Transport Business Development Manager

Transport Business Development Manager

Fixed Term / Secondment opportunity, 2-year contract with potential for extension 

Full Time, 37 hours per week

£48,858 to £57,480 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 25th January 2026

The Transport Business Development Manager will contribute to the overall commercial direction of the Integrated Passenger Transport Unit (IPTU) to ensure the identification of innovative new business opportunities and enhancements to existing services across the IPTU and lead the delivery of high-profile infrastructure and customer-facing innovations

The role will require the use of business acumen and commercial awareness to identify gaps and deliver new products and services to market. Managing change and identifying opportunities which match services to customer needs through key commercial and corporate partnerships, leading to the development of new client relationships.

Working collaboratively with colleagues, this role requires a strategic and persuasive leader to contribute to the development and implementation of an overall strategic vision of integrated transport by challenging the traditional segregation of activities and working with an extensive range of internal and external partners to develop new commercial approaches to long-term challenges.

This role carries significant financial and operational accountability, overseeing a £1.5 million budget that spans diverse service areas such as DigiGo, alongside managing a growing stream of income from traded and commercial activities. The postholder will provide strategic leadership for a team of 6 to 8 direct reports, and hold wider responsibility for approximately 50 staff across multiple services, ensuring effective delivery and performance across all areas.

To read more about our business area, please visit Climate, Environment and Customer Services

Accountabilities

• Develop business growth strategies and costed plans for existing services in the remit of the ITPU including Travel Training, Specialist Healthcare Tasks as well as leading on the development of costed plans for new commercial opportunities.
• Develop and deliver business plans to secure capital and revenue investments across the IPTU.
• Procure, lead and manage a growing range of contracts worth a collective £13m to £30m over their lifetime to deliver outstanding outcomes and benefits for the residents of Essex. This includes project management and ensuring deliver to tight timescales, that have a commitment or impact externally to other partners (e.g. Department for Transport, District and Parish Councils).
• Responsible for contributing to marketing strategies and sales plans across the IPTU for the purposes of improving the customer experience, creating behaviour change in the local population towards sustainable travel and generating revenue for commercial opportunities.
• Accountable for developing and building commercial relationships with senior stakeholders and partners to enable the delivery of shared objectives in promoting passenger transport and accessibility. Leading to generating new business within Essex and further afield, including a broad range of sectors.
• Lead in providing specialist knowledge, ensuring the Council is adequately represented on cross functional project groups in support of passenger transport related activity.
• Builds influential relationships with Directors, Senior Managers and Members on developing the commercial approach, including opportunities for internal and externally traded income generated activities.
• Contributes to the development of the Council’s Passenger Transport Strategies relating to buses, taxis, community transport, concessionary fares and sustainable school Travel.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject area, or equivalent by experience.
• 3-5 years experience in digital product management or project management, with an industry recognised qualification.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical, prioritisation, and negotiating skills; leading to the creation of innovative solutions that deliver service benefits for residents and maximising commercial opportunities.
• Ideal candidate should have a background in transport (operations and/or strategy), preferably in the public sector and with in-depth knowledge of the industry and commercial legislation.
• Experience of working collaboratively within a large complex organisation, with skills in understanding and responding to different perspectives and taking a cross organisational perspective.
• Significant experience of working with both internal and external partners, demonstrating achievement of delivering outcomes within a complex multi-agency commercial environment.
• Experience of business planning, change management, sales and marketing to successfully determine and evaluate service quality and identify opportunities to drive value from existing assets.
• Exemplary leader, with the ability to focus on results and develop a high performing and motivated team from diverse backgrounds to achieve strategic and operational objectives.
• Experience writing and responding to applications for funding or competitions (e.g. Innovate UK and DfT)
• Evidence of continuing professional and managerial development.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you. 

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR)) on our careers site

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Further details can be found on our careers page.

Links / Downloads

Pay and Reward | Our Ways of Working  | About Us  | Organisation Behaviours