Property Technical Officer Ref: 21-24

Salary: Grade 8, £30,120 - £35,942 per annum (pay award pending)
Hours: Full time 37 hours per week
Place of Work: Dereham / remote-enabled
Basis: Permanent

Our Property Team manage, maintain, develop and enhance the Council's Property portfolio and its assets for the benefit of our residents. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a delivery-focused place and with an award-winning team.

About you:

We are looking for someone to come in and provide technical guidance and support for the development, redevelopment and management of the Council's property assets. You will be responsible for appraising property for disposal, drafting and issuing temporary licences, managing and developing the Council's property data systems and creating property plans with AutoCAD.

We need someone who is passionate about property and can demonstrate a keen understanding of the development and planning processes. You will be eager to apply this understanding in responding to statutory consultations (i.e. Planning Applications) and liaising with relevant organisations (e.g. Ordnance Survey, HM Land Registry) on property matters.

You will have a keen eye for detail and a systematic mindset that can help shape the Council's processes and property portfolio and, as a confident communicator, you will be comfortable working with contractors, residents and Councillors alike to achieve the best outcomes for your projects and the wider team. Committed to 'getting things done', you will be a self-motivated problem solver and able to work creatively and collaboratively to deliver results and constantly prioritise workstreams.

Collaborative - I look for ways to work in partnership with colleagues across services, Members and external partners

Ambitious - I always ask myself, 'How could we do this better?', and take ownership of change and help others to understand, adapt to, implement and embed the change

Results-driven - I make sure I am clear on what I need to achieve, keeping a focus on results and solutions

Empowering - show energy and drive to explore new opportunities and challenge the status quo, and act on opportunities where we can generate an income or drive down costs

Supportive - I treat others as I would want to be treated myself, ensuring that I am welcoming, friendly and approachable. I give time to colleagues who need help or support.

OK, I'm interested... But is it really the job for me?

Working with the Land & Development Manager as our Property Technical Officer you will:

• Provide technical advice and appraisals on property identified for disposal or development and property that is identified to be encumbered by a legal interest i.e. wayleave or easement.
• Advise on layouts of infrastructure (i.e. roads, sewers and drainage) either for development of the Council's property or for adoption and provide support on the transfer of property or adoption of land and related projects.
• Identify infrastructure and public services (i.e. drainage and power) to support the development of any Council or partnership plans for development or improvements (i.e. flood alleviation) and liaise with any external bodies for the same.
• Commission and undertake site surveys and inspections.
• Create AutoCAD based property plans, lease plans and transfer plans for inclusion in legal documentation or for property identification purposes or to assist property-based projects.
• Lead, manage, organise, update and develop the Council's property data within the relevant data systems (i.e. asset register, property management software) and act as systems administrator as required.
• Seek new methods to digitise and extract relevant enquiries from data sets and develop guidance or training for colleagues to self-service access to property data.
• Provide a liaison role for Ordnance Survey and HM Land Registry and the local Planning Authority

If you would like an informal chat regarding this role please contact Ned Adams-Felton, Land & Development Manager, Ned.Adams-Felton@breckland.gov.uk  

Closing date - 9am Thurs 23^rd May

What's it like to work for us?

We are passionate about our people and pride ourselves on being a great place to work, we genuinely care and know that a happy workforce is a productive and motivated one! If you're still not sure, here are some stats from our 2023 staff survey to convince you..

• 94% of our staff said they felt valued
• 99% of staff recommend Breckland as a great place to work
• 90% said they have had opportunities to learn and grow in the last 12 months
• 97% think Breckland provide positive action on health and wellbeing
• 98%  said they felt supported by their Manager

If you STILL need convincing, here's what some of our staff say...

• "Breckland is a fantastic employer, lots of opportunities and support"
• "Having only just started, it is a great place to work, everyone says hello, is smiley and chatty. I like the groups that are on, like carers shed and neurodiversity"
• "We are encouraged to take regular breaks and there are mental health first aiders and a wide range of good promotional aspects of healthy living and wellbeing."
• "In times of need the council offers excellent support."
• "BDC really does seem to care about the wellbeing and happiness of their staff."

At Breckland Council we have embraced the Government's agenda to modernise local government. Our approach is to lead change rather than follow it, and to add the best value we can to our communities. We achieve this by developing our employees to their full potential, providing them with the relevant knowledge, equipment, and authority to carry out their duties.

We are a dynamic and innovative organisation that is always testing and learning as we seek to continually improve. We have never stood still in response to the emergence of new opportunities, changing customer demands, and ongoing funding challenges. We have exciting plans for how to deliver the best possible services to our residents and businesses.

Breckland as a district is a special place nestled in the heart of rural Norfolk, spanning over 500 square miles of beautiful countryside and forest, with five Market Towns and over 140,000 residents. We care, we listen, and we support people and businesses within our district. We have big ideas and we are innovative in our approach, coming up with ways to meet the needs of the local communities that we serve. Through our actions, we want to make things better.

But we know that we can't do it alone. We are a collaborative organisation and we work together with others to make a greater impact. We are also an organisation where our employees can grow and develop and are empowered to achieve and succeed. We are proud of our area, and by driving investment and enabling opportunities, we can maximise its full potential. We want to inspire aspiration to live, work, visit, or do business here: we want our district to be one of choice.

We will support and enable growth and change in our thriving, welcoming places where people and businesses choose to be, knowing their ambitions can be not just fulfilled but exceeded. By listening to people, by understanding what they need and by working together, we can shape what we have to offer. By doing so, we can benefit those who are already here and those who choose to come to live, work, visit, or do business.

We offer excellent conditions of service, including:

• A local government pension scheme (14 per cent employer contribution).
• Attractive holiday package (25 days increasing after three years' continuous Local Authority service by one day per year up to the maximum of 28 days, plus bank holidays)
• Free car parking.
• Remote-enabled working arrangements.
• A newly refurbished office. See what it is like working here by watching this short film: 
  

Our commitment to talent development, on the job learning and upskilling, training and professional memberships, will keep your knowledge and skills up to date.

Job Summary

Description of Duties

This job description is not exhaustive.

The job description outlines the current position and will be subject to review in the light of development within the service, in consultation with the post holder as detailed in your Contract of Employment.

Experience and Knowledge

Essential

• Experience of working in large complex organisations within the property services area.
• At least two years' experience of AutoCAD packages to design and produce drawings and plans.
• Ability to use scanning devices and plotters.
• Understanding of property measurement.
• In-depth knowledge of AutoCAD and GIS systems.
• Understanding of the acquisition of land through an adoption process via development control functions.
• Experience of undertaking site surveys and inspections and commissioning of the same.
• Experience of civil engineering - particularly public services infrastructure.
• Experience of the implementation and management of data systems and the accurate maintenance of data.

Desirable

• Local authority and/or public sector experience.
• Knowledge of Breckland Council assets.
• Knowledge of local government structure processes and environments.
• A geographical understanding of the Breckland district.
• Knowledge and understanding of the building construction process and building regulations standards and planning processes.
• Knowledge of Health and Safety Legislation
• Experience of working with contractors.
• Line management or coaching / mentoring experience.

Qualifications

Essential

• A-levels or similar or equivalent learning.
• Appropriate qualifications relating to the use and application of AutoCAD software or evidence of working in a similar role at this level for an appropriate number of years.

Desirable

• Membership of relevant professional body
• Formal management qualification.

Behaviours

Collaborative

• I look for ways to work in partnership with colleagues across services, Members and external partners
• I listen supportively to their ideas, building on their ideas, while sharing my views and knowledge

Ambitious

• I always ask myself, 'How could we do this better?', and take ownership of change and help others to understand, adapt to, implement and embed the change
• I have an open mindset, take risks and explore new ways of doing things

Results-driven

• I make sure I am clear on what I need to achieve, keeping a focus on results and solutions
• I am driven to achieve results and show courage and resilience even when things don't go to plan

Empowering

• I show energy and drive to explore new opportunities and challenge the status quo, and act on opportunities where we can generate an income or drive down costs
• I ask for help and support when needed, and take responsibility if things don't go well and learn from it for my own, and for the organisations development

Supportive

• I treat others as I would want to be treated myself, ensuring that I am welcoming, friendly and approachable.
• I give time to colleagues who need help or support.

Breckland Council's Terms and Conditions are in accordance with the National Joint Council for Local Government Services Administrative, Professional, Technical & Clerical Services (APT&C). These are collective agreements negotiated between the council and APT&C. The exception are those conditions affecting salary, which are subject to a locally negotiated salary structure.

Other Terms and Conditions may be implemented following collective agreements negotiated and agreed with the Trade Union recognised by Breckland Council for collective local bargaining purposes. The Principal conditions are set out below:

If you would like an informal chat regarding this role please contact Ned Adams-Felton, Land & Development Manager, Ned.Adams-Felton@breckland.gov.uk  

Closing date - 9am Thurs 23^rd May

APPLY ONLINE

Equal Opportunities

We are committed to being an Equal Opportunities employer, recognising the benefits of sustaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve. We welcome applications from anyone who feels they meet the requirements of our vacancies. These are listed as essential requirements on the person specification.