Description About the role. National Highways have an excellent opportunity for a Principal Property Advisor to join our team in Major Projects. As a Principal Property Advisor, you will lead and direct a regional property acquisition and compensation team, giving clear leadership and direction on all property matters, to ensure effective delivery of the Road Investment Strategy. The Principal Property Advisor will also provide authoritative advice to programme and project managers on all property related issues at all stages of scheme development, including the management and direction of external chartered surveyors/valuers and solicitors that support our projects. Please note this is a hybrid position and will be based from our Bedford office. Provide a high standard of leadership to the Property and Compensation team, whilst also providing reliable, accurate and professionally sound property advice to all parts of National Highways, particularly to programme and project managers in the Major Projects and Operations directorates. Identify property-related risks and issues (strategic/commercial/political), identify and decide on appropriate mitigation actions, and contribute to scheme development during the options development and preferred route selection. Manage and report on the performance of the property supply chain, (professional valuers, surveyors and solicitors) to ensure delivery of high-quality services and value for money. Support the planning and property professionals in drafting and executing property specific issues within the DCO and compulsory purchase processes. Generate, provide, collate make use of all property related financial, budgetary and performance information across the team. About you. Extensive experience of property and compensation issues within large infrastructure programmes and projects, alongside a wide and comprehensive understanding of planning procedures for large infrastructure projects. Likely to be a chartered surveyor or qualified solicitor specialising in property issues, or to have extensive client-side experience. Significant experience of contract/supplier management in a leadership role, managing relationships and resolving conflicts with suppliers and stakeholders. Experienced in a leadership and people manager role, whilst coordinating within multi-disciplinary projects. Ability to understand, check, challenge and approve complex property-related cost estimates and forecasts. About us. Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership. Major Projects are responsible for major enhancements to our road network. We make roads safer, journeys more reliable and unlock economic growth. At the same time, we seek out ways to create opportunities for sustainable travel, help nature to thrive and support our journey to net zero carbon. Our team work closely with the supply chain to design and construct road projects, as well as develop a pipeline of possible projects as we look to the future. Our skills span many areas from customer experts, land and property advisers to project management. We understand the potential that our road schemes can bring. Major Projects Property and Compensation division is the leader of the property-related elements of projects – anticipating and assessing needs and formulating good quality solutions in partnership with project managers and their teams. This team provides a major continuity role in being involved with scheme during the initial options development, management of the property and other compensation estimates and early purchase and or DCO process supporting the issuing of CPOs. The team subsequently manages the negotiation of property and land compensation, by negotiation within the Compensation Code and referral to the Upper Lands Tribunal as required. External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.