Brighton & Hove Council

Head of Network Management
Brighton and Hove
Salary: £65,182 - £71,379
Job reference: orbis/TP/174966/38624
Permanent – full time

Job introduction
We’re looking for a senior manager with the strategic drive to improve the transport network, transforming user experience, increasing the city’s resilience and making Brighton and Hove a more inclusive and accessible place. You'll have a specific role ensuring the highway network meets national regulatory standards, and supports the economic, political, social and environmental aspirations of the city.

About the role
As Head of Network Management, you’ll report to the Assistant Director City Transport and have a wide-ranging remit, including:
• Managing the maintenance and improvement of council’s highest value asset, balancing numerous calls on a multi-million-pound budget and driving value for money.
• Embedding accessibility and inclusivity at the heart of the city’s transport network.
• Keeping the city moving by minimising disruptions on the network, whilst ensuring public safety and the integrity of the highway.
• Engaging and consulting with a diverse range of stakeholders and senior decision-makers on topics of considerable public interest.
• Managing a team of seven dedicated senior managers to ensure the council meets its statutory duties in relation to the highway.

What you’ll get in return
• Salary £ 65,182 - £71,379 pa
• Local Government Pension Scheme including employer contributions
• Interest free rental deposit loan scheme
• Family Friendly policies
• Staff discounts including travel and wellbeing
• Employee Assistance Programme 24/7 support
• Extensive learning and development opportunities

It’s important that you present a highly developed appreciation of how managing the transport network fits within the wider place agenda and can support inclusive economic growth in the city, as well as the city’s carbon net-zero ambitions. We’re looking for a versatile leader with a breadth of perspective and experience, including a track record of delivering operational services, managing significant budgets and important framework contracts.

You should bring a sound understanding of the regulatory frameworks and statutory functions of network management, as well as practical experience of procurement and contract management. The ability to work well with a diverse range of stakeholders is key: you’ll need to be able to influence, advocate and broker agreement on an agenda that people are passionate about.

Working for Brighton & Hove City Council means you’ll be joining one of the largest employers in Sussex and an organisation that’s active in its community. For us, a better Brighton and Hove is:
• A city to be proud of
• A fair and inclusive city
• A healthy city where people thrive, with
• A responsive council with well-run services

The Network Management team is based within City Transport and the Economy, Environment and Culture directorate. The directorate works to make the city a vibrant place where people want to live, visit and do business, and where the unique character of Brighton and Hove is celebrated and enhanced. This includes making the city an accessible and sustainable place where people are well-connected and can enjoy an attractive, well-maintained built and natural environment.

Some of the key actions for City Transport in 2024-2025 include:
• Developing a new sustainable local Transport Plan for the city and delivering key capital transport projects.
• Reducing harmful emissions from transport in the city.
• Implementing the Highway Asset Management Plan to manage the condition of the highway, planned maintenance programmes and public safety.
• Delivering the Bus Service Improvement Plan.
• Protecting and restoring the city’s coastal and seafront highway infrastructure.
• Reviewing the parking services strategy.
• Protecting properties from surface water flooding.

Closing date: 29 February 2024

Interview date: 18 March 2024 (In-person at Hove Town Hall).

For an informal discussion, please contact Mark Prior - (Assistant Director) [email protected] 

Apply for this role if you are motivated to improve the way people travel around the city and see Brighton and Hove thrive, by working to develop a transport system that is sustainable, well-maintained and easy to use.

This role has been designated a politically restricted post. This means that political activity is restricted through the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and prevents post holders from taking part in certain political activities outside of work.

As part of your application, you will need to complete your education and work history and provide answers to some shortlisting questions. Your answers to the shortlisting questions are the most important part of your application as they will be used in the shortlisting process to assess whether you meet the essential requirements for the role that are set out in the person specification and to decide whether you should be offered an interview. Before you start your application, please read our guidance here (Shortlisting questions guidance (brighton-hove.gov.uk)) as this gives important advice which will increase your chance of success in the shortlisting process.

Additional information
Your starting salary will be pro rata if the above position is less than 37 hours or term-time only.

We offer the opportunity for the suitable candidate to choose to work in a hybrid way. Your specific working arrangements will be subject to team and service working arrangements already in place alongside Government guidance. Your contractual location will be the designated council office for your team and travel to and from your contractual location would be at your own expense.

For more information about our values and the benefits of working at the council, visit Why work for us (brighton-hove.gov.uk)

Company information
Encouraging a diverse workforce

Our city is known and loved for its diversity. Not only is the mixture of people, culture and skills vital to the economic and social development of the city, it's what makes Brighton & Hove such a great place to live, work and visit. We are committed to developing and retaining a workforce that is representative of the diverse communities we serve so we welcome applications from individuals from all backgrounds. In order to achieve our aims of proportionate representation, we particularly encourage applicants from a BME or White Other background as well as those who identify as disabled, male or trans.

Find out more about our commitment to being a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone can achieve their potential by reading about our fair and inclusive actions, our anti-racism strategy and the work we are doing to encourage a diverse workforce (brighton-hove.gov.uk).

For further information and to apply, click here.