Head of Design Services in Chelmsford

The role of Head of Design Services forms part of the Essex Highways senior leadership team and is responsible for circa 180 people. They will be a strategic thinker with excellent influencing and negotiating skills; the ability to build strong collaborative partnerships with the client and officers, members and external partners; commercially astute with a passion to innovate. The post holder will need to be skilled at bringing together diverse workstreams and a broad range of expertise to achieve successful outcomes, whilst also helping to lead and shape the Essex Highways and wider Ringway Jacobs service offering.

The Role

• Lead the diverse teams to deliver both Essex County Council’s and Ringway Jacobs’ outcomes, including financial budget and programme forecasting, reporting and overall management of design delivery.
• Ensure that all work streams are delivered, identifying any shortfalls in resources and taking strategic action to address.
• As named Principal Designer on the Contract, ensuring that all schemes are implemented in accordance with CDM 2015, and all technical and legal processes are followed.
• Production of the annual service plan for the different areas, ensuring that continuous development is embedded into each of the five teams and that there is a clear vision provided for the year ahead.
• Facilitate collaboration across all teams to ensure schemes are delivered in the most efficient manner, taking advantage of synergies and encouraging cross service working.
• This includes leading the Cross Contract Design Forum to provide a consistent approach to design activities across the company and to be the guiding mind on emerging issues.
• To provide support to the teams on strategic and sensitive schemes to ensure that quality stakeholder management is undertaken, and that the reputation of Essex Highways is maximised.
• Support the Cabinet Member acting as their technical advisor on design-related issues and ensuring that all actions are followed up on.
• Lead on the Professional Development of all staff, in collaboration with our Learning & Development Advisor to ensure that teaching programmes reflect the needs of the business.

About You

• You are educated to degree level.
• Have significant and demonstrable management experience within either a Transport or Highways environment with track record of successful delivery of schemes, projects, and services.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Health and Safety legislation.
• Experienced in effective financial management, ideally in both the public and private sectors.
• Commercial awareness and capacity to generate creative options around income generation, grant funding and making best use of our assets.
• High quality leadership skills founded in integrity, with the ability to build a highly performing and motivated team from diverse backgrounds.
• Track record in building effective collaborative relationships with ability to influence others and see the big strategic picture.
• Experience of managing an in-house design resource and utilising consultancy staff where needed.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Sick Pay
• Opportunity to purchase up to 5 days extra leave
• A variety of discounts through our “RJ Rewards” app, including restaurants, holidays, days out etc.
• Life Assurance
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Pension scheme

The Company

We are Ringway Jacobs, a leading highways service provider working with local authorities across the UK. Formed in 2005, specifically to provide road network management solutions to local government, our unique blend of engineering capability, innovation and customer care make us the best in class. We support over 10,000 miles of highways, 10,000 miles of footway, almost 7,800 miles of public rights of way and 242,000 street lights. We excel in delivering safe, sustainable service excellence, through our passion, integrity and collaborative culture. Ringway Jacobs is an equal opportunities employer. We wish to ensure equality of opportunity in employment and the fair treatment of all our employees. As part of this commitment, we proudly support the Armed Forces Community by identifying roles for which we can offer a guaranteed interview to service leavers, veterans, reservists, cadet force adult volunteers, and military spouses/partners who meet the essential criteria for the position.