Highways Operative - WMF3216e

Westmorland & Furness Council; Kendal; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pension scheme

Enhanced annual leave

Perks and discounts

Job summary

Westmorland and Furness Council in Kendal is seeking a permanent, full-time Highways Operative to perform maintenance and construction tasks with small plant. A driving licence is essential and travel across Cumbria is required.

You will support highway operations and respond to service requests with a focus on safety and quality. The role involves traffic management, ditch clearing, drainage work, and assisting on out-of-hours emergency responses.

Qualifications

• Full UK Driving Licence is essential.
• Experience in a relevant field with the use of plant and equipment.
• Ability to travel across Cumbria and surrounding areas.

Responsibilities

• Operate and work with small plant on highways maintenance and construction.
• Perform highway repair and construction, traffic management, ditch clearing, drainage work and minor civil repairs.
• Provide support to out-of-hours emergency and adverse weather response teams.
• Assist Team Leaders with inspection and repair of the highway network and respond to service requests.

Skills

Driving licence

Attention to detail

Communication

Flexibility

Customer focus

Tools

Plant and equipment

Job description

Job reference REQ00000020552 Date posted 10/11/2026 Application closing date 29/11/2026 Location Kendal Salary £29,542 - £30,515 Package Blank Contractual hours 37 Basis Full time Attachments Blank

Job description

Location: Kendal
Contract Type: Permanent

About this opportunity

We are looking to recruit Highways Operatives to our Highways Service. The right candidates will be hard-working, experienced and committed, as the service we provide continues to grow and develop, and we are looking for people who can ensure all work activities are carried out with a focus on performance, safety and quality.

The Role

You will be responsible for a wide range of highways maintenance and construction type work operating and working with various small plant, including: highway repair & construction, traffic management on single/dual carriageways, ditch clearing, ground maintenance, minor drainage works, and small civil structure repairs. In addition to this you will be assisting on the out of hours emergency and adverse weather response teams. You will also provide support to Team Leaders in the inspection and repair of the highway network and by responding to service requests.

Who we are looking for…

The successful candidates for this role will be driven, flexible and have a high level of attention to detail, ensuring all work is completed to the expected quality. A full UK Driving Licence is essential, as well as experience in a relevant field with the use of plant and equipment associated with the role. This is a customer focused service, so personal conduct is key, as is good levels of communication.

We are also looking for people who can adapt well to the demands of the service, who can travel throughout Cumbria and surrounding areas.

What can we offer you!

Working at Westmorland and Furness Council you will receive a variety of benefits, including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other various perks and discounts schemes. For more information about life at Westmorland and Furness Council and what we can offer you, please visit our Careers site. Our benefits | Careers (westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk)

Please note:

If the Post Specification for this vacancy states that a UK driving licence is required, non-UK driving licences with entitlement to drive vehicles in the UK will also be accepted.

Application and Interview information

Closing date: 29/11/2026

Interview date: 07/12/2026

Safer Recruitment & DBS

At Westmorland and Furness Council we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and we expect all workers, employees and volunteers to share our commitment.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Westmorland and Furness Council is committed to improving the diversity of its workforce to better reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and work to promote an inclusive, supportive culture that values and celebrates our differences.

As a Disability Confident Leader, disabled applicants, who meet the essential criteria of this job, are guaranteed an interview.

We also offer guaranteed interviews to Armed Forces personnel and veterans and those in care or care experienced and under 24 years old (someone who has been looked after by a local authority at any point, for any length of time, e.g. foster care, residential care, or under the guardianship of a local authority) that meet the essential criteria for the role.