Project Manager Highway Agreements

West Sussex County Council; Chichester; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government authority in Chichester is seeking an experienced Highway Engineer to manage highway agreements and oversee the delivery of diverse schemes. The ideal candidate possesses a degree in Civil Engineering, extensive highway experience, and excellent communication skills. This full-time permanent role offers a competitive salary, benefits, and a supportive workplace environment.

Benefits

30 days annual leave

Local government pension scheme

Discounts on various services and products

Qualifications

• Proven track record applying highway design standards.
• Strong experience in highway discipline.
• Ability to influence others' actions.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and ensure designs meet safety standards.
• Work with developers and stakeholders for project success.
• Conduct research and develop plans for development proposals.

Skills

Highway design standards knowledge

Excellent communication

Attention to detail

Analytical skills

Education

Degree in Civil Engineering or related field

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

GIS software proficiency

Job description

Would you like to join a passionate team dedicated to delivering truly high-quality services that support the development and growth of West Sussex?

The Highway Agreements Team plays a vital role in managing the delivery of Section 278 and Section 38 agreements, fostering infrastructure that benefits our community.

We are seeking an experienced Highway Engineer who is eager to review innovative designs and oversee the successful delivery of a diverse range of highway schemes.

Your expertise will help shape the future of our roads and ensure they meet the highest standards.

It is essential that you have a proven track record of applying highway design standards such as the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges (DMRB) and Manual for Streets (MfS). Your knowledge and dedication will drive the creation of exceptional designs and ensure the smooth, effective implementation of developer highway schemes.

We value someone confident in engaging with highway professionals and developers, who can communicate effectively and challenge proactively to achieve outstanding results.

If you have excellent attention to detail, strong communication abilities and a methodical approach to working through problems - we want to hear from you!

Salary: £46,731 to £49,764 per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full-time (37 hours per week)

Location: County Hall, West Street, Chichester, PO19 1RQ

Interview Date: Monday 11 August 2025

About the Job

As a Project Manager, you'll take the lead on delivering Highway Agreements, offering expert guidance on highway design and scheme implementation related to development proposals throughout West Sussex.

What you will do: There will be some key responsibilities likely to feature in this role, including:

• Undertake the evaluation of externally designed Section 278 and S38 designs to ensure that Highway Assets meet local and national safety standards.
• Work with developers, consultants and stakeholders to achieve technical approvals and secure legal agreements.
• Manage consultation, communication with stakeholders including members of the public and elected members to facilitate successful project delivery.
• Manage the provision of specialist advice at the county-wide level, including reviewing highway scheme designs during feasibility and detailed design stages, and leveraging experience and expertise to ensure that appropriate standards are maintained by designers.
• Promote a specialised function within Planned Delivery and across the organisation, ensuring the implementation of statutory responsibilities and duties, and integrating specialist considerations in alignment with broader County objectives, while maintaining a high standard of customer focus.
• Conduct research, analyse information, interpret findings, and develop plans to assess the acceptability of development proposals and determine appropriate mitigation measures.
• Work within time constraints, maintain professional standards, and balance community needs as outlined in the County Council's Sustainable Communities strategy.

Required qualifications and skills

• Degree or qualification in Civil Engineering or a related field relevant to the role.
• Extensive experience in highway discipline.
• Experience in supporting staff and contributing to the development of a cohesive team to achieve objectives.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence others' actions and convey complex and sensitive information effectively.
• Sound and accurate IT skills, including proficiency in Word and Excel (or equivalent software), to facilitate research, analyse documents, prepare reports, and present data. Familiarity with software such as GIS for reviewing and interpreting technical drawings and plans.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

Rewards and Benefits

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.

A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 30 days annual leave, plus the opportunity to buy additional leave and an excellent local government pension scheme

A range of discounts give our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform.

For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is EIE01439.

Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Click apply below, upload your CV and cover letter.

Your cover letter should:

• Outline your motivations for applying.
• Explain the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the attached job description).

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.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, satisfactory references, and a health check.

Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success.

We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.

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