Principal Transport Planner

We are looking for a Principal Transport Planner to join our busy team on a permanent basis.

This is a very varied role which will make full use of your transport planning and appraisal skills and experience, as part of an expert team, key to our ambitious transport agenda. Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) are coordinating development and delivery of £1bn of transport projects through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), and £2.4bn through the West Midlands Integrated Settlement (IS) agreement including an extended Metro, new rail stations, bus priority, and improved walking and cycling routes.

Your role will be crucial to helping sponsors, and decision-makers, by developing business cases for these and other projects and policies.

In addition to using your Transport Analysis Guidance (TAG) and Green Book knowledge, you will also be using regionally important tools like PRISM, our PTV Visum-based Policy Responsive Integrated Strategic Model, and emerging new Regional Strategic Model (RSM), which you will help develop. You will also be involved in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of projects and policies, and adding to the research evidence base, to inform future strategy and proposals.

This role requires someone who is highly organised, conscientious, and enthusiastic, who thrives under pressure and works in a timely manner to meet deadlines. You will be confident and knowledgeable in your field and enjoy building strong relationships at peer and senior level with our local authorities, funders (principally DfT), other partners, and consultants. You will also work closely with other teams here on the information our team's work relies on, and with teams responsible for project and service delivery too, as well as managing junior colleagues.

• Undertake project appraisal in line with latest TAG and other guidance and criteria, to inform business and partner prioritisation of, and decision-making on projects, including investments, aligned to long-term goals.
• Keep the key forecasting tools employed (and their data) up-to-date, notably the West Midlands Policy-Responsive Integrated Strategic Model (PRISM), and successor Regional Strategic Model (RSM).
• Plan M&E and benefits assessment for projects and programmes, so the business and partners can understand their outcomes and impacts, informing future business priorities and decision-making.
• Manage junior Transport Planning team members in appraisal, modelling, and M&E work, and support with training and development needs.
• Manage consultants undertaking Transport Planning work, on behalf of scheme promoters.
• Support project assurance colleagues with technical advice as a Transport Planning subject matter expert.
• Provide transport planning support in negotiations with external organisations, and in scrutiny reviews.
• Define, manage and co-ordinate activities to deliver major scheme project business cases.
• Carry out project risk assessments to the relevant stage of detail for incorporation into project evaluations and business case submissions.
• Monitor programmes, budget allocations and spending on transport planning work on projects.

• A proven record in Transport Planning and project management
• Experience of contract management and managing consultants
• Detailed knowledge of project appraisal, transport modelling, and M&E techniques
• Good working knowledge of current government guidance on transport appraisal, of Local Transport Plan, of business case and funding bid submission processes
• Good organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Good communication, interpersonal and presentation skills
• Negotiation skills

The location for this role is 16 Summer Lane with at least 2 days a week spent in the office.

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