City of Edinburgh Council

Job Profile
DEPARTMENT:
City Development
SECTION:
Transport
POST:
Professional Officer
RESPONSIBLE TO:
Senior Professional Officer/ Project Officer
Purpose of Job
To provide assistance and support to the manager, Senior Professional Officer
in delivering services relating to Transport.
Major Tasks/Job Activities
Major Tasks
Job Activities
To
provide
technical To inspect, monitor and supervise
assistance associated with
construction works or existing roads
producing
engineering
assets ensuring that they are
designs/ policy development/
undertaken in accordance with the
inspections/ project delivery
Council requirements, codes,
(55%)
specifications and current
regulations
To review documents submitted by
others
To apply and provide advice relating
to relevant legislation and technical
guidance
To undertake and check
measurements, surveys, setting out
or preliminary studies
To carry out and check feasibility
studies/option
appraisals/preliminary or detailed
engineering designs
To carry out risk assessments and
ensuring compliance with Health
and Safety Legislation.
To prepare and check contract
documents
To prepare technical drawings/plans
using bespoke IT packages
(AutoCAD)

To
provide
assistance (10%)

financial

To
assist
correspondence/
communications (25%)

with

To undertake planning and

organising (10%)

To measure works on site

To check invoices and valuations
and draft payments for approval
To prepare and check cost
estimates
To prepare and check works orders
to issue to contractors
To raise purchase orders using the
Oracle system
Assist with Monitoring project
costs/minor budgets
To liaise and consult with
stakeholders involved in or affected
by projects
To deal with correspondence and
input to committee reports
To deal with telephone enquiries
from the public and elected
members.
To prepare and check reports
suitable for both technical and nontechnical readership
To
participate
in
project
consultations including attendance
at public meetings, enquiries or
exhibitions
To assist with programming of
works/projects
To undertake project management
of individual engineering
schemes/projects
To ensure that all activities meet the
requirements of the Departments
Quality Management System (QMS)
and that records are updated
To undertake personal learning &
development planning
To collect, check, collate, update
and interpret data
To maintain computer databases
and conventional filing systems

Supervision and Management of People

(Numbers and type of staff)
No direct line management responsibility but the post holder will be expected
to guide up to 4 technical, Clerical or the direct administration support staff (up

to Gr5). The post holder will also be expected to co-ordinate and collate the
production of information from a range of staff prior to attending public
meetings, drafting correspondence and reports.
Complexity
The post holder will be required to work on a wide range of complex and
demanding tasks and therefore of differing complexity. They will be required
to work on more than one task at a time, therefore conflicting priorities and
deadlines will require careful priority and time management. The post holder
is expected to manage their own workload, with support from immediate
supervisor, and reprioritise as appropriate to ensure all tasks are completed
on time.
The post holder must be able to deal effectively with a wide range of enquiries
from internal and external customers and must ensure that the highest
standards of service are maintained.
Creativity and Innovation
The post holder will be expected to contribute to policy development and to
develop innovative and creative ideas to improve methods of working and
undertake problem solving/option appraisal and development. Typical
applications are as follows:

Understand problems and developing solutions with designs or on site

and identifying solutions.
Discuss complex matters
Planning and priority of own work on a day to day basis.
Qualitative assessment of the standard of works carried out.
Dealing with the public in respect of network problems and the
appropriate follow up actions.
Advice on Departmental requirements relating to the standard of
materials and workmanship, safety provisions etc.
Preparation of progress reports, standard correspondence etc.
Piloting or trialling new techniques, methods or technology

Contacts and Relationships

The post holder will be required to maintain good communication with a wide
variety of internal and external stakeholders, including:

Other departments within the Council

Contractors discussing all aspects of proposed work, on-site
monitoring.
Public Utility representatives

General public enquiries

Community Council representatives
Elected members
Emergency Service representatives
Statutory Undertakers
Consultants
Scottish Government
Transport Scotland
Developers
Department for Transport

Supervision Received
The nature of the job requires the post holder to work independently with
minimum supervision, but referring any major issues to their immediate
supervisor (Senior Professional Officer/Project Officer GR8 or above).
The Professional Officer will report to their immediate supervisor (Senior
Professional Officer/ Project Officer GR8 or above). They will be expected to
manage their own workload and to develop ideas and designs/projects. At
regular meetings, they will be expected to discuss their workload and ideas
with the line manager and agree the next steps to delivery. The post holder
will develop design options/project ideas and make recommendations for
consideration their line manager.
Decisions (Discretion)
The post holder will have responsibility for planning and prioritising their own
workload on a daily basis, in conjunction with their immediate supervisor.
Required to make engineering and design judgements affecting the local
roads network providing technical advice/recommendations/preferred options
to other parties however final decisions will be taken by senior officers such
as Senior Professional Officers/Managers.
May be required to guide and direct less experienced staff in making their
engineering, policy and design judgements.
Decisions (Consequences)
Failure to undertake duties in accordance with the requirements of the Council
could result in customer complaints/ombudsman investigations; impacts on
Council budgets, implications for public safety, misdirection of road users and
the efficiency of road network.

Resources

Shared responsibility for small budgets for discrete works.

Awareness of current legislation

Environment Work Demands

The post holder will be expected to prioritise competing demands of a
complex nature that will impact on their job activities. These may include:

Committee deadlines (bi-monthly)

Customer Charter (10 working days)
Financial year end/monthly reporting deadlines
Changing priorities (daily)
Service Team Plan/targets (quarterly/annually)
Statutory deadlines (FOI 20 working days, Planning Applications 21
days)

In certain circumstances service needs might require the post holder to work
outside normal working hours and conditions, including assisting in
emergency situations and or standby duties relating to maintenance of road or
river/coastal assets. In some specific cases it may be a requirement for the
postholder to participate in contractual standby/overtime.
Environment Physical
The post holder will be both site and office based; therefore the physical effort
required will include:

Carrying surveying equipment

Working in confined spaces
Working at heights
Working in live traffic
Working on construction sites
Working with live electricity

Training and personal protective equipment will be provided to minimise any

exposure.
Environment Working conditions

The post holder will be both site and office based; therefore they will have a
exposure to disagreeable or unpleasant working conditions, including
exposure to:

Weather
Live traffic
Pollution
Noise

Training and personal protective equipment will be provided to minimise any

exposure.
Environment Work Context
The post holder is supported in carrying out their duties by a Senior
Professional Officer/Manager, guiding their work where necessary. The
workload can, at times, be demanding and vigilance is required particularly in
relation to traffic/site conditions, lone working, night working/tiredness and
stakeholder harassment.
Knowledge and Skills
Educated to Higher National Certificate (HNC) level in relevant discipline, or a
Degree in an appropriate subject.
The post holder must also be a member of a relevant professional body, IEng
or MCILT or MRTPI or hold an appropriate MSc.
A current driving licence is desirable.
Experience

Good communication (verbal and written) skills is essential

Knowledge of Health and Safety regulations is essential.
Previous experience in Transportation and/or construction is essential
Working knowledge of new technology and commonly used IT
packages as well as the ability to learn and use bespoke IT packages
(AutoCAD) is required
Previous experience in working with the public

EMPLOYEE SPECIFICATION:
Council Core Competencies
These Council Core Competencies apply to all positions:
Being Customer/Client Focused
Working Effectively with Others
Managing Change
Taking Ownership and Responsibility
Communicating Effectively
Planning and Decision Making
These Council Core Competencies apply to positions with responsibility for
managing people or resources:
Leading Others
Managing Performance and Developing others
Political Sensitivity
Professional Officer

Essential

Desirable

Experience

Experience in transport
planning and project
delivery

Experience of team
management and
networking.
Experience of working
with elected members,
members of the public,
interest and community
groups.
Working in partnership
with other agencies.
AutoCAD experience

Knowledge, Skills and

Understanding

Relevant knowledge in
Transport Planning and
Transport Projects delivery.
Technical knowledge of
Design and Construction
methodologies and
techniques.

Technical Knowledge of
Councils/ Departments/
Sections objectives/
policies/ procedures/
guidelines
Good and Effective Staff
Management and

Project management
knowledge and experience

Leadership knowledge
and skills.
Negotiating and
Influencing Skills.
Experience in
commissioning
consultants.

Qualifications and
Training

Educated to degree level in

a relevant discipline and/or
IEng

Relevant postgraduate
qualification
Membership of a relevant
professional body
Chartered engineer status

Job Specific
Requirements

Possession of a current
full driving licence.

Applicants should always check the Job Vacancy Summary for any specific
Employee Specification Requirements for the advertised vacancy.