Technical Services job family

Roles at this level provide standard technical support, using basic relevant techniques and processes to provide analysis, hold others to account and to deliver routine technical services to the organisation.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders carry out routine technical support services in a specific area of specialism. Role holders work under supervision of more senior members of the team and operate with limited guidance and instructions so that initiative and judgement are required to determine how to address and resolve daily problems. There is discretion to determine short-term priorities for self (and maybe others).

The role holder will be expected to use relevant understanding of technical area to work independently, and provide specialist support to projects, linked to area of expertise ensuring that they keep on top of all related activities across the council.

Communication skills will be involved in giving technical advice or guidance within specialised area and liaising with a number of stakeholders.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Provide support in a technical field, using previous experience and knowledge of relevant methods, processes, systems and facts to deliver specialised support to a particular technical project or set of activities.
• Perform straightforward analysis, manipulation and interpretation of data to support technical activities feeding into wider projects.
• Liaise with internal and external colleagues/contractor/suppliers/partners to contribute to project delivery.
• Run and present standard reports to provide effective department information and support information sharing to feed into the delivery of projects and related activities to aid compliance of the council’s set procedures and frameworks.
• Carry out all necessary site inspections and testing, resolve routine issues and escalate any other issues.
• Deal with enquiries from members of the public and service users to ensure all queries and issues are resolved.
• Ensure that all work is carried out in accordance with health and safety and environmental regulations.
• May monitor and process financial information and review financial data.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Good level of education: GCSE, A-level or Vocational equivalent. Relevant vocational qualification or technical training. May be working towards a professional qualification.
• Clear understanding of the relevant work practices, processes and procedures relevant to the area. Ability to review available data and identify cause and effect, and then choose the best solution from a range of known alternatives.
• Ability to maintain accurate manual and electronic records.
• Ability to communicate effectively and cause understanding in others, drawing on technical understanding to drive recommendations.

Roles at this level diagnose technical problems and provide specialist advice, including possible courses of action. Providing support within a specific technical area focusing on accurate and timely collation of information and data.

 

Scope of Work

Role holder will be at an entrant level in a technical discipline and will have a workload requiring the application of both applied and theoretical knowledge within a specific discipline – support the delivery of sound technical advice in a specific field. Reasoned application of methods, systems and procedures based on a thorough understanding within their particular field. Roles require knowledge of specialised methods, techniques and processes, gained through experience or part-professional qualification.

Emphasis is on in-depth practical, applied knowledge and a well-developed knowledge of related activities in other areas is needed. Role holders will provide analysis, interpretation and reasoned advice based on a level of theoretical understanding of methods, systems and procedures. It does not, however, require a level of understanding to design or fundamentally change the process.

Good communication skills will be required in order to liaise with others, providing technical advice or guidance within particular field.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Use understanding of relevant processes and systems within specialist field to prepare reports and analysis, providing materials and recommendations using standard and non-standard formats and software.
• Produce technical designs/drawings/specifications/reports and costing estimates and analysis within area of expertise.
• Analyse and present information, drawing conclusions and identifying trends, with an expectation to have a view on external best practice within the technical area, with an understanding of how this will be related to Hertfordshire.
• Respond to and resolve enquiries and problems, judging when to pass complex queries on or involve others to deliver a comprehensive service to relevant stakeholders.
• Deliver specific outputs, inputting into wider projects but with specific and defined objectives expected to be achieved.
• Agree and authorise contract payments.
• Ensure that all work is carried out in accordance with health and safety and environmental regulations.

 

Supervisory

• Sets short-term work priorities for other staff where necessary or appropriate.
• May monitor and control financial information and review financial data to contribute to management of budgets.

 

Individual

• Applies detailed understanding of methods, systems and procedures to analyse and interpret information and provide reasoned advice rather than conveying simple facts.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Recognised vocational qualification plus broad experience in area of expertise or degree qualified. May be working towards a professional qualification or be of graduate entry level with sound practical experience.
• Detailed knowledge of the practical application of specialised processes/procedures relevant to the role, typically gained through extensive practical experience.
• Excellent analytical skills, with an understanding of the theoretical nature of the work they are undertaking, with the ability to draw conclusions and present recommendations.
• Ability to work autonomously to plan, organise and control works/site-based activities, including labour, plant and materials.
• Understanding of the organisation’s political environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively and cause understanding in others, drawing on technical and specialist knowledge to develop recommendations and guidance.
• Ability to work independently within a framework of systems/procedures.

Roles at this level are responsible for providing overall technical advice and undertaking technical and operational activity based on specialist knowledge. Supports projects and programmes of work, following procedures which allow scope for flexibility.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders will be technically qualified, providing specialist services and advice internally and externally within own specialist area. Role holders work within established frameworks and procedures but have freedom to interpret them to solve problems. Thinking is about selecting the correct level/source of advice from established procedure/practices – rather than developing new ones. The focus is on owning the advice and ensuring that the council and the community gets the correct and most relevant advice and guidance in a technical field.

Roles may have operational management responsibility, with an in-depth practical understanding and working knowledge of methods techniques and processes. Activities undertaken are broadly similar in nature with an expectation to maintain an awareness of activities happening across the council within this field.

Good communication skills required to provide technical advice in specialist technical field to a number of stakeholders, and potentially to supervise more junior members of staff.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Apply technical methods, processes and expertise in creating solutions, or recommendations to ensure all project and ongoing activities are delivered effectively and in line with Council and community requirements.
• Provide technical information, and interpretation of existing policies and procedures, undertaking analysis to produce specifications and reports to guide project outcomes, ensuring outputs are in line with overarching objectives.
• Review and analyse information within specific technical field or discipline to identify potential risk or areas for improvement.
• Provide technical advice as and when required to stakeholders internally and externally, on an ad hoc basis, to aid others understanding of this particular field.
• Ensure all work is carried out in accordance with health and safety and environmental regulations and procedures.

 

Managerial

• Review and oversee the quality and accuracy of work being undertaken by the team.
• Line manage operational staff, providing coaching and management of their performance to ensure continued service standards.
• May monitor and control financial information and review financial data to contribute to financial planning.

 

Professional

• Role holders will undertake specific technical support tasks of varying complexity to support senior colleagues in the solution to business issues, supporting key technical projects and activities.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Recognised vocational or professional qualification plus broad experience in area of expertise, and/or degree qualified. May be working towards a professional qualification or be of graduate entry level with sound practical experience.
• Detailed knowledge of own service area and relevant working systems, equipment and/or IT software, plus an awareness of Council policies and services related to the role.
• Experience of translating technical language into easily understood specifications and advice.
• Good understanding of the public sector as a whole and how their technical specialism fits into the issues facing it.
• Good analytical skills with the ability to identify trends and patterns.
• Organises own work over weeks and months, or plans ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.
• Understanding of the organisation’s political environment.
• Ability to build relationships with internal and external teams to aid the development of project and solutions.

Roles at this level undertake specialist activity, supporting junior colleagues in information collation or production, providing advice in a specific, defined area of expertise. Role holder may be supporting the effective implementation of programmes of work and specific projects.

 

Scope of Work

Role holder provides a competent technical service providing high quality, specialist advice internally and externally within a defined, but complex area. Typically, they will be accountable for the quality and professionalism of others, involving co-ordinating engineering and technical services; working internally and externally to influence the development of services or delivery of projects. Their work will be based on a theoretical understanding of their field, but they will be operating within well-established professional procedures and defined council policies.

Work will involve a broad range of complex problems and role holders will need to manage changing priorities and use professional judgment to respond to differing situations. Role holders advise others, internally and externally about specific areas of technical expertise on ‘what’ and ‘how’ needs to be done (which will have a significant degree of complexity). The emphasis is on immediate solutions and there is a need to navigate around a wide range of procedures within their function.

Communication skills will be required to relay technical or specialist advice relating to area of specialism, or to line manage more junior professional and technical roles, undertaking activities which are similar in nature.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Undertake specific assignments or tasks within their technical specialism, under guidance or within the framework of defined business processes or procedures to deliver high quality advice and guidance services to project teams or stakeholders across the council.
• Identify opportunities for procedural improvements in specialist field and advises on the most appropriate course of action in specific situations to ensure that the council remains forward thinking and innovative, drawing on understanding and experience of best practice in the market for particular area of specialism.
• Provide expert technical advice within particular area of specialism, to a number of stakeholders to support the council’s smooth running.
• Oversee the work of a small team of more junior professionals/technicians, accountable for ensuring that they are delivering within defined objectives and parameters.
• Provide technical insight into projects which may cover a wider area, ensuring that they communicate advice and guidance in a clear and easily understood format.
• Ensure all work is carried out in accordance with legal, technical, health and safety and environmental regulations and procedures.

 

Managerial

• Provides line management to a small team who are generally undertaking similar duties.
• May support the control of budgets to deliver service priorities and to ensure appropriate resources are available.

 

Professional

• Role provides specialist and technical advice within specialist area to a range of stakeholders.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Typically degree qualified (or equivalent) in relevant subject plus number of years’ experience in a similar role or significant vocational experience, demonstrating development through involvement in a series of progressively more demanding relevant roles. Formal professional qualification (where relevant).
• Up to date and thorough knowledge and understanding of the work practices, systems, processes and procedures relevant to the role, and a good understanding of the council policies and services related to the role.
• Significant experience in a similar role, demonstrating professional development through involvement in a series of progressively demanding roles.
• Experience in delivering small projects or managing areas of projects within larger and more complex projects.
• Knowledge of contract management principles and associated procedures and regulations, with the ability to agree and shape standards to a particular project environment.
• Ability to monitor and control an agreed budget within a defined area, producing reports and analysing.
• Able to organise own work over weeks and months, or plans ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.
• Understanding of the organisation’s political environment and able to explain the formal political structures and decision making processes in the council.
• Ability to communicate and influence at different levels across the organisation, explaining technical concepts to a range of audiences.

Roles at this level are experienced professionals who manage elements of complex technical services in a specific area to deliver complete solutions. They provide expert advice in area of specialism to contribute to the delivery of solutions and improvements in the community and the wider organisation.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders will be expected to work on complex, or broader specialist technical issues with expectation to oversee the work of more junior technical colleagues within a defined and linked area of delivery, although this could be through matrix management for specific technical projects, or could be direct line management responsibility.

Role holders will need to navigate around a wide range of procedures and use these to fit each local situation as they arise. Although frameworks, procedures and processes exist there is a requirement to suggest improvements to ways of working, to infrastructure and to processes in order to feedback on what works, what doesn’t and what should be done in future to ensure that Hertfordshire delivers consistently excellent advice and services to the community.

Communication skills will be required to provide advice and technical guidance within specific area of specialism, managing streams of activities, to use expertise in a specific technical area to deliver outputs, liaising with a number of stakeholders to deliver required outputs. The role holder will be expected to translate technical and complex language into documentation (contracts, briefs, reports) that can be easily understood by a non-technical audience.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Supervise a small team of technical specialists, or oversees the work of external contractors, to ensure all technical project activity and ongoing workloads are delivered effectively, safely, accurately and on time.
• Provide technical advice and guidance within specialised area on the application of methods and processes, and on the safety and appropriateness of current and future activities to ensure that the area of focus continually improves.
• Keep abreast of activities happening across the wider project, with an understanding of how activities undertaken by this role will be impacting on other areas.
• Build relationships with internal and external stakeholders/customers to deliver expert technical advice and guidance where necessary and appropriate.
• Ensure all projects are carried out in accordance with health and safety and environmental regulations and procedures.

 

Managerial

• Manage and motivate a team of staff maintaining a competent, creative and participative culture through visibly effective leadership, promotion of high quality standards and the development of high performance teams.

• Manage allocated budgets and other resources (such as equipment or buildings) to deliver the agreed results.

 

Professional

• Provides specialist technical services and advice to particular area of the council, often ensuring that they bring best practice from the marketplace internally..

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Typically professionally qualified and/or relevant degree (or equivalent), plus substantial experience or substantial vocational experience demonstrating development through involvement in a series of progressively demanding roles. Formal professional qualification (where relevant).
• Up to date and authoritative knowledge of the work practices, systems, processes and procedures relevant to the role, and able to apply this knowledge in new and varied circumstances.
• Experience of managing and developing teams to enable continued development of service standards.
• Experience in delivering small projects or managing areas of projects within larger and more complex projects.
• Knowledge of contract management principles and associated procedures and regulations, with the ability to agree and shape standards to a particular project environment.
• Ability to monitor, plan and manage an agreed budget within a defined area, producing reports and analysing.
• Able to organise own work over weeks and months, or plans ahead for others, taking account of priorities and the impact on other people.
• Ability to assess the impact of new legislation, provide advice and promote compliance.
• Organisation and political awareness, and the ability to understand the political implications for certain decisions and provide advice and guidance for political representatives.
• Ability to influence and provide specialist guidance and advice to others, including the ability to motivate others.

Roles at this level provide expert guidance and advice on technical application of methods, developing solutions and appropriate improvements. This level is involved in supervising technical activity within designated areas or disciplines, leading on specific areas and/or projects and programmes of work.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders will be concerned with the provision of specialist, technical services and advice across the council – using expertise and experience to interpret and tactically apply core policy to community needs to ensure that policies are satisfactorily applied to a particular area of specialism.

Role holders at this level are proficient in a specialised engineering or technical field with a broad understanding of relationships between different fields. Problems are usually defined, within organisation and statutory regulations and policies. However, the job is required to develop new methods, procedures and practices within the section to improve services or projects.

Jobs at this level may also manage professionals and liaise internally and externally with other professionals, stakeholders and working parties which requires excellent skills in persuading, inspiring, developing and motivating. The ability to create and maintain the right working climate is of critical importance as their impact will be delivered through others.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Work within a specific, technical field, reviewing and analysing issues presented, identifying the best technical solution to ensure that long-term solutions are considered and implemented.
• Identify and makes recommendations for improvements to ways of working that will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the discipline.
• Represent the council as subject matter experts with customers, internally and externally and external agencies.
• Maintain an awareness of the impact that activities in this technical field impacts the community, managing activities as necessary to take this into consideration.
• Manage and control significant service or project budgets, and in certain cases take responsibility for developing income generating services.
• Ability to take part in formal communications and influencing across different levels of the business, including senior management and stakeholders, to influence behaviour and persuade them to think and act differently.
• Ensure all projects are carried out in accordance with health and safety and environmental regulations and procedures.

 

Managerial

• Manage a small to medium sized team providing specialist technical services to the organisation and the community directly, ensuring that a number of activities are pulled together to deliver a cohesive service.
• Lead a team of technical roles, delivering within a specific and defined field, providing expertise that requires an understanding of the principles underlying the activities undertaken.
• Manage and control of budgets to deliver service priorities.

 

Professional

• Makes technical recommendations which have noticeable impact on the performance of this specific technical field.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Typically professionally qualified/relevant degree (or equivalent), plus substantial experience. Management qualification (if required).
• Up to date and authoritative knowledge of the work practices, systems, processes and procedures relevant to the role, and able to apply this knowledge in new and varied circumstances.
• Substantial experience of operating at a senior level and leading on large, diverse and complex projects/services, with the ability to deliver on time and within budget.
• Significant experience demonstrating the provision of technical support in the public sector.
• Experience of managing contracts and of procuring external suppliers and contractors, combined with ability to develop frameworks for developing specifications and contract documentation.
• An awareness of broader developments and emerging trends in their technical field and the wider public sector.
• Ability to develop and review the implementation of annual plans for a work group or function, taking account of business and customer requirements and reconciling competing demands.
• Able to seek out and examine a range of information to identify patterns, trends and options, to solve multifaceted and complex problems. Involves the ability to assess the impact of new legislation and be able to provide advice and to actively promote compliance.
• Ability to negotiate and agree resources for a defined area as part of forward planning, monitoring progress and adjusting resources or priorities to meet goals.
• Organisational and political acumen and the ability to understand the political implications for certain decisions and provide advice and guidance for political representatives.
• Ability to build and maintain effective networks and relationships and influence others.

Roles at this level act as lead professionals in their respective area. They likely be reporting into senior leadership team posts and expected to support senior management in long-term planning in a technical, specialist area.

 

Scope of Work

Role holders will be senior level technical specialists, within an area which will impact the community as a whole, leading technical teams across the Directorate within their field of expertise. Role holders will use their specialist knowledge to contribute to council corporate policies, providing specialist advice on future and current solutions within a technical area.

Work at this level will typically be bound by existing strategic direction, however role holders would be accepted to use their insight to provide specific service improvement advice to current services. They may likely lead a team of professionals or be an individual contributor specialist, but they will need to work across teams and networks to deliver impact.

Excellent communication skills are therefore needed to influence and negotiate at a high level across the Council, ensuring that nontechnical role holders understand the implications and opportunities within their field.

 

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Give high level advice and support on specific, technical fields and projects. Seen as the lead expert within a defined and specialist area, ensuring that the council and the community as a whole is offered the highest quality expertise.
• Deliver technical services or advice with a view of the council as a whole, maintaining an understanding of how these technical activities feed into and affect other services.
• Oversee designs, developments, infrastructure improvements, research and exploration for the specialist, technical area, supporting current business activity and long-term planning, ensuring that external best practice is adapted for the council to meet their overarching strategic vision.
• Identify new approaches and/or techniques within particular technical field, which enhance efficiency, to deliver excellent services to the council and community as a whole.
• Take the lead in the review, assessment and development of policies, procedures, practices and techniques in consultation with a range of internal and external stakeholders to ensure continuing service efficiencies and compliance with legal requirements.
• Act as a lead advocate for ensuring that professional standards and service quality are maintained and that agreed performance standards are set and monitored.

 

Managerial

• Oversight and management of a team of technical specialists with a degree of diversity of activity, and an expectation to integrate across these activities.
• Manage and control of budgets to deliver service priorities.

 

Professional

• Role provides expertise to stakeholders both internally and externally, inputting into policy and strategy, and informing the shaping of services and projects which seek to deliver physical infrastructure developments or operations.

 

Skills, knowledge and experience

• Typically professionally qualified/relevant degree (or equivalent), plus substantial experience. Management qualification (if required).
• Highly developed knowledge of the principles, theory and practice of specialist area.
• Understanding of the issues affecting the public sector, with experience of external best practice.
• Experience of commissioning and managing external contractors and providers, and of developing large and complex specifications based on knowledge and expertise. They will also need the ability to develop frameworks to enable others in developing specifications and contract documentation.
• Experience of leading diverse technical specialist teams.
• Experience of communicating and explaining complex, technical issues to a wide range of audience members, including elected members and internal stakeholders.
• Ability to develop and review the implementation of annual plans for a work group or function, taking account of business and customer requirements and reconciling competing demands.
• Able to seek out and examine a range of information to identify patterns, trends and options, to solve multifaceted and complex problems.
• Ability to monitor and control an agreed budget within a defined area, producing reports and analysing and contributing to planning. This will include the ability to negotiate with external provides and apply commercial acumen to the assessment of proposals and to the management of contractual relationships.
• Able to develop and lead on the delivery of joined up solutions across a range of stakeholders/customers/partners to deliver benefits to communities and efficiencies in public sector service delivery.
• Strong organisational and political acumen, combined with understanding of context and the politics present within the council, and with partners and providers.
• Ability to develop long term relationships and networks external to the council, to influence and change behaviour.