Job Introduction We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all. This full-time, permanent role has a starting salary of £55,486 per annum based on a 36 hour working week. We are excited to be hiring a new Education Place Planning Manager to join our fantastic Education Place Planning team based in Woking, West Surrey. This role is open to hybrid working with the right balance. As a team we split our time between collaborating with colleagues in the office, working within the communities we serve and working remotely, including from home. Our Offer to You 26 days’ holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave A generous local government salary related pension Up to 5 days of carer’s leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year Paternity, adoption and dependents leave An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents About the Role The Education Place Planning Team works closely with the School Admissions and Land and Property teams who are vital links in planning provision across the County. Our principal source of information is our annual forecasts for mainstream and specialist places, and we are looking to expand this to include post-16 settings. Communication and liaison with our schools and other settings is key in helping them to make future decisions, therefore this role provides plenty of opportunity to be out and about, working within the communities we serve. This is a highly varied role and will be different from one day to the next. One day you may be concentrating on writing a briefing, another you may be visiting a school, and in between will include emails, messages and calls! In this role you will be the lead officer on public consultations, either on-line, in person or both. This could include explaining to pupils, parents and the community the benefits, and maybe disadvantages, a change to a school or setting will have. You will be joining a team of four Education Place Planning Managers, who are supportive of each other, offering cover during absences and assistance when needed. Our aim is to develop our staff through ongoing training and development opportunities; currently three managers are at various stages of completing apprenticeship courses. Your Application In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours : Proven high level communication and interpersonal skills, including negotiation and influencing Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external partners and professionals Ability to analyse and interpret data, present results and put forward recommendations to support decision making Knowledge of current legislation regarding school organisation, special educational needs and disabilities, and broad knowledge of education legislation Proven ability to manage a wide range of complex projects or programmes We welcome transferable skills and experience. A Basic DBS ‘Disclosure and Barring Service’ check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role. To apply, we request that you submit a CV and answer the following 3 questions: Please tell us about a time you have worked with school leaders, or other providers, to influence a change in practice or deliver a specific project? Please give an example of when you have taken a proposal through a political process? Including drafting and presenting reports for elected members and delivering public consultation. As an Education Place Planning Manager you could be responsible for the strategic organisation of approximately 100+ schools, and responding to their, and stakeholder, issues regarding school planning and organisation. What is your strategy for dealing with this? Please give an example. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 30.08.2026 with interviews planned to follow. Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and our Life at Surrey Handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey. We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit. Contact Us Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. For an informal discussion please contact Sarah Jeffery by email at sarahm.jeffery@surreycc.gov.uk Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities. Join our dynamic team and shape the future of local government. Make a lasting impact with innovative solutions and improved services for our community. Help us build a brighter future for our residents! Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council. Our Commitment We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview. Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we’re committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

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