Senior Business Development Officer - Integrated Passenger Transport Unit

About the role

Senior Business Development Officer - Integrated Passenger Transport Unit

Fixed Term, Full Time

£36,341 to £42,754 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Please note this vacancy is available as a fixed term contract or secondment opportunity for up to 2 years.

The Integrated Passenger Transport Unit (IPTU) plays a vital role in delivering accessible, efficient, and sustainable transport solutions across the region. Focused on enhancing public transport services, the IPTU works collaboratively with internal teams, external partners, and stakeholders to develop innovative travel options that meet the needs of communities. The unit is also responsible for driving commercial growth, managing investment programmes, and exploring new opportunities to improve service delivery and passenger experience.

We’re recruiting a Senior Business Development Officer to help shape and implement a future model of external delivery of the Independent Travel Training service.

This role is central to identifying and developing new business opportunities, as well as enhancing existing services across the IPTU. You’ll work closely with the Business Development Manager, supporting the delivery of strategic projects and initiatives, while also taking ownership of your own projects that contribute to the unit’s commercial growth and income generation.

Specifically, this role will be involved in:

Designing and delivering an innovative Independent Travel Training franchising model that can be offered to other Local Authorities in the UK.
Leading the development of a robust business case to secure funding and investment.
Exploring opportunities with commercial partnerships to maximise revenue potential.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Climate, Environment and Customer Services

Accountabilities

Responsible for developing business cases, across the IPTU, invest to save and infrastructure capital projects.
Responsible for carrying out research and collecting data to support business cases.
Responsible for ensuring projects meet key milestones and are delivered on time and within budget, working collaboratively across the Council to drive the procurement process for projects.
Manage internal and external stakeholder engagement for projects, taking account of potential sensitivities and ensuring best outcomes for the communities of Essex.
Contribute to the development of new projects which encourage innovative and entrepreneurial business models and generate income, to deliver a financially viable service on a sustainable basis.
Develop and maintain a progress recording system to track progress of financial targets across the Business Development function within the IPTU
Identify, analyse, and interpret complex datasets using Excel, QGIS and Python programming language across all projects. Analyse trending data patterns and report/present on findings to stakeholders
Create dashboards and data visualisations using PowerBI or Tableau. Using combination of various datasets including spatial data to analyse and determine the viability of advertising installation infrastructure
Combing datasets from various sources to analyse spatial data in QGIS to export shapefiles for project use
Manage and analyse a variation of public transport data feeds (SIRI, BODS, TransXchange and more) to ensure information is correct and find any irregularities as soon as possible.
Lead the production of planning application maps through GIS and submit planning applications to District Authorities
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to degree level or equivalent by experience.
Evidence of continuing professional development and expert knowledge in relevant professional area. Experience in franchising models is desirable.
Experience of project design, delivery and implementation and managing complex programmes.
Evidence of developing, delivering or supporting the creation of business cases which have successfully attained grant and additional funding.
Experience of building strong relationships and partnerships which are collaborative and influential in nature and engender delivery.
Good leadership skills which drive a highly performing and motivated multi-disciplinary team from diverse backgrounds, to achieve strategic objectives.
Significant experience of delivering operational change in a complex environment.
Evidence of detailed data analysis from varying datasets through Excel, GIS and programming languages for reporting on projects or future projects to senior officers
Significant experience and in-depth knowledge in the management and delivery of transport apps that are public facing.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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Senior Business Development Officer – Integrated Passenger Transport Unit