Principal City Planner

Role: Principal City Planner - Growth and Master Planning Team (Possibility of multiple roles)
Location: Southwark / Stratford, London & working from home
Band: Band 3
Contract Type: TfL - Full time / Part time / Flexible working and job shares considered

TfL’s Growth and Master Planning team
It is an exciting time to join the Growth and Master Planning Team within TfL Spatial Planning as we shape London’s future transport priorities. The team works to shape London’s future proactively by supporting sustainable development, and integrating transport and land use. We do this holistically through coordination, master planning, developing interchanges, securing funding and case making for schemes led by TfL or partner organisations.

We are a diverse and talented team with a wide variety of interesting projects to be involved in from working on future plans for London’s major rail termini, to coordinating work for London’s major growth areas. We welcome interested and dedicated professionals to work with us. The post holder may also be responsible for line managing members of the wider team.

About the role
As a Principal City Planner you will help shape our work as we support the capital’s economic recovery ensuring new developments help us tackle the climate emergency and contributing to TfL’s financial sustainability

Your work will involve working flexibly across several programmes and activities of the Growth and Master Planning team. This could include being the principal for specified growth areas; developing and managing the interchange programme and projects; co-ordinating bids for external funding; supporting the Sustainable Housing and Accessibility fund programme and projects; and delivering strategic spatial planning priorities.

You will undertake, commission and manage strategic, sub-regional and area-based studies eg around housing development capacity; town centre regeneration etc and help develop the strategic case for transport investment in key parts of London aligned with local and sub-regional economic development strategies and wider objectives.

You will help coordinate spatial development work between TfL and the wider Greater London Authority (GLA) group. You will work with colleagues across TfL and the GLA, managing matrix teams to define transport requirements and develop options and schemes to address key challenges. You will also support the management and integration of the TfL Sustainable Housing and Accessibility Fund projects. You will work closely with the London’s boroughs, sub-regional partnerships and other stakeholders managing complex projects and relationships, and also work with the wider south east to forge alliances on key issues and schemes.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop evidence-based policies, plans and projects for a portfolio/mode/geographic area, including option generation, analysis, commissioning research, conducting best practice reviews, and understanding operational and stakeholder needs
• Build and manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders, representing TfL and the team on important working groups, at meetings, seminars, events and conferences, and providing expert advice on their specific area of focus
• Manage complex modal, area, corridor or other studies to understand the transport challenges and develop potential options to address them, including the appraisal of schemes and policies, and development of robust business cases
• Act as the principal for assigned projects, managing inputs from across TfL and beyond, balancing competing priorities, negotiating key outcomes with external parties and providing advice to senior colleagues
• Ability to work flexibly in a matrix environment and manage a diverse range of projects to support TfL priorities, including resource planning, commissioning of work, management of virtual cross-functional teams, and provide guidance to less experienced colleagues
• Draft briefings, reports, presentations for senior internal/external stakeholders to influence and support decisions around the development and promotion of policies / area plans / projects, and build alliances and resolve issues to secure wider buy-in
• Work with the delivery businesses to develop, test and progress particular schemes, actions and programmes to support defined Mayor’s Transport Strategy and modal outcomes / targets / the needs of particular areas of London and manage key interfaces and TfL project processes and governance, e.g. project handover to relevant Sponsor Team, support towards powers and consents
• Work with the GLA, boroughs and others to shape their strategies and plans to ensure transport priorities are fully understood and reflected and to develop and promote best practice and innovative solutions to address the challenges facing London
  

Skills

• Initiating and assessing feasibility of transport schemes in line with policies and other requirements (Essential)
• Understanding the relationship between data and its intended application (Essential)
• Developing or assessing policies and procedures (Essential)
• Developing work plans (Essential)
• Verbal, visual and written communication, including producing high quality reports and presentations (Essential)

Knowledge

• In depth knowledge and practical application of emerging best practice in one or more of the following areas: transport, economics, appraisal, land use planning, environment, public health and urban design (Essential)
• Detailed understanding of cities from the perspective of transport systems, health and environment, and particularly of London and its governance (Essential)
• Detailed understanding of transport planning and the wider context to the development of projects and proposals (Essential)
• Relevant qualification at degree level or higher and/or professional membership / qualification of a recognised professional Institution (e.g. ICE; IHT; CILT; RTPI) or equivalent experience (Desirable)
• Understanding of project management processes, including their strategic transport context (Desirable)
• Understanding TfL's financial, legal, political and regulatory environment (Desirable)

Experience

• Experience of specifying, producing, presenting and reviewing complex information in a simple way to cater for a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders (internal and external) (Essential)
• Experience of managing elements of the development of project, programme, planning or policy (Desirable)
• Experience of working in a flexible, multi-disciplinary teams, including managing specific resources (cost and people) within this environment (Desirable)

Equality and Diversity
We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability status. We want our team to be reflective of the diverse group of Londoners that we serve: there is a space for you in our team to express your views and make a positive difference. The advertised roles are on a full time, part time or job share basis.

We want to represent the city we serve, which will help us become a more innovative and efficient organisation. Our goal is to make our recruitment as inclusive as possible.

We are a disability confident employer who guarantee an interview to any disabled candidate who meets all of the essential criteria. We also use anonymising software that removes identifying information from CVs and cover letters to make the process fair.

Application Process
Please apply using a two-page CV and a two-page covering letter.
Think carefully about the skills, knowledge and experience listed in this advertisement and cover them in your CV and covering letter.

The closing date for applications is Thursday, 9th March @ 23:59

Benefits
In return for your commitment and expertise, you will enjoy excellent benefits and scope to grow. Rewards vary according to the business area but mostly include:

• Final salary pension scheme
• Free travel for you on the TfL network
• Reimbursement of 75% of the cost of a standard class Ticket for National Rail travel from home
• 30 days annual leave plus public and bank holidays
• Private healthcare discounted scheme (optional)
• Tax-efficient cycle-to-work programme
• Retail, health, leisure and travel offers
• Discounted Eurostar travel