Senior Engineer - Section 38 & 278 Works-Ref: EE08726

WMJobs; Walsall; On-site; GBP 43,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Walsall Council is seeking a Senior Engineer to lead on Section 38 and Section 278 highway agreements in the Highways Development Control team. The role focuses on delivering developer-funded highways and ensuring designs meet council standards.

You will work with developers, consultants and internal teams to deliver highway infrastructure, provide technical advice on design and transport matters, and help shape regeneration across Walsall.

Qualifications

• Experience in highway design, development management or developer-funded highway schemes.

Responsibilities

• Lead on Section 38 and Section 278 highway agreements.
• Provide technical advice on highway design, construction and active travel.
• Review planning applications and transport statements for highway implications.
• Collaborate with developers, consultants, and internal teams to deliver highway infrastructure to council standards.
• Support adoption and governance of highway assets and relevant records.

Job description

Walsall Council, Senior Engineer - Ref: EE08726

Grade G9: Salary: £42,839 to £46,142 per annum

At Walsall Council, we believe that people are at the heart of everything we do. Enabling safe, sustainable and reliable journeys to work, education, healthcare, family and friends is essential to reducing inequality and maximising opportunities. Investment in regeneration across Walsall and the Black Country presents exciting opportunities to enhance and future‑prove our transport network.

We’re looking for an experienced highway engineer to join our Highways Development Control team in a specialist role leading on Section 38 and Section 278 highway agreements associated with new development.

Please note: whilst the attached Job Description is a generic Senior Engineer profile used across the Highways Development Control service, this vacancy is specifically focused on Section 38 and Section 278 agreements and the delivery of developer‑funded highway works.

Working closely with developers, consultants, contractors and internal teams, you’ll play a key role in ensuring highway infrastructure associated with new developments is designed, approved and delivered to the Council's standards.

• Providing day-to-day advice on highway and development constraints and opportunities across the Borough.
• Preparing, negotiating and administering Section 38, Section 278 and related highway agreements in liaison with Legal Services, including supporting Section 106 highway matters where required.
• Providing cost estimates for highway works associated with development proposals and legal agreements.
• Negotiating with developers and their consultants to maximise financial contributions towards highway and transport infrastructure required to mitigate the impacts of development.
• Reviewing and assessing planning application consultations ranging from small-scale developments to major regeneration schemes, including the assessment of Transport Assessments, Transport Statements, Travel Plans and highway layouts.
• Appraising technical information submitted to the Highway Authority, including junction capacity assessments, transport modelling, road safety audits, network impact assessments and equality considerations, before making recommendations.
• Reviewing highway designs, geometric layouts, drainage proposals and construction details associated with developer-funded highway schemes.
• Providing professional advice to developers, consultants and colleagues on highway design, construction, active travel and sustainable transport matters.
• Attending pre-application meetings, planning meetings and Development Team meetings to provide specialist highway advice.
• Working closely with Planning, Legal Services, Highway Operations and Asset Management colleagues to ensure the successful delivery of development proposals.
• Supporting the supervision, delivery and eventual adoption of new highways and developer-funded highway infrastructure.
• Helping ensure the Council fulfils its statutory responsibilities relating to highway adoption, highway records and Public Rights of Way.

We’re looking for someone with experience of highway design, development management, highway construction or developer‑funded highway schemes who enjoys working collaboratively to solve technical problems.

Whether your background is in local government, consultancy or highway construction, if you have experience with highway agreements, highway design or the delivery of highway schemes we’d like to hear from you.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the delivery of major regeneration and housing developments across Walsall whilst playing a leading role in the future management and adoption of the borough's highway network.

This is a varied role with customer services and partnership working at its heart. If you’re ready for your next challenge, we’re ready to hear from you!

Advert Closing Date: 7th October 2026

This post is covered by the Government’s Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.