Countryside Capital Programme Officer

The starting salary for this full-time, permanent position is £38,090 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.

Help shape the future of countryside access across the Surrey.

Are you looking for a varied and rewarding role where you can make a visible difference to the countryside and the people who enjoy it? Do you have a passion for delivering projects that improve access to the outdoors?

We have an exciting opportunity for a Countryside Capital Programme Officer to join our fantastic Countryside Access Maintenance and Enforcement Team based at Merrow Depot in Guildford.

This role combines office-based, site-based and home working - offering flexibility while ensuring contact with colleagues and a visible presence on projects.

Our Offer to You

26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service plus bank holidays
Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
A generous local government salary related pension
Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

The Countryside Access Team sits within Highways Operations and Infrastructure, and manages almost 2,200 miles of public rights of way. Our work helps people connect with the countryside through the maintenance, protection and improvement of the network, while supporting biodiversity and promoting the wider benefits of outdoor access.

In this role, you will lead the delivery of a diverse programme of infrastructure projects, helping to maintain, enhance and future-proof our extensive public rights of way network. Working across some of the county's most valued landscapes, you will identify, develop and manage a range of capital improvement projects, from bridge refurbishments and replacements to path surfacing schemes and accessibility improvements on the public rights of way network.

You will also play a key role in securing external funding to enable further investment in countryside access and infrastructure.

This role contributes directly to the County Council's statutory duties and strategic priorities, delivering projects that benefit residents, visitors and local communities alike.

Your key responsibilities as a Countryside Capital Programme Officer will include:

Developing and delivering a programme of countryside capital projects from concept through to completion
Managing contractors and commissioned works to ensure projects are delivered safely, on time and within budget
Identifying opportunities to improve accessibility and resilience across the rights of way network
Preparing funding bids and securing external investment to support improvement projects
Building effective relationships with teams within the authority, councillors, landowners, contractors, local communities, partner organisations including the Environment Agency and Natural England and other stakeholders
Helping ensure our countryside infrastructure remains safe, accessible and fit for the future

This is a unique opportunity to deliver projects that leave a lasting legacy across the county's public footpaths, bridleways and byways. No two days are the same, with a rewarding blend of project planning, partnership working and site-based delivery.

If you are passionate about improving access to the outdoors and want to help shape the future of our public rights of way network, we'd love to hear from you.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills:

A real passion for enabling everyone to access our rights of way network, whether in the countryside or in urban areas
Understanding of rights of way and countryside access, and an interest in rights of way maintenance
Good knowledge of contract commissioning and practical construction techniques

Experience of managing or delivering projects, with the ability to manage small…