Transport Planner

Are you looking to return to work following a career break of 2 or more years? If you are an experienced professional looking to return to the workplace, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. To apply for this vacancy and join our Returners Programme, applicants must be returning from a career break of 2 or more years or have been freelancing or working in a home business, in that time.

Your new role

Would you like the opportunity to help define the future of transport modelling at National Highways? We are currently recruiting for a Transport Planner to join our innovative team, working on a part-time basis, 18.5 hours per week. You can be based from any of our UK offices and we are flexible on working days, although there is a requirement for Tuesdays to be a working day.

In your new role you will assist in providing a range of detailed transport planning insight through your technical expertise in one or more areas of transport planning, to aid areas of the company that need such advice and to support decision making.

What you’ll be leading on

• Analytic Delivery – Provide transport planning-based analysis both internally and through the supply chain. Apply the policies and procedures required to support strategic transport modelling and appraisal-based analysis across the business to support internal National Highways and broader Department for Transport decision making.
• Research – Assist in the procurement and management of research projects across aspects of transport planning, transport modelling and appraisal as and when required to ensure continuous improvement in our analytical tools and methods.
• Standards Development and Analytic Assurance Framework – Ensure compliance with the Analytic Assurance Framework and provide analytic assurance as a business partner to communicate proportionate, risk-based analysis to decision makers.
• Oversight – Responsible for helping Senior and Principal Transport Planners with the continual development of the Transport Planning Group, focussing on enhancing transport modelling capability.
• Relationship and Stakeholder Management – Engage with and maintain relationships with stakeholders e.g. consultants, project sponsors and project managers to develop, advise and oversee the transport planning, modelling and appraisal based analytic plans to support scheme and policy decisions.

To be successful you’ll need

• To have been out of work for 2 or more years to be eligible for this programme.
• A good level of technical knowledge and experience that could be characterised by experience of strategic transport modelling.
• Technical knowledge of the form and function of strategic highway transport models and experience of developing and using strategic highway transport models together with programming skills. In addition, some knowledge of public transport, variable demand and junction models.
• Intermediate knowledge of Excel, GIS and other analytical tools.
• Knowledge of typical datasets, such as GPS-based and mobile-phone sourced datasets, the National Trip End Model and National Travel Survey, underpinning strategic transport modelling, including strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities.
• Some understanding of how and where transport models should be used in the development of evidence bases, such as by subsequent air quality and noise models and be able to advise on the strengths and weaknesses of such outputs.

A bit about our programme

All roles are initially offered on a 6-month fixed term contract but could lead to further opportunities both permanent or interim. 87.5% of those who have joined the Returners Programme have remained with the organisation beyond six months.

National Highways will provide you with a supportive line manager, a structured Coaching Programme, a mentor and a buddy to help you succeed.

Worried that only 9am-5pm, 5 days a week positions exist? Don’t be! National Highways is a flexible working organisation and understand that life is important and there is a reason not everyone can commit to these hours. We are open to a variety of working options.

Our interviews for this role will take place at the end of February 2024, with our programme due to start in April 2024.