Title:Asset Engineer Information

Position description

Title:Asset Engineer Information

Group:Highways & Network Operations (HNO)

Location:National Office

Reports to:Senior Asset (Information) Manager

Date:November 2011

Organisation profile

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is a Crown entity that was established on 1 August 2008, under the amended Land Transport Management Act 2003, bringing together the functions of Land Transport NZ and Transit New Zealand to provide an integrated approach to transport planning, funding and delivery.

The purpose of the NZTA is ‘to build a better land transport system for New Zealanders’.

What we do -

- Help New Zealanders to travel reliably and safely

- Invest in moving people and freight to grow New Zealand’s economy

- Meet our customers’ needs by being people-focused.

Our strategic priorities – the things we are focussing on:

- Improve customer service and reduce compliance costs

- Plan for and deliver roads of national significance

- Improve the effectiveness of public transport

- Improve the efficiency of freight movement

- Improve the road safety system.

The NZTA employs approximately 1400 staff throughout New Zealand and is structured into six business groups. The NZTA encourages staff to work collaboratively across the organisation. It is committed to linking people together and drawing from the combined skills and knowledge held within the NZTA, in order to develop innovative solutions and work more effectively with stakeholders.

NZTA purpose and behaviours

Our purpose

Our purpose is ’creating transport solutions for a thriving New Zealand.’

Whatever your role is in the NZTA, we are creating transport solutions for a thriving New Zealand. It’s the same whether you work in planning and investing in land transport networks, providing the State highway, or managing access to and use of the land transport system.

We are solutions-oriented, focusing on the needs of our customers.

If New Zealand is to thrive, transport is vital — for connected communities, and a growing economy.

Our behaviours

- Sign up – Commit to where we are going and put our heart into what we do. Get engaged every day.

- Team up – Enjoy the people we work with. Appreciate their talents. Use joined-up thinking to find solutions for our customers.

- Front up – Be courageous. Tackle the difficult issues. Know our own value and bring it to work with confidence and good judgement.

Business Group Background - Highways & Network Operations

The Highways & Network Operations Group (Highways), one of six business groups within the NZTA, contributes to optimising the wider transport network by planning, operating, protecting, maintaining and improving the state highway network. The Group works closely with other parts of the business to ensure the strategic priorities are achieved. State highways perform a vital national, inter-regional and regional role in the transport network. State highways carry buses, trucks, cars, motorcyclists, walkers and cyclists and connect cities, towns, ports and tourist destinations. The Highways customer base is extensive and is focussed predominately on users of the SH network. The Group operates adjacent to communities and traverses sensitive and important parts of New Zealand.

The priorities for Highways are to:

• Improve its customer service, particularly with road users but also with suppliers, neighbours and key stakeholders
• Undertake all activities on the basis of operating and improving a national network
• Develop staff so that decision making can be devolved low into the Highways structure and that staff are trained and competent in collegial decision making
• Contribute to the development of the Organisational Development strategy and implement its intent over the Group/Business Unit and evidence this by measurement.

Purpose of position

The Asset Engineer Information will work to ensure that the NZTA attains excellent practice in asset information and achieves industry complince in the use of its asset information systems and the supply of information.

Other priorities include ensuring that asset information projects are effectively managed and implemented and that asset condition, and performance reports are published.

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Key accountabilities – general

Team Contribution

• Participates in the annual business planning processes for their team
• Demonstrates support for all the NZTA initiatives and organisational development activities, modelling expected behaviours to managers and other staff
• Works in a manner that reflects a clear alignment with the values and expectations of the NZTA staff and works to understand and resolve issues that may be in conflict with these values and/or expectations
• Actively supports an organisational culture based on high quality, innovation, responsiveness, excellent communication and continuous improvement.

Relationship management

• Engages effectively with internal experts/staff across the NZTA so that the best information is available for decision-making, policy development, planning, resource and risk management, operations and service delivery to our Minister and the public

• Actively manages internal client expectations and maintains timeliness of delivery including meeting service level agreements.

Stakeholder management

• Establishes and maintains professional relationships with providers of land transport services, local and central government transport sector agencies, other State agencies, the private sector, interest groups, the public and international transport agencies and peers as appropriate
• Convenes and attends meetings with key internal and external stakeholders to address specific issues and generate solutions, and has the ability to influence thinking and decisions that are consistent with the NZTA strategic direction
• Provides meaningful and timely communication to the sector so that stakeholders understand their requirements in relation to the Government transport sector objectives.

Risk and issue management `

• Escalates any significant risks and issues to their manager in a timely way
• Ensures a comprehensive risk management approach to the way the business is managed on a day to day basis. Identifies threats to SH Plan, business and the NZTA so that risks within their area of responsibility are managed, mitigated or minimised
• Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities so that there is continuous improvement in business processes and greater value is delivered to customers and stakeholders.

Customer service

• Develops a customer service ethos that focuses on the provision of high quality, proactive and timely service, support and advice, which is aligned to the NZTA’s needs and strategies.
• Actively manages key customer segments of road users, key stakeholders, neighbours and suppliers by:
• encouraging and promoting dialogue and collaboration with road user groups such as Automobile Association, Road Transport Federation, bus operators, cycling interest groups so that they play a part in assisting with the setting of priorities, standards and urban design
• developing and maintaining a working relationship with all suppliers so that they have forward visibility of our programme and can openly discuss issues with the NZTA and see the NZTA as a premier client
• ensuring we are open, honest and available to all our neighbours so that they can advise us of issues and that they can, through engagement, assist us in finding the best solutions to our transport problems.

Health and safety

• Takes responsibility for own health and safety
• Ensures own actions keep self and others safe
• Identifies, reports and assists to eliminate hazards in their own workplace
• Participates in local workplace safety management practices.

Self development

• Takes responsibility for personal development and continually develops their own professional expertise.

Key accountabilities - specific

Asset information

• Define and review the content and extent of asset registers regularly
• Implement information quality assurance processes
• Implement information improvement processes
• Develop, secure and implement processes for asset reporting
• Maintain asset reporting outputs to meet reporting requirements
• Undertake ad hoc reporting

Data Collection

• Ensure that asset information provided by network management consultants and contractors, and by consultants and contractors improving the network is complete, on time and accurate, appropriately quality assured and supplied properly
• Ensure that supplied data is available to users
• Ensure quality assurance processes are in place
• Provide input into network management consultants and contractors and to network improvement consultants and contractors to ensure data capture and delivery
• Project manage the collection and supply of nationally managed asset information contracts including high speed data, skid, and falling weight deflectometer surveys.

Asset System Operation

• Maintain the schedule of asset information collection, reporting and related events (the Asset Information Annual Planner) and ensure it is widely used and understood
• Manage the RAMM forward works programme (NOMAD) functions and development programme
• Ensure NOMAD is an effective tool for assembling the 10 year forward works programme and is up to date and nationally consistent
• Support other key asset information functions as required
• Manage the State Highway Database Operations manual (SHDOM) as the key document describing the operational procedures and activities to ensure the consistency of good management of the State highway asset information system

User Support

• Identify and respond to issues users are having with asset information systems or information
• Provide engineering direction and support to the Asset Database Administrator
• Facilitate identifying and develop improvement opportunities
• Co-ordinate improvement programmes
• Secure, manage and develop external resources to deliver scheduled outputs and to progress improvement activities related to data supply, system operation or improvement
• Monitor the development, use and benefits from asset information systems and give feedback on best practice
• Provide quality support services to the NZTA staff and others using its asset information systems regarding functions, procedures, data quality and interpretation
• Provide advice to users on system functions and procedures
• Facilitate forums and training sessions for users to share and learn best practice
• Manage user certification

Financial Dimension

Not applicable

Committee / Steering Group / Team memberships

Business/Technical/Operational Teams – responsible for contributing to specialised teams and groups ensuring business procedures are reviewed, updated and improved as required to meet business need.

Key relationships

Internal

• National Manager Professional Services
• National Assets Manager
• National Pavements Manager
• Senior Asset (Information) Engineer
• Team members
• NZTA managers and staff

External

• Other Government Departments / agencies
• Consultants and contractors
• Vendors and Suppliers
• Members of the community
• Territorial Authorities

Person specification

Education and training

A relevant tertiary engineering qualification and registration as an engineering technician are highly desirable.

A current and valid New Zealand Driver’s Licence (or equivalent) is required for this position.

Knowledge and experience

• Experience in managing road asset information, using RAMM, quality assurance procedures, data collection and reporting.
• Familiarity with industry bets practice
• Commitment to the development of suitable standards, procesures and quality controls relating to asset information systems
• Experience in managing external resources under contract
• An advanced level of computing skills, and the use of Databases, Microsoft word and Excel.

Personal attributes

• A strong client and business focus and commitment to quality service and customer satisfaction.
• Well developed interpersonal and communication skills, both orally (including presentation skills) and in writing.
• Demonstrates strong influencing, negotiation and relationship building skills that enable issues to be identified and resolved early
• Actively demonstrates, promotes and models desired organisational behaviours and values
• Disciplined and organized with an attention to detail
• Promotes a climate of innovation, change and adaptation within own area
• Actively looks for opportunities to improve services and support organisational change
• Takes accountability for the position responsibilities and own actions.

Competencies – technical competence standards

The twelve elements of the competence standard for Professional Engineers/Engineering Technologists/Engineering Technicians are set out below:

Element One - Knowledge

Comprehend and apply knowledge of the accepted principles underpinning widely applied good practice in professional engineering (Washington Accord degree level)

Element Two – Local Knowledge

Comprehend and apply knowledge of the accepted principles underpinning good practice for professional engineering that is specific to the jurisdiction in which he/she practices (NZ)

Element Three – Analyse Problems

Define, investigate and analyse complex engineering problems in accordance with good practice for professional engineering

Element Four – Design or Develop Solutions

Design or develop solutions to complex engineering problems in accordance with good practice for professional engineering

Element Five – Decision Making

Be responsible for making decisions on part or all of one or more complex engineering activities

Element Six – Management

Manage part or all of one or more complex engineering activities in accordance with good engineering management practice

Element Seven – Risk Management

Identify, assess and manage engineering risk (in the context of complex engineering problems)

Element Eight – Ethical Conduct

Conduct engineering activities to an ethical standard at least equivalent to the relevant code of ethical conduct

Element Nine – Recognise Foreseeable Effects

Recognise the reasonably foreseeable social, cultural and environmental effects of professional engineering activities generally

Element Ten – Communication

Communicate clearly with other engineers and others that he or she is likely to deal with in the course of his or her professional engineering activities

Element Eleven – Maintain Currency

Maintain the currency of his or her engineering knowledge and skills

Element Twelve – Judgement

Exercise sound professional engineering judgement

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