About the job
Education Capital and Place Planning Officer
£500 a day umbrella
3 month contract
Hybrid
Children’s Services – Education, Access & Sufficiency
We are currently supporting a local authority in the recruitment of an Education Capital and Place Planning Officer to support the delivery of statutory duties relating to education sufficiency, school place planning, and education capital projects across the East Midlands.
This role will play a key part in ensuring sufficient education provision across the area through strategic place planning, capital programme delivery, stakeholder engagement, and the development of new educational provision.
Reporting to the Head of Access and Sufficiency, the successful candidate will lead and coordinate education capital and school organisation functions within their locality, working closely with schools, contractors, developers, statutory bodies, and internal teams.
The Opportunity
- Support the Council’s statutory duty to secure sufficient school places across the East Midlands.
- Contribute to the commissioning and establishment of new education provision in partnership with statutory bodies and stakeholders.
- Lead and coordinate the delivery of education capital projects, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to agreed quality standards.
- Support maintained schools with estate improvement programmes, including decarbonisation initiatives and implementation of the Department for Education’s Good Estate Management System (GEMS).
- Facilitate academy conversion processes for maintained schools.
Key Responsibilities
- Process funding agreements for education capital projects alongside legal teams.
- Provide project management support for new school builds and capital schemes.
- Prepare briefing notes and executive reports for strategic boards, senior leaders, and elected members.
- Undertake statutory school place planning responsibilities, working collaboratively with admissions teams, headteachers, planning officers, developers, and contractors.
- Monitor planning applications and secure Section 106 contributions to support education infrastructure.
- Manage external consultants and contractors, monitoring project progress, risks, deliverables, and compliance.
- Lead project consultation and communication strategies, including stakeholder engagement and statutory consultations.
- Respond to complex enquiries, including those from Members, MPs, and Freedom of Information requests.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of legislation, DfE guidance, and best practice relating to education capital delivery and school sufficiency.
- Support schools in developing Asset Management Plans and identifying funding opportunities linked to decarbonisation and estate improvements.
Requirements
- Degree level qualification or equivalent (e.g. NVQ Level 4 or HNC).
- Evidence of continued professional development.
- Experience managing or contributing to commissioning, procurement, or tendering processes for capital projects.
- Knowledge of demographic analysis, school capacity planning, and the impact of housing developments on education provision.
- Understanding of DfE design guidance, Education Act 2011 responsibilities, and local authority statutory duties regarding school place sufficiency.
How to Apply
Please apply online or contact Abbie Carr at Spirehouse for a confidential discussion.
Spirehouse Recruitment is an equal opportunities employment business and employment agency. We practise a diverse and inclusive recruitment process that ensures equal opportunity for all individuals.