Rights of Way Modification & Commons Officer

About the job

Key information

• We support hybrid working and a significant part of the job can be completed from home but attendance at the workplace (County Hall, Taunton) would be required on occasion.
• This is a permanent position for 18.5 hours a week. There is a degree of flexibility as to how those 18.5 hours are spread across the working week.
• 28 days’ annual leave, pro rata for part time hours.

What will I be doing?

We’re working to improve the lives of people in Somerset – and you’ll be a key part of that. Your day-to-day work will involve helping to ensure that the legal record of public rights of way (i.e. the Definitive Map and Statement) are maintained to a high level of accuracy. You will manage your own case load and will be:

• undertaking detailed research into both the history and recent use of a variety of alleged rights of way across the county;
• analysing and interpreting evidence in a manner which is consistent with legislation, case law and guidance;
• assessing whether or not that evidence shows that there is a mistake on the Definitive Map and Statement;
• presenting your well-reasoned findings in a clear and concise way; and
• offering rights of way advice to a wide variety of people.

Each case that you deal with will be different and the role is therefore suited to someone who enjoys new challenges and variety in their career.

What kind of experience or qualifications do I need?

We offer ongoing support, training and guidance to help you be the best you can be. But it will really help if you:

• an eye for detail;
• a logical approach to research and the analysis of documentary sources;
• excellent written and oral communications skills; and
• an organised approach to work.

We’re proud to be here for the people of Somerset. And that means everyone in Somerset. An important part of this is ensuring that we are as diverse and inclusive as the people and communities we serve.

We welcome applications from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich our team. You can always contact the hiring manager for a chat if there’s anything you want to talk about before you apply.

What is in it for me?

We are proud to offer an environment that is supportive and rewarding, working as part of a team who are passionate about the work they do to improve the lives of people in Somerset.

We offer great training and development opportunities, with supportive management. As well as this, we have some fantastic employee benefits available:

• We promote a healthy work-life balance and offer flexible working arrangements wherever possible, including working from home.
• Generous annual leave allowance, with the opportunity to purchase additional leave
• Staff discounts in gyms.
• Employee Assistance for the times you may need some support and a variety of employee wellbeing services.
• Auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme and optional pension enhancement through our Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme.
• A Flexible Benefits Scheme via salary sacrifice to obtain a cycle for work and health screenings.
• My Staff Shop offering discounts in shops, online shopping, restaurants, cinema tickets, insurance benefits and more

Supporting documents and information

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact: Andrew Saint, 01823 359 796, andrew.saint@somerset.gov.uk or Pete Hobley, 01823 358185, peter.hobley@somerset.gov.uk.

Interviews will take place on 23/24 June 2025.

The salary for this role is £13,855 – £15,533 per annum

When completing your application/CV please provide your full employment history and ensure that any gaps in employment are explained. Please start with your current or most recent employment.

If you have all the information you need, just hit the apply button – we can’t wait to hear from you.

Apply on the Somerset Council website

Apply now