Property Assistant

On behalf of HS2 , we are looking for a Property Assistant - Inside IR35 for a 6 month contract working on a Hybrid basis (3 days per week in Birmingham office and remaining WFH)

HS2 is Britain’s new high-speed railway that supports the government’s number one mission growth. When it’s fully operational, the line will connect London and Birmingham in just 49 minutes. This will create better journeys for passengers. The railway links our two biggest economic centres, connects people with jobs and is attracting major investment before services begin. It then extends north of Birmingham to Handsacre in Staffordshire. Here, HS2 trains will connect to the West Coast Main Line for the Northwest and Scotland.

HS2 provides benefits for everyone faster, more reliable journeys for passengers; better connections to markets and people for businesses; and investment in infrastructure and skills for local communities.

Job purpose:

Context: Under the powers of the High Speed Rail Act (London – West Midlands) Act 2017, the Secretary of State (SOS) for Transport (with HS2 acting as Agent) was authorised to acquire land and property under compulsory means.

Role: This role supports the key land assembly activities, ensuring established procedures and governance are followed to ensure each acquisition or possession is supported by an audit trail of key dates and approvals.

The main duties and responsibilities of the Property Assistant would be to:

- Prepare the General Vesting Declaration (GVD) Preliminary Notice (PN) for publication in the London Gazette; proof read PNs, arrange publication with London Gazette and coordinate payment of invoices from London Gazette;
- Prepare and issue notifications for each PN to Land Registry and local authority land charge departments;
- Coordinate execution of GVD Deeds and Plans signed by DfT, certified copies of Deed and Plan by HS2 Legal; and publication of GVD Deeds and Plans to the HS2 website;
- Manage security of hardcopy executed GVD Deed and Plan, plus certified copies of Deed, Plan and Certificate of Service in a secure, fire-proof environment;
- Maintain a public register of GVD Deeds and Plans and make available to members of the public upon request at 2 Snowhill office;
- Manage and maintain a Schedule of GVDs recording: each PN, each PN publication fee, each executed GVD; all dates associated with each GVD, all dates associated with the submission of the application for registration. Schedule to be updated within 24hrs of milestones being achieved and shared monthly with the ILA (Independent Land Advisor);
- Maintain folders on Sharepoint and ensure contents for each application for land registration and stamp duty land tax returns (SDLT) are collated for ILA review within 6 weeks of the GVD Certificate of Service being issued
- Manage changes to all Notice Production System templates as directed, ensuring the latest approved and operational versions are maintained in NPS and uploaded to eB;
- Coordinate production and circulation of weekly management reports to the Construction supply chain;
- Maintain a daily log of all incoming correspondence by type ; forwarding correspondence to the relevant Land Assembly or Land Acquisition team, or Director of Land & Property;
- Analyse monthly Applications for Payment received from land referencing consultants, recording cost of work done against budget;
- Provision of administration support to the Property Services team;
- Provide updates of all mental and physical health and wellbeing, safety within the Land Assembly Team and the land referencing PSC/SLS consultants.

Essential:

- Attention to detail and proof reading of legal notices, and HS2 process documents;
- Good communication skills – face to face, telephone and written;
- The ability to work autonomously and part of a team;
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise and make decisions .
- Legal/Property background/knowledge;
- Understanding of land assembly activities and compulsory purchase;
- Understanding of compulsory purchase powers including relevant statutes and established practices;
- Knowledge of land registration process.
- Experience of working in legal/property related organisations;
- Experience of compiling and analysing data using Excel (or equivalent;
- Experience of operating within a project/programme environment.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following "this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different".