Transport Planning Officer – Development

Barking and Dagenham is at the heart of London’s eastward growth, attracting developers and investors to the most affordable and accessible opportunities in the whole of the Southeast. With 400 hectares of development land, we plan to provide 50,000 high quality new homes and 20,000 new jobs within the next 20 years. Be First is a wholly owned subsidiary of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, with an exciting programme of sustainable infrastructure, urban design and transport schemes planned over the next 10 years.

As a Transport Planner – Development, you will join a team that successfully secures positive transport outcomes from new developments and utilises significant funding to encourage active and sustainable travel, as well as improve accessibility and safety on the local transport network, with major projects relating to bus priority, cycle routes, electric vehicle charging and school streets. Working with internal and external stakeholders, you will lead on agreed areas of work that contribute to the planning and delivery of new developments.

Job Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 up to 10% pension contribution and 30 days annual leave

Closing Date: April 28, 2026

Job Description:

• To support Be First’s vision and to contribute to the delivery of an efficient and effective Planning and Transport development service, including engagement with developers and other key bodies in the delivery of quality developments and highway projects.
• The role will include working through the planning process on a range of projects from commercial, retail, and residential.
• Using their experience and expertise, the post holder will be responsible for undertaking key duties including:

• To promote and advise on sustainable transport development, from the pre-planning stage through to planning consent to guide sustainable future development.
• To take a lead in providing high quality planning services to external and internal customers and stakeholders, meeting evolving delivery priorities, issues, and challenges to agreed standards defined in the service offer.
• Day to day technical transport and highways input into a variety of Development Planning projects, working alongside your peers and more senior colleagues, both from the Development Management team and the wider Be First business.
• Programme and project management including budgets using appropriate business tools.
• Providing day to day support in assessing concept studies / strategies, Transport Statements, Transport Assessments, Travel Plans, Parking Studies, which contribute to compelling written formal planning responses.
• Liaison with developers and other key bodies in the delivery of quality developments and a robust planning policy framework as outlined in the new Local Plan and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS).
• Providing technical expertise to the approval process for s38 and s278 highway designs and agreements to ensure these are delivered to the relevant standards, policies and legal requirements.
• Reviewing project designs, obtaining cost estimates and managing construction scheduling including obtaining permits and permissions where necessary.
• Liaising with contractors including on site to ensure projects are delivered to a suitable quality and in agreed timescales.
• Final sign off post construction and handover to the highway authority.
• To contribute towards the implementation of a working culture that is result-orientated, customer-focused and an ethos of ‘right first time’ service delivery.
• To be responsible for continuous personal development by requesting and attending training when necessary.

Person Specification:

• A recognised degree in Transport Planning, Highway Engineering or Civil Engineering and / or equivalent post qualification experience.
• Experience of delivering transport and highway projects across areas including development management, scheme delivery, sustainable transport and active travel with knowledge of relevant standards.
• Experience of working in or with local authorities, ideally some of which is in London.
• Experience in highway and infrastructure detailed design and working with guidance such as NPPF, DfT Transport Assessment guidelines, Manual for Streets, DMRB and MCHW.
• The ability to undertake complex development management projects or spatial planning work with problem-solving skills and innovative thinking in a high-pressure environment delivering both large and small projects.
• A working knowledge of junction modelling software, for example Junctions 9 (PICADY & ARCADY) and Linsig, in the use of these programmes and interpret and challenge the results returned by them.
• IT literate with experience of using Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other software packages to record and manage data.
• Able to listen and respond sensitively to the needs of the community and to deliver the service around the needs of customers.
• To build effective and productive working relationships with colleagues and elected members.
• A proven record or experience of communicating in person, by telephone and in writing in a calm, courteous and confident professional manner.

If you’re excited about this role but worried that your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every part of the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this role.