Transport Officer - 04675

The Transport Services Team is responsible for planning, procuring and delivering passenger transport services across West Berkshire, ensuring children, young people and adults can access education and social care services safely, efficiently and reliably.

The Client Team manages transport provision for more than 2,000 education and social care clients, working closely with families, schools, transport providers and partner agencies to deliver essential services that support independence, wellbeing and access to learning and support services.

We are pleased to offer an exciting opportunity to join the team as a Transport Officer in the Client Team. In this role you will coordinate and manage statutory transport arrangements for education and social care clients, ensuring services are delivered safely, compliantly and within budget. Working closely with transport providers, parents, carers, schools, social care professionals and internal colleagues, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality transport solutions for some of the most vulnerable members of our community.

The position offers an excellent opportunity to further develop specialist knowledge in education and social care transport, procurement, contract management and passenger transport legislation within a busy and dynamic local authority environment.

Interview date - Week Commencing 30 November 2026

What you will do

The role of the Transport Officer includes:
• Planning, scheduling, and coordinating transport services to meet the needs of education and social care clients.
• Procuring, monitoring and reviewing transport contracts to ensure safe, efficient and value-for-money service delivery.
• Developing and reviewing travel plans for service users.
• Allocating clients to transport services and maintaining transport schedules.
• Liaising and negotiating with transport providers on contractual and operational matters.
• Undertaking route and transport reviews to identify efficiencies and service improvements.
• Investigating and responding to complaints, enquiries and transport-related issues.
• Supporting safeguarding processes and helping to reduce operational risks.
• Maintaining accurate transport records and management information systems.
• Working collaboratively with schools, parents, carers, transport providers and other professionals to deliver effective transport solutions.

We are seeking someone who:

• Is highly organised and process-driven, with a strong understanding of the importance of policy compliance, governance and accurate record-keeping.
• Can interpret and apply transport policies, procedures and legislation to make fair and robust decisions.
• Is passionate about delivering high-quality services for vulnerable children and adults.
• Has excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Can effectively manage a varied workload and competing priorities.
• Are confident making decisions and solving problems in a fast-paced operational environment.
• Works well independently while contributing positively to a team.
• Can build productive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrates resilience, adaptability and a commitment to continuous improvement.

What you will bring to the team:

The ideal candidate will have:
• Educated to Level 5 (HND) or equivalent transport experience.
• Experience of working in a customer-focused service environment.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and the ability to use specialist systems.
• Strong numerical skills and the ability to work accurately with financial information.
• The ability to manage transport schedules and coordinate service provision effectively.
• Experience of working with vulnerable children or adults, transport operations, contract management or procurement would be advantageous.
• Sound knowledge of transport legislation, safeguarding, health and safety, contract management and procurement principles would be beneficial.
• Experience of applying policies, procedures and legislation consistently, analysing information, and making sound decisions based on evidence and policy.
• Experience of managing challenging conversations and resolving customer issues sensitively and professionally.

West Berkshire Council offer excellent employment benefits such as:

• Access to a wide range of training and development opportunities
• Generous Local Government pension scheme
• Family friendly policies
• A range of local discounts
• Wellbeing Programme including Employee Assistance Programme and employee benefits
• You will also be entitled to a generous annual leave entitlement starting at 29 days per annum (plus public holidays) Rising by an additional 5 days after 5 years’ service.

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

Join us at West Berkshire Council and make a positive impact in our community while advancing your career. Explore everything that a career with West Berkshire Council has to offer here: Working with Us

For an informal discussion regarding this post, please contact Martin Amor, Senior Transport Officer on (01635) 519681.

Equal Opportunities

The Council supports Equal Opportunity of employment and positively encourages applications from people who fall within any of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010.

How to apply

Please now complete a short online application form. You will then be able to upload your CV.

This role has been identified as public facing in accordance with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016; the requirement to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in English applies.

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