Job Introduction
Job Title: Design & Construction Support Officer
Starting Salary: £31,537 progressing to £34,434 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Hours: 29.6
Location: Stevenage - Hybrid
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Resources
About the team
The Design & Construction Delivery team plays a vital role in ensuring Hertfordshire’s maintained schools remain safe, compliant and operational, directly supporting the education and wellbeing of children across the county. The team provides specialist technical expertise to maintain building safety, manage risks, and deliver essential capital and compliance programmes.
This role sits within the Non-Major Projects Design & Construction Delivery team, primarily supporting the delivery of the Schools Condition Allocation (SCA) programme, responding to school emergencies, and maintaining the integrity of construction‑related data and governance processes.
About the role
This is a specialist technical position requiring strong construction knowledge, analytical capability, and confidence in advising schools, contractors, Members, and internal colleagues. You will act as the first line of support, providing essential professional judgement across a busy and high‑risk estate.
Key responsibilities include:
Emergency & Operational Response
- First point of contact for urgent school building issues such as heating failure, power loss, water outages, flooding or fabric concerns with escalation to colleagues as appropriate.
- Provide technical advice, assess risks and support operational decisions to maintain school continuity.
Technical & Regulatory Compliance
- Support compliance with HSE, CDM and asbestos management regulations across relevant works and activities with support from the team.
Data, Reporting & Governance
- Review and organise technical information to help provide clear and accurate reports for the Department for Education and other internal and external audiences.
- Lead the collation and presentation of data for Department for Education Condition & Capacity returns, requiring understanding of condition scores, GIFA, construction materials and site‑specific information.
- Produce bespoke management reports to inform decision‑making.
Capital Programme Support
- Manage the first‑stage assessment of school SCA bids, reviewing technical, condition and PPM information to determine alignment with DfE criteria before prioritisation.
- Track programme and financial risks through monthly updates with project and programme managers.
Enquiries, Stakeholder Support & Communications
- Manage high‑volume stakeholder enquiries (typically up to 50 per week) via shared mailboxes, increasing at peak periods.
- Liaise with contractors, schools, suppliers, press teams and Members, supporting communication for construction‑related events.
- Lead on Freedom of Information data collation and responses relating to construction and property compliance.
Programme Assurance & Close‑Out
- Maintain accurate financial intelligence and project records, including cost, programme change and forecast impacts.
- Manage end‑of‑defects processes, contract retentions and project close‑down documentation such as as‑built drawings, H&S files, warranties and guarantees.
Systems & Information Management
- Act as a superuser for the Corporate Property Database and SharePoint, uploading and validating project information
- Maintain the accuracy of DCD information on intranet platforms and school portals.
About you
Essential
- Demonstrable experience in construction, building fabric, or property maintenance.
- A working knowledge of SharePoint and other IT systems.
- Ability to assess and advise on building‑related risks.
- Experience working with regulatory frameworks such as HSE, CDM, and asbestos compliance.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to explain technical issues clearly to non‑technical audiences.
- Evidence of managing multiple operational enquiries and prioritising effectively.
- Ability to manage competing enquiries and deliver accurate information under time pressure.
Desirable
- Experience working within an educational or public‑sector property environment.
- Knowledge of capital programme processes, condition prioritisation or similar governance frameworks.
- Experience liaising with contractors and external specialists.
- A full driving licence.
We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.
This job role is within the Technical Services, level 8 job profile. Please locate this via:
Job profiles: Technical services
To hear more about this opportunity please contact alexander.digby@hertfordshire.gov.uk for an informal discussion about the role.
Interview Date: 20th April 2026
How to apply
As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.
Additional information
Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, either using your own mode of transport or a company car to travel to other locations.
English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.