective, with involvement in major strategic sites. The Jacob's team's and your contribution by extent - is not just technical; it plays a critical role in shaping sustainable development plans from big picture perspective, considering wider planning impacts such as drainage, transport access, and the liveability of future communities. Responsibilities will include supporting planning applications, working at the information and pre-application stages, and acting in the capacity of the highway's authority. A key part of the role will be evaluating the suitability of development locations, negotiating with and managing multiple stakeholders, and ensuring responses are aligned with the county council's objectives. This position will require strong relationship-building, negotiation skills, and awareness of the political environment. In a nutshell - you and the team will operate in a non-technical, strategic way, looking at the bigger picture and delivering vision-led solutions. If successful, your role as Planning Manager will be to develop expertise in highways and planning, and contribute to shaping plans that balance economic, environmental, and social sustainability in local Stevenage community. Main responsibilities: * Support the Local Plan and Strategic Development Team in leading the One Service approach to Place Making. * Work closely with the Strategy and Programme Managers to develop programmes of work, manage the communications with Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) and external partners while supporting the Local Plan process. * Support the development of master plans for strategic developments ensuring the Highways interests are represented at an early stage * Contribute to the team, and the unit, in terms of researching and sharing best practice, developing new ideas and supporting the development of members of the team. We work exclusively for Hertfordshire County Council acting as the Highway Authority in its role as statutory consultee. The Local Plans & Strategic Development team, where the role is based, support the planning process in terms of identification of the most sustainable sites for growth and support the evolution of those sites through the master-planning process/pre-application process. This role focuses on supporting housing and infrastructure development from a transport planning perspective, with involvement in major strategic sites (for example - ranging from 300 to 10,000 homes, as well as retail parks and large-scale applications). The Jacob's team's and your contribution by extend - is not just technical; it plays a critical role in shaping sustainable development plans from bog picture perspective, considering wider planning impacts such as drainage, transport access, and the livability of future communities. Responsibilities will include supporting planning applications, working at the information and pre-application stages, and acting in the capacity of the highway's authority. Ideally, we are looking for strong relationship builder with strong Urban/ Transport / Highway or similar planning awareness, including knowledge of local plans, urban planning principles, place-making, and national policy frameworks like the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework). The successful candidate will require to be sensitive to political dynamics, able to engage with elected members, and respond on behalf of the council in a public-facing role. We need : * A positive attitude with a strong work ethic. * Have an interest in transport, planning, and/or sustainable development issues * Have a relevant degree (e.g. Geography, Planning or Engineering) or suitable relevant experience. * Confident interpersonal and communication skill - ability to work effectively with people at all levels in the organisation, manage conflict and build connections Why Jacobs? People are Jacobs' greatest asset, and we offer a competitive package to retain and attract the best talent. In addition to the benefits you'd expect, UK employees also receive free single medical cover and digital GP service, family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave pay and free membership of employee assistance and parental programmes, plus reimbursement towards relevant professional development and memberships. We also give back to our communities through our Collectively program which incorporates matched-funding, paid volunteering time and charitable donations. Work-life balance and flexibility is a key focus area for Jacobs. We're happy to discuss hybrid, part-time and flexible working hours, patterns, and locations to suit you and our business. Our culture Our values stand on a foundation of safety, integrity, inclusion and diversity. We put people at the heart of our business and we truly believe that by supporting one another through our culture of caring, we all succeed. We value positive mental health and a sense of belonging for all employees. [1] Find out more about life at Jacobs. We aim to embed inclusion and diversity in everything we do. We know that if we are inclusive, we're more connected, and if we are diverse, we're more creative. We accept people for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, mental health, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you're pregnant or on family leave. This is reflected in our wide range of Global Employee Networks centred on inclusion and diversity - ACE, Careers, Enlace, Harambee, OneWorld, Prism, Women and Vetnet. [2] Find out more about our employee networks here. Jacobs partners with VERCIDA to help us attract and retain diverse talent. For greater online accessibility please visit [3] www.vercida.com to view and access our roles. As a Disability Confident employer, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a vacancy. We welcome applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working and from those who may not meet all the listed requirements for a role. If you require further support or reasonable adjustments with regards to the recruitment process (for example, you require the application form in a different format), please [4] contact the team. Your application experience is important to us and we're keen to adapt to make every interaction even better. We welcome feedback on our recruitment process and if you need more from us before deciding to join Jacobs then [5] please let us know. LI-DA1 References