Assistant Highway Manager

The Local Highway Operations Service provides the operational management of Highways, Countryside and Public Rights of Way for WSCC. Within this service, the Area Highway Teams manage county-wide safety inspections and safety response services to ensure the network is safe and serviceable for highway users. They manage customer and stakeholder requests and enquiries in relation to highway matters; provide technical and legal guidance on engineering and traffic matters. The service leads on proactive communications and supports communities who wish to pursue community-led or volunteering activities to improve their local highway spaces.

For more information, please visit our dedicated West Sussex County Council website!

As an employer we recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance, and are rewarded for the work they do.

In addition to working within a great team and a brilliant opportunity you will receive:

• A competitive salary.
• 29 days annual leave + bank holidays.
• A generous pension scheme, employer contribution 5.8% (2.8% above average).
• Training and development opportunities, including coaching and mentoring.
• A range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers with the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform (Including Samsung, Argos, Wickes, TUI, Deliveroo and Asos).
• Discounted membership at selected local sports and fitness centres.
• A range of commuting and business travel discount and initiatives.

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee, go to our Rewards and Benefits page.

Salary: £37,568 to £40,578

Working Pattern: Full Time, 37 Hours.

Contract Length:Permanent.

Location: Based at Worthing, working across the county. Flexible working available.

Interview Date:Week commencing 28/04/2022.

As an Assistant Highway Manager you will work in an area team which covers one third of the county. The team are responsible for the provision of a professional, high-quality service to our customers. You will assist the Area Highway Manager, and on a daily basis you will be responding to a variety of highway issues affecting the area for example community requests, complex customer enquiries and traffic issues.

As part of your role, you will help set and demonstrate high operational standards, applying excellent technical knowledge to resolve problems and support the team’s individual and collective effectiveness against the Service’s performance management objectives. You will also support the delivery of contractual maintenance activities, monitoring, auditing, and projects.

You will develop good stakeholder relationships internally and externally to ensure effective working and communications on highway issues. The role will work with communities who wish to pursue community-led or volunteering activities to improve their local highway spaces. There will also be significant interaction with members of the public, for example, dealing with escalated complaints and attending Parish meetings.

Key Skills:

• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to anticipate problems and resolve issues independently, planning solutions and make sound pragmatic decisions.
• Highly developed customer service skills and the ability to seek and introduce continuous improvement and innovation, for self and team.
• Excellent literacy and numeracy skills to prepare reports, scheme briefs, programmes of work, undertake research and maintain budgets/accounts.
• Analytical and judgemental skills to analyse and interpret varied and complex technical briefs/projects and information to produce strategies over the long term.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to provide complex and technical specialist advice and guidance to a range of audiences, including non-specialists.
• Create and maintain effective working relationships and influence the behaviour and conduct of colleagues to ensure the highest level of service.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• BTEC HNC level or degree, Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer or post graduate qualification within the specialist area or equivalent qualification or experience demonstrating that level of advanced applied knowledge in researching, analysing and evaluating arguments and information.
• Relevant membership of a professional body e.g. Chartered or Incorporated Engineer.
• Demonstrable evidence of applying in depth specialist knowledge and providing advice in relation to specific specialist area.
• Demonstrable evidence of managing an effective, efficient professional quality service to a range of customers and clients.
• Experience of mentoring and providing on-the-job training to other team members to meet objectives and deliver a professional service.
• Experience of managing and monitoring budgets or projects for a specific service within a specialist, technical service
• Detailed, thorough and considerable in-depth knowledge of relevant highways and transportation standards and procedures, including a broad understanding of civil engineering design and construction procedures, techniques, and statutory procedures.
• Extensive and expert working knowledge of all relevant areas of work and detailed understanding of the overall working of the relevant service unit.
• Relevant advanced theoretical or organisational knowledge of systems, procedures and policies associated with operating a demanding and customer focussed service.
• Political awareness when working with members/senior management.
• Sound and accurate IT knowledge e.g. use of Engineering databases/software, Microsoft Office, in order to carry out service-related processes.

The reference number for this role is EIE00924.

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Adam Bazley, Area Highway Manager at adam.bazley@westsussex.gov.uk. For issues or queries regarding your application please contact hrrecruitment@westsussex.gov.uk.

To apply, upload your CV and attach a cover letter explaining the skills and experience you can bring to the role ensuring that any gaps in employment are covered in your CV. Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again.

You will be required to carry out site visits and this will mean you must be able to travel around the County independently. There will be a requirement to wear personal protective equipment whilst carrying out site visits, which may also involve carrying equipment.

West Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer committed to promoting an environment that is inclusive and free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of its people. We actively welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and take every possible step to ensure that no individual will be disadvantaged.

For information regarding your eligibility to apply for this role under our Disability or Veteran’s Guaranteed Interview Scheme, this can be found on our application help page.

Note for Recruitment Agencies: We prefer to hire people directly, but we do have a supplier list for when we need a helping hand. We’ll be in touch directly if we need you!