3838 - Head of Road Safety Policy

Transport is a key enabling function, experienced by everybody and central to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of Wales.

The Transport and Digital Connectivity Directorate leads on many high profile Government commitments across 6 divisions and 150 people, leading on policy, finance, planning, and delivery as well as a wide portfolio of capital projects with an annual budget of around 1.4bn to deliver these functions, (one of the largest for any Directorate outside of health).

This is a key role in the Directorate, where activity is subject to significant scrutiny. The post holder will be responsible for working closely with Ministers and senior management teams and will be expected to be the expert lead in their policy area to develop, deliver and implement road safety and blue badge policies and lead on Welsh aspects of non-devolved related areas.

The area generates a significant amount of external interest: the post holders will support the SEO/HEOs in their area to manage correspondence, media enquiries, support ministerial meetings and manage key stakeholder relationships. They will also be responsible for management of key functions including policy and strategy, delivery of support structures, research and analysis as well as team matrix-management.

The post holder will lead a programme of work focusing on road safety and other aspects of roads policy, both in WG and work of WG funded staff based in the Welsh Local Government Association. They will be leading on risk management and working closely with policy and senior officials to support timely delivery of key work.

You will also work closely with the Strategic Road Network Division and in particular the Road Safety Delivery team to ensure full alignment between policy and trunk road delivery, maintaining a strong two‑way relationship where policy direction informs programmes of work on the Strategic Road Network, and operational delivery insights from the programmes of work on the trunk road actively shape future policy development.

What You Will Be Doing?

You will lead the Road Safety and Blue Badge teams in WG, whose functions include leading on road safety policy development and implementation, supporting local authorities to fulfil their road safety duties and supporting blue badge scheme delivery.

Policy Development and implementation

• Leading the delivery of the new Road Safety Partnership Plan
• Take forward recommendations arising from Senedd Committees and the review of the Blue Badge scheme.
• Leading on policy implementation and development relating to parking, the digitisation of Traffic Regulation Orders, and Autonomous Vehicles.
• Liaison with the UK Government and its agencies on non-devolved areas, including traffic offences, driver and vehicle licensing, vehicle regulations, micromobility, automated vehicles.
• Prepare and engage on changes to secondary legislation, as required
• Provide policy and technical advice to Ministers, Senior officials, the Road Safety Partnership Board and its sub-groups
• Work with evidence leads in WG and TfW on strengthening the monitoring and evaluation of road safety schemes and interventions as well as the development indicators and targets and, as well as improved reporting.

Funding oversight

• Oversee the allocation of funding for road safety and unadopted roads schemes to local authorities as part of the Regional Transport Fund.
• Oversee funding for third sector delivery partners.
• Negotiate funding parameters for camera enforcement and complementary initiatives with GoSafe and police forces as key partners and manage the grant funding relationship.
• Lead on procurement of external contracts to support our work and new grants, as required.

Stakeholder and Cross-Government Engagement and Communication

• Provide strategic oversight to stakeholder relationships with third sector and other delivery partners, including Emergency Services, Public Health Wales, Local Authorities and Corporate Joint Committees, WLGA, & RoSPA.
• Represent Welsh Government in UK-wide and international road safety forums, ensuring road safety policy in Wales shapes and is informed by national and international best practice.
• Build effective relationships with the Head of Road Safety Delivery in Strategic Road Network Division to ensure alignment between policy and operational delivery.
• Lead engagement with professionals and academics working in the sector
• Engagement with internal and external stakeholders to support integration of transport policies and programmes; leading on cross-departmental engagement and collaboration on cross-cutting objectives and programmes
• Support cross-cutting divisional and departmental work as required
• Work closely with and advise the communications team and press office on all policy and technical issues covered by the post

Leadership

• Provide leadership and development for the road safety and blue badge function, ensuring sustainable workloads and high professional standards.