Senior Advisor - SES

Consortium; West of England; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

National Highways seeks a compliance and standards specialist to provide expert input on DMRB and MCHW, ensuring regulatory alignment and effective procurement practice across technical standards.

You will plan and manage projects, engage stakeholders, and represent National Highways on technical committees, while developing updates and ensuring audit-ready documentation.

A professional membership (CEng/IEng/MICE/IStructE) and a track record in programme environments are essential.

Qualifications

• Understanding procurement legislation, product legislation and the design/construction requirements in DMRB and MCHW.
• Professional membership in a relevant institution (CEng, IEng, MICE, or IStructE).
• Ability to demonstrate efficiencies and value for money across a programme of projects.
• Experience working in a programme/project environment in line with APMP principles.
• Proven experience providing information and specialist advice in a technical discipline.

Responsibilities

• Act as SME on legislative and contractual content in DMRB and MCHW.
• Own parts of DMRB and MCHW and develop updates as required.
• Engage with stakeholders to keep standards up to date and manage risks.
• Represent National Highways on technical/standards committees and at events.
• Develop business cases ensuring alignment with National Highways goals and interdependencies.
• Plan and manage project activities, resources, risks, and progress reporting.
• Manage external expert/consultancy support and act on their advice.
• Document technical solutions and communicate to stakeholders with audit evidence.
• Plan and manage CPD for ongoing specialist development.
• Operate with minimal supervision; provide guidance within the team.
• Contribute to other directorates with technical input and cross-project impact.
• Take day-to-day tactical decisions with supervision from Group Manager.
• Supervision and guidance from the Group Manager.

Skills

DMRB & MCHW expertise

Procurement & product legislation

Project planning & management

Stakeholder engagement

CPD planning

Education

Professional membership: CEng / IEng / MICE / IStructE

Job description

Compliance with regulations and standards

Specialist subject matter expertise in DMRB and MCHW

Project planning and management

Professional membership required (CEng, IEng, MICE, or IStructE)

National Highways develops technical standards that are used to design and construct all roads throughout the United Kingdom and not just on roads managed by National Highways.

You'll play a key role within the Technical Standards Group, providing advice on the development of technical standards including compliance with the construction product regulations, procurement legislation and practice and other statutory requirements within the technical standards. You will also help ensure compliance with the drafting rules and related principles. You will be supported by legal and procurement specialists, but the role requires the successful applicant to interpret this support and implement it within the scope of the technical standards.

• Act as a source of specialist subject matter expertise on the legislative and contractual content in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and the Manual of Contract documents for Highway Works (MCHW).
• Be the owner of parts of the DMRB and MCHW relating their subject matter expertise and develop updates as and when required.
• Engage with stakeholders across National Highways and externally to understand their needs to keep the DMRB and MCHW up to date and support National Highways and the other Overseeing Organisations manage technical risk.
• Engage with stakeholders across National Highways and externally to understand their business needs, to promote and gain commitment to SES objectives and solutions, to identify key areas for improvement and to share best practices.
• Represent National Highways on technical and standards committees, steering groups and at conferences, seminars and workshops, to contribute to the development of external standards, to ensure that National Highways views are appropriately represented and to enhance our reputation.
• Develop business or value management cases for new projects, to ensure that such projects are consistent with National Highways strategic goals, quantifying resource requirements and identifying project interdependencies within and beyond the team.
• Plan and manage project activities and resources, identifying risks and appropriate mitigation and reporting progress, to ensure delivery of project objectives to time and cost.
• Manage external expert and consultancy support as appropriate; and evaluate and act on such advice to ensure objectives are achieved.
• Document technical solutions and communicate to all stakeholders, to support implementation and to ensure the availability of audit evidence.
• Plan and manage own CPD to ensure continuing development of specialist skills and awareness and understanding of industry best practices.
• Responsible for managing projects with a minimum of supervision.
• Contribution and impact on other projects across Directorates, influencing and providing advice, based on technical knowledge.
• Freedom to make day-to-day tactical decisions with supervision from the Group Manager. The role is able to recognise major issues and escape accordingly.
• Subject to guidance and general direction from the Group Manager

About you.

• An understanding of the interactions between procurement legislation, product legislation and the design and construction requirements in the DMRB and MCHW or similar technical requirements.
• Technical specialists: Membership of a relevant professional institution (CEng, IEng, MICE, or IStructE)
• Ability to demonstrate efficiencies and demonstrate value for money across a programme of projects
• Experience of working in a programme and project environment in line with APMP principles, working with programme management to support the delivery of specific programmes.
• Proven experience of providing information and specialist advice in a specific technical or expertise discipline.

Ability to use a combination of general and specialist knowledge and understanding to optimise the solutions to complex technical issues involving significant levels of risk.

About us.

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England's motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.

Safety, Engineering and Standards (SES) focuses on supporting outstanding operational delivery and providing expert technical advice for our road network. We also deliver essential services that lead, enable, and drive innovation in the development of the Strategic Road Network, while offering expert guidance on health and safety matters.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.

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