Jobs

Description

ROLE PURPOSE:

• Responsible for the leadership and delivery of an effective and efficient highways and parking operations service for Hillingdon Council in accordance with statutory and legal requirements.
• Continuous improvement in the efficient delivery of the service and use of resources, working with the wider Senior Leadership Team and the Leader of the Council and Cabinet Members, where required to develop and implement effective highway strategies providing long term direction and shaping of a highways service which is customer focused and responsive.
• Drive forward the development and delivery of robust programmes of work across the team, making a measurable positive impact in line with Key Performance Indicators.
• Develop, lead, and manage a commercially driven team to successfully deliver all financial and performance aspects of highway and parking operations services ensuring robust arrangements are in place for the protection of the Council.
• Responsible for all large highway’s capital investment projects and accountable for budget management and delivery across the service and ensuring revenue funded activities are delivered in accordance with service priorities.
• Achievement of year-on-year efficiency targets and that contracted services remain commercially viable.
• Establish, develop and maintain senior level relationships with external partners including TfL and funders for major road schemes.
• Responsible for the provision of effective leadership and management of the Council's highway assets including roads, street lighting, structures, gullies, winter planning, PROW, responsive works, parking operations, related technology and specified green and other corporate spaces.
• As Traffic Manager, overseeing the management of the highways network, including inspections, permitting, contracts, legal issues, work programmes, programme management and delivery, asset management and street works; working collaboratively with utilities, contractors and developers to minimise disruption to the network and achieve improved value for money and efficiency across all the teams delivering the highways service.
• Ensuring organisational performance and performance of the supply chain are monitored, measured and maximised and that the requirements of the LIP are achieved, including mandatory and locally set indicators supporting all teams across Highways to meet service levels and performance targets.
• Support, demonstrate and propagate new ways of working and actively participate in implementing organisational change within the directorate and across the Council.
• Responsible for ensuring the health, safety and well-being of staff and suppliers delivering highways services.

People Management

• To be responsible for the recruitment, development and performance of the Highways and Parking operations team in line with the Council’s HR policies.
• To ensure all team members receive the appropriate level of communication to maintain engagement with the Council’s vision, priorities and activities.
• To effectively manage and coordinate the direct reports leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• Provide effective leadership, direction and management for all team members, ensuring both individual and team accountabilities to deliver the outcomes required by the service are fully understood and delivered.
• Support a culture that ensures a reputation for innovation, creativity and development.
• Ensure compliance with key policy and procedure in areas such as health & safety, equalities and diversity and other statutory requirements.

Customer Management

• Establish, develop and maintain senior level relationships with external partners including TfL and funders for major road schemes and other high value projects
• Establish an effective internal network, meeting and communicating directly with key stakeholders to support the efficient development and delivery of the Highways Programme.
• Maintain and develop effective professional networks that will add value to the work of the Council in that it is viewed as an influential and reliable partner.
• Represent the department, acting as an ambassador to enhance the reputation of the Council.
• Ensure appropriate, accurate and timely responses to MP enquiries, Member enquiries, Freedom of Information requests and response to complaints at all stages (including Ombudsman investigations) within agreed timescales.
• Ensure team members, external agents and contractors that undertake work for internal or external customers adhere to the Council’s customer care standards.
• Meet and communicate directly with key stakeholders to ensure that they are fully briefed on contract and supplier arrangements that relate to their service provision.
• Ensure team members are aware of current GDPR legislation and corporate guidance in relation to confidentiality of sensitive or personal information.
• Ensure the service complies with the principles of equal access and non-discriminatory practices and is accessible to all members of the community.
• Represent the department and Director as required, acting as an ambassador to enhance the reputation of the Council.

Operational Service Delivery

Ensure that all activities of the Highways & Parking Operations team are managed effectively including:

• Highways Term Service Contract
• Street lighting
• Professional Services Term Contract
• Streetworks
• Safety Inspections
• Responsive maintenance works
• Winter maintenance
• Structural engineering
• Parking Operations
• Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders
• Public Rights of Way
• Third Party Claims
• Technical surveys
• Licensing
• IT systems
• Special projects
• TFL and LIP funded schemes
• CIPFA responsibilities
• Performance to National Indicators
• Budgeting
• Legal requirements and statutory requirements
• Staff management, learning and development
• Ensure IT systems are in place to support the effective planning and delivery of the workload, improve communication and enable improved monitoring and reporting.
• Oversee the efficient and effective handling of a high volume of Member enquiries to ensure that the Council's Members, residents and other stakeholders are provided with accurate and timely information.
• Oversee the effective management of Term Service Contract ensuring delivery in line with contract specification and regular monitoring and reporting takes place alongside the development of a strong working relationship with the contractor.
• Deputise for the Director of Environment and proactively participate in relevant meetings as required.
• Be the commercial lead on all Highways & Parking Operations development projects, ensuring timely delivery and overall success of the schemes from economic, quality, social and environmental perspectives.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to manage contractor and trades performance issues relating to their services, managing the responses and process to maintain or improve customer and stakeholder service.
• Produce financial appraisals, risk maps, project programmes and regular update reports for all Highways developments.
• Meet all the statutory requirements to ensure all projects are completed on target and to the required standards.
• Take a lead role to ensure a dynamic approach to sustainability, with all projects meeting the Council’s design standards and exceeding the quality of other locally comparable projects which are continuously improved to deliver value for money.
• Liaise with Government departments and make grant applications to maximise funding.
• Ensure that all statutory and compliance obligations are formally documented and implemented through the Council’s risk management systems.
• Lead on Asset Data Management, ensure that processes are developed for the robust collection and recording of relevant data.
• Engage external consultants (engineers, other technical experts, management agents) where appropriate in conjunction with the Corporate Procurement Team.
• Support and maintain cross functional links throughout the Highways department and the wider Council, providing advice that considers all relevant legislation and regulations.
• Ensure clear specifications for works, goods and services, and that all contract administration is carried out in a compliant and timely way with supplier performance reviews, reports and meetings clearly documented and recorded.
• Contribute to corporate areas of activity, organisational development and Council-wide, cross departmental strategies, projects or policies as required.
• Prepare Annual Parking Report and Transparency Report in accordance with legislation and best practice for approval by Council Members, publishing the draft reports following approval.
• Lead on the investigation, correlation of records, case development and resolution of contractual and/or legal disputes that may arise within the Department. Brief legal representatives and attend hearings as required.

Service Planning & Development

• Ensure that an annual Team Plan aligns to the Directorate’s Service Plan(s), and is developed, agreed and communicated to team members in a timely manner.
• Ensure clear Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and contractual performance is in place where appropriate, covering all aspects of service delivery with performance and response levels, together with the escalation process if SLAs' performance outcomes are not met.
• Maintain a current service workforce plan including a succession plan for all key roles within own team.
• Continually review the feasibility of projects and identify long-term strategies to ensure all plans meet pre-determined goals and initiatives, providing regular reports and updates.
• Ensure the regular update and reviews of the contracts register is carried out and the development and regular testing of business continuity plans to mitigate risk in the event of a supplier or contractors failure.

Financial & Resource Management

• To take responsibility for the effective management of the allocated department / team budget circa £20M; regularly review budgets to ensure accurate cash flow forecasting and business planning to deliver value for money to the Council.
• To be responsible for all large highway’s capital investment activities.
• To ensure all purchasing and procurement is conducted in line with the corporate guidelines with appropriate use of the Council’s financial systems.
• To ensure that all workforce expenditure is compliant with corporate guidance and that any temporary resource is purchased through the Council’s agency contracts.
• Work with Corporate Procurement to ensure projects are procured in accordance with Council Standing Orders and OJEU Public Procurement requirements.
• To effectively lead and support commercial contract management responsibilities by providing timely and accurate information including accurate specifications for all services to ensure that contract variations are minimised.
• Develop robust scheme financial appraisals, using cost and value information from a range of sources including from colleagues and external advisors, working closely with the Finance Team to ensure that schemes can be accommodated within the business plan.
• Deliver schemes in line with the programme, financial targets, standards of quality and probity.
• Control the overall Commercial Model for each project, balancing investment in quality, design and specification with the needs.
• Responsible for ensuring that all income generating activities are effectively monitored, reconciled, accurately recorded, and accounted for in line with audit requirements.
• Ensure that, in conjunction with the Finance team, new fees and charges income proposals are submitted to Cabinet annually to review income streams and continue to amend them to take account of increasing operational and inflationary pressures. If approved, ensure that all amended charged are implemented to the agreed schedule.

Continuous Improvement

• Implement continuous monitoring of team and individual performance and productivity to ensure the delivery of Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are maximised.
• Manage the implementation of improvement initiatives and change programmes using the Council’s Project Management and Service Improvement methodologies.
• Develop a strong performance culture and commitment to delivering quality services to key stakeholders.
• Take personal accountability for and visibly support professional practice, service procedures and policies along with performance improvement initiatives.
• Continuously improve service quality, customer services and operational efficiency through improved working practices and procedures within the area of responsibility and across the service.
• Support, demonstrate and propagate new ways of working and actively participate in implementing organisational change within the Place directorate and across the Council as a whole.

Contacts

• Internal: All Highways & Parking staff and managers, Transport, Housing, Procurement, Business Improvement, Communications, Waste Services, ICT, Schools Expansion Team, Green Spaces, Finance, plus staff and managers in other service areas and Members of the Council
• External: Including but not limited to: Members of the public, residents, community groups, residents associations and other bodies representing local residents, Consultants, Contractors, Statutory Bodies, Head Teachers, School Governors, TfL, Government Agencies, other Local Authorities, operational contractor, developers and supplier representatives.

Additional Responsibilities

• Oversee the management of the out of hours / emergency response service.
• This profile/JD is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties the post holder will carry out. Other reasonable duties commensurate with the level of the post, including supporting emergency and priority situations, will form part of this role.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Delivery of agreed Team Plans.
• Delivery against any agreed Service Levels.
• Delivery against allocated budgets and MTFF saving targets.
• Staff performance & productivity metrics.

Safety, Health & Environmental

• Oversee the development and maintenance of service risk management plans to minimise risks to Safety, Health and Environment and ensuring successful service delivery.
• Responsible for ensuring that suppliers and subcontractors comply with safety legislation and that HBC safety policies and practices are adopted and adhered to including the CDM2015 regulations.
• Undertake risk assessments and consider how risks could be reduced outlining safe operational procedures which identify and take account of all relevant hazards.
• Organise and coordinate in-house training with managers and teams about health and safety issues and risks.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Educated to degree level or equivalent qualification, or equivalent work-based knowledge and experience.
• Chartered Engineer
• Evidence of continued professional development.
• Evidence of continuing management development.

STATUTORY or ROLE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

• Required from time to time to attend evening meetings.
• Hold a current UK Drivers Licence or equivalent and have vehicle available for use at all times
• Ability to fully access a wide variety of sites and rough ground in order to carry out the role.
• Ability to travel out of Borough to evaluate potential contractors and consultants.
• Contribution to and participation in out of hours and emergency response rotas for the Council, as required.

EXPERIENCE

• Significant experience as a senior manager, leading a team of technical professionals within the field of highways and parking management.
• Significant experience of taking strategic information and translating into project specific operational requirements with the effective communication to project teams and internal staff.
• Extensive experience of working in a wide range of highways and parking projects using both traditional and modern forms of design, maintenance and repair.
• Significant experience of effective management and supervision of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Proven experience of meeting deadlines with effective accurate project reporting at management/project board/private company board level
• Proven track record of managing major contractor relationships.
• Evidence of delivering projects successfully on time and within budget.
• Evidence of involvement in change management and delivery of service and professional practice improvements.
• Evidence of identifying, developing and implementing innovative, cost effective, solutions that lead to improved business processes and service improvements.
• Experience of preparing and reviewing Local Authority democratic decision-making reports.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS

• Knowledge of professional project management practices and methodology.
• Knowledge of Consultant appointments, construction, maintenance and repair contracts, warranties and other ancillary project documentation and the legal issues affecting Highways projects.

Extensive knowledge of relevant Highways related legislation including:

• NRSWA 1994
• Traffic Management Act 2004
• Safety at Street Works and Road Works Code of Practice
• Reservoirs Act
• Flood & water Management Act
• Extensive knowledge of CDM and health and safety legislation
• Detailed knowledge of contractual frameworks, legislative and statutory requirements relating to property, construction and procurement, including preambles, schedules of work, contract sum analysis, construction contract and ancillary documentation.
• Deploys skills and techniques to manage internal and external project teams from inception to completion keeping all partners focussed, appropriately prioritised and on time and budget.
• Effective reporting and control of programme/project costs, approval of expenditure and accurate cost reporting, to include proactively identifying budget, cost to date, liabilities, forecasting cost to complete and cash flows including regular updates.
• Highly numerate and IT literate, able to work effectively with the Microsoft Office suite of applications including Microsoft project, and standardised project reporting template documentation.
• Strong business and financial acumen.
• Able to communicate standards, priorities and deadlines to partners and staff
• Knowledge of the Council's standing orders and reports.

COMPETENCIES

• Passion to make a difference:
• Strives to improve outcomes for customers, identifying efficiencies and smarter ways of working, and encouraging creative input from others- so that solutions developed are practical, fit for purpose and implemented appropriately.

“Can do” positive attitude:

• Identifies opportunities for organisational change, taking into account the wider impacts of change; ensuring the needs of stakeholders and customers are considered and acts as a positive role model for new initiatives.

Leads and inspires others:

• Values the contribution of others and fosters a culture of respect, encourages constructive, open feedback and innovative thinking.

Credibility:

• Gives clear and consistent direction on business strategies and objectives, involving others whilst retaining corporate accountability.

Drives improvement:

• Examines and considers risk, balancing risks against improvements, and ensures improvement plans are appropriately resourced and supported.

Strategic thinker:

• Understand and examine the wider public sector business environment, contributing to new business strategies and identifying and managing risk.

Decision maker:

• Willing to make difficult decisions and remain accountable for those decisions and takes personal responsibility for communicating these.

Team Player & Networker:

• Facilitates effective team, customer and stakeholder relationships to achieve organisational objectives. Works and liaises with other senior management teams across departments and wider public sector.

Management:

• Ensures effective business delivery through influencing and motivating others, providing direction, promoting a culture of high performance and an environment of dignity and respect.

Communication:

• Uses tact and persuasion to influence others, confidently, clearly and consistently delivering key messages to teams and external stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal, written communication, presentation and interpersonal skills.