Head of Land Assembly - #1713765

Job Description

Location - Birmingham

Salary - Base salary: £67,450 pa to c.£84,350 pa depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

As a Head of Land Assembly at HS2 you will lead and direct strategy and operations to secure and implement powers over land, including access to land pre- and post-confirmation of compulsory powers, land referencing to support compulsory powers preparation for Hybrid Bill, Transport & Works Act Orders or Development Consent Orders. Lead and direct the implementation of compulsory purchase powers to deliver possession of land in accordance with the construction programme, including the relevant processes for hand back of land.

About The Role

• Actively promote and embed Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work, and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.
• Lead, develop and implement a complete land assembly function including agreed policies, strategy, governance, processes and systems necessary to deliver compulsory purchase notices, temporary land use, survey and hand back notices. Secure all necessary approvals from DfT, Legal and Directors.
• Lead and direct the preparation and service of compulsory purchase notices necessary to secure entry to land in accordance with HS2 construction programme, including obtaining all necessary approvals from the Department for Transport.
• Direct and manage the efficient delivery of entry to land both in advance of Royal Assent for survey purposes through Housing & Planning Act 2016, and post Royal Assent through implementation of Bill powers or through Transport & Works Act Orders or Development Consent Orders.
• Responsibility for preparation, management and reporting of budgets and performance of suppliers for all phases of the project.
• Direct, manage the preparation and approval of land and property related deliverables for Hybrid Bill (and Additional Provisions), Transport & Works Act Page 3 of 7 Orders or Development Consent Orders - Book of Reference, Land Parcels, Housing Statement, Notices to ensure compliance with Parliamentary Standing Orders.
• Lead on the provision of expert technical compulsory purchase, Land Referencing and Land Assembly advice to the DfT, L&P SMT, Legal, hybrid Bill, construction, engagement and IT teams amongst others. Act as a subject matter expert, providing a ‘centre of excellence’ function as a team on this complex area, including performing a lead role in standing up ‘L&P as a Service’.
• Lead on the maintenance a register and public accessibility of all notices prepared and served and ensure compulsory notice information is available across the wider HS2 organisation to assist efficient and effective decision making.
• Accountable to the DfT and the Independent Land Advisor for the appropriate exercise of compulsory purchase powers and the compliance of appropriate Undertakings and Assurances.
• Owner of the Land Referencing Framework and contracts required to deliver HS2 and wider instructions from DfT as necessary. Responsible for the procurement of this framework and contracts for Land and Property Directorate and the role as Lead Client for all uses of it, across HS2 Ltd.
• Overall responsibility for the management of multiple specialist suppliers for land referencing and land assembly services to ensure activities are coordinated, and outputs are delivered within agreed quality, cost and time targets.
• Direct reporting teams to manage the interfaces between the Engineering, Environmental and Land Referencing disciplines on Phase 2b to ensure processes are adhered to, and to ensure accuracy and consistency of scheme limits and land parcels.
• Deliver the Information Asset owner role for, and direct and manage the land ownership information to be available across the wider HS2 organisation to supply government announcement and stakeholder mailouts and assist efficient and effective decision making.
• Actively promote and embed Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work, and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI
  
  

About You

Skills

• Ability to influence and develop internal and external relationships at a senior level and deliver complex projects to agreed timescales
• Programme management skills to ensure deliverables are provided within time, costs and quality criteria
• Ability to lead and coach a team to develop to its full potential
• Stakeholder and contract management of suppliers
• Analytical, budgeting and financial skills
• Ability to manage external suppliers to clear deliverables and KPIs and to build sustainable strategic relationships with suppliers
• Ability to produce and present documents and reports to a variety of audiences, including internal stakeholders at various levels in the organisation.
• Ability to analyse and maintain information from multiple sources and systems, utilising this to complement presentation and influencing skills
• Ability to identify and direct the development and enhancement of IT systems to support and optimise the Land Assembly processes.
  
  

Knowledge

• Full understanding and practical knowledge of compulsory purchase legislation and process
• Full understanding of land lowers available including Hybrid Bills, Transport & Works Act Orders and Development Consent Orders
• Detailed knowledge of all land interest types in land
• Detailed knowledge of land registration process
• Knowledge of the acquisition process and construction project management.
• Understanding of the GDPR, EIR and FOI procedures.
  
  

Type Of Experience

• Significant, extensive and varied experience of implementation of compulsory purchase powers, including Hybrid Bills, at senior management level
• Significant, extensive and varied experience years’ experience in programme management
• Hands on delivery, and as a client, technical experience of digital mapping and spatial information systems
• Line management experience and of leading and developing a team to reach its full potential
  
  

The post-holder is expected to behave at all times in a manner consistent with the HS2 values of Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect.

It is expected that you will actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all your work and support and comply with all organisational initiatives, policies and procedures on EDI.

As HS2 Ltd do not hold a sponsorship license from the Home Office, we are not able to provide sponsorship to any applicant. Applicants must already have the Right to Work in the UK at the time of application and our process involves a Right to Work validation prior to the interview stage. Note, there are certain types of time-bound visas that we cannot accept.

Any offers made to applicants will be subject to satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks which include Nationality & Immigration Status, employment references, DBS, Financial and Education checks

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

About Us

High Speed 2 (HS2 Ltd) will be the UK’s new high speed rail network. As well as improving capacity, the new scheme will shorten journey times between a number of Britain’s major population centres, boost the economy and create thousands of jobs.

HS2 Ltd will create a skills legacy and develop a diverse range of talent. We aim to be a leader in EDI practice by creating a safe & inclusive working environment for all our staff - living our values of Safety, Respect, Integrity and Leadership.

In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

HS2 Ltd is also a safety-critical organisation. Employees are required to ensure reasonable care of their own and others’ health and safety by taking personal responsibility for working to our ‘Safe at Heart’ programme principles and following safe working procedures at all times.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential.