Highway Inspector

Luton Borough Council; Luton; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Luton seeks a Highway Inspector to ensure the safety of the borough’s highways. The role involves inspections, assessing roads, supervising works, and responding to public inquiries. Candidates should have experience in highway maintenance and relevant qualifications. Flexibility in work hours and a commitment to community service are essential.

Benefits

Generous annual leave

Pension scheme

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in highway maintenance.
• Experience in site supervision within a maintenance environment.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation including the Highways Act.

Responsibilities

• Undertake scheduled inspections across carriageways and footpaths.
• Attend site visits and represent the council as a witness.
• Monitor building works and carry out enforcement actions.

Skills

Strong communication

Analytical skills

Organised and dependable

Proficient with word processing and spreadsheet software

Education

BTEC in Civil Engineering

Job description

Overview

Salary: £33,143 – £36,363 a year plus £963 essential car user allowance

Hours per week: 37

Contract type: Permanent

As a Highway Inspector at Luton Council, you will play a vital role in maintaining the safety and condition of the borough’s highways. You’ll undertake a scheduled programme of inspections across carriageways, footpaths, kerbs, and street furniture, identifying defects and ensuring timely and effective maintenance in line with our safety standards and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Assess newly adopted roads, respond to public service requests, investigate complaints and accidents related to the highway network, and prepare accurate inspection records.
• Attend site visits with claimants and represent the council in court as a witness when necessary.
• Monitor nearby building works to prevent highway damage; carry out enforcement against obstructions or unauthorised uses of the highway; identify areas requiring weed treatment for submission to the Cleansing Manager.
• Supervise on-site works, ensure they meet contract specifications, monitor contractor performance, and confirm invoicing reflects completed work.
• In periods of adverse weather, inspect high-risk areas and arrange for appropriate remedial action.
• Attend emergency situations outside of normal working hours when required.

About You

You’ll bring a solid background in highway maintenance, with demonstrable experience of construction materials and standards relevant to this field. Ideally, you’ll have some experience in site supervision, particularly within a maintenance environment.

• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills; ability to consult, negotiate, and work effectively with a range of stakeholders both inside and outside the Council.
• Strong analytical skills; able to collate and interpret information, carry out straightforward calculations, and draft clear, factual reports and correspondence.
• Organised and dependable; able to manage your workload to meet tight deadlines and service demands, working independently and as part of a team.
• Proficient with word processing and spreadsheet software; understands the importance of equality, diversity, and the impact of discrimination on service delivery.
• Sound knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Highways Act, New Roads and Street Works Act, and Health & Safety regulations relating to highway maintenance.
• BTEC in Civil Engineering (or equivalent qualification, training, or experience) is essential.
• Ability to visit and navigate sites across the Borough daily, including accident locations, and to attend meetings or emergencies outside of normal working hours when required.
• This is a public facing role, so fluency in speaking and writing English is required.

About Us

Our ambitious Luton 2040 Vision – that no-one in Luton will have to live in poverty – is at the heart of everything we do. We recognise that our people are remarkable, talented, committed and passionate about serving our residents.

The people of Luton depend heavily on this council – and that means our workforce! Are you ready to realise the remarkable and help us deliver our vision?

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to developing a workforce that reflects the diversity of our borough.

Application Process

On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a very high number of applications being received.

Benefits

• From 25 to 32 days’ annual leave: linked to length of service and grade
• Buying annual leave scheme: buy up to 20 days additional annual leave
• Career Pathways: step up in your career or move into a specialist area
• Pension scheme: with generous employer contributions of up to 20.2 per cent (at July 2023) and 3x salary death in service grant
• Generous relocation package: up to £8,000 (subject to eligibility)
• Employee Assistance Programme: a free, 24/7 confidential counselling and wellbeing support service available to all employees, their partner or spouse and dependent children over 16 still living at home
• Work/life balance: flexible working options including working from home where possible. We welcome requests for flexible working arrangements including part-time hours and alternative working patterns
• Training and support: unlimited access to development courses, mentoring and support and clear career pathways
• Staff offers: includes discounts on your MOT, gym and fitness, restaurants and salons
• Arriva Travel Club: great value savings on local bus travel

How To Apply

We understand that job applications take time and effort, but a high-quality application shows that you are professional with a good attention to detail. The recruiting manager may receive a number of applications for each job advertised so you want yours to stand out!

Our ‘How to apply' page has more tips to help with your application: How to apply