Senior Planning Manager (Policy & Stakeholder)

About the job.

National Highways have an excellent opportunity for a Senior Planning Manager (Policy & Stakeholder) to join our Network Development Division within Customer, Strategy and Communications (CSC). 

As Senior Planning Manager (Policy & Stakeholder), you will be at the forefront of National Highways’ response to Government’s ambitious growth agenda and planning reform. You will oversee high‑profile relationships with government departments and national planning bodies, ensuring National Highways is recognised as a trusted partner in supporting sustainable economic growth. Your expertise will be key to shaping HMG planning policy, leading our input into legislation, circulars and consultations, and guiding how we engage with sectors such as housing and energy. You will provide strategic direction across our spatial planning priorities, champion our role in the planning system, and foster a confident, capable planning community across the organisation.

This role will be based at any National Highways office location, with a balance of remote and office-based work. please note this role will require some travel to other offices and sites.

• Develop and maintain visible and effective partnerships with key external strategic stakeholders, including DfT, MHCLG, Homes England and the Planning Inspectorate.
• Provide expert advice to national Spatial Planning teams on application of policy to specific planning applications, ensuring requirements for new or amended policy and guidance are identified to enable the company to deliver its objectives whilst supporting those of key stakeholders.
• Establish National Highways approach to engagement on specific growth activity.
• Define and commission work as required from external suppliers, ensuring any commissions are delivered within budget and time
• Lead and manage a small team, fostering a culture which promotes high performance, develops talent, and upholds best practice people management.

 About you.

• Chartered Professional Accreditation or equivalent relevant professional experience
• Capability to operate strategically at national and/or sub-national level in sustainable economic development and spatial planning related environment
• Significant experience of managing staff and co-ordinating workloads across teams, including those not directly managed, to achieve maximum efficiency
• Ability to work collaboratively with a range of colleagues both in the wider organisation and externally
• Knowledge of the role infrastructure plays at all levels in facilitating economic growth, spatial development, and network planning

 About us.

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership. 

The Customer, Strategy, and Communications directorate is essential to National Highways. We guide the direction of the strategic road network, helping the company deliver economic and social benefits by meeting the needs of our customers, clients, and fulfilling regulatory requirements. As the central hub within National Highways, we provide the corporate strategic planning function for the organisation.  

External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy. 

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.