Street Works Manager

The Guildhall Northampton; Northampton; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

West Northants Council is seeking a senior leader to head the Street Works and Highway Regulations service, guiding the highway network’s safe and compliant operation in West Northamptonshire. You will manage relationships with utilities, developers and internal teams to resolve complex issues and promote best practice.

The role involves significant revenue budgets, robust financial monitoring, and reporting to support informed decision‑making across the Highways and Transport function.

Qualifications

• Detailed technical knowledge of street and road works legislation.
• Strong problem-solving, stakeholder management and decision-making skills.
• Ability to apply legislation and codes of practice in a practical, customer-focused way.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Street Works and Highway Regulations service and ensure safe, efficient operation of the highway network.
• Build and maintain relationships with utility companies, contractors, developers and internal teams to resolve complex issues.
• Oversee financial monitoring, income/expenditure reporting and budget governance for the service.
• Ensure compliance with NRSA 1991, Traffic Management Act 2004, Highways Act 1980 and related statutory guidance.

Skills

Problem solving

Stakeholder management

Decision making

Education

Degree or HND/C in Civil Engineering

Job description

About The Role

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the Council’s Street Works and Highway Regulations service, ensuring the effective application of legislation, regulations and codes of practice that support the safe and efficient operation of West Northamptonshire’s highway network.

What will you be doing?

You will play a pivotal role in building and maintaining strong working relationships across the organisation and with utility companies, contractors, developers and other stakeholders, helping to resolve complex issues and promote best practice in highway regulation and street works management. Through effective leadership and partnership working, you will ensure that activities affecting the highway are managed safely, efficiently and in line with legislative requirements.

The role also carries responsibility for managing significant revenue budgets associated with the service. You will oversee robust financial monitoring and reporting processes, ensuring income and expenditure are effectively managed and accurately reported. Working closely with senior managers and corporate finance colleagues, you will provide regular financial performance reports, helping to support informed decision‑making and the efficient delivery of services across the Highways and Transport function.

You will be responsible for ensuring West Northamptonshire Council, as the Street Authority, is discharging its legal duties and responsibilities as set out in the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, Traffic Management Act 2004, Highways Act 1980 and all associated statutory instruments, regulations, codes of practice and statutory guidance.

In addition, the post will be responsible for ensuring that the West Northants’s Permit Scheme is applied, managed and monitored in line with regulations and statutory guidance.

About You

The successful candidate will possess detailed technical knowledge of street and road works legislation, with a strong understanding of the working practices, systems, processes and procedures that govern activities on the highway network. You will have a thorough knowledge of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and associated Codes of Practice, enabling you to provide expert advice, ensure compliance and support the effective coordination and management of works undertaken on or affecting the highway.

You will bring either a Degree or HND/C in Civil Engineering, or substantial vocational experience gained within the Street Works sector. Through progressively responsible roles, you will have developed a strong understanding of highway regulation, network management and street works operations, together with the ability to apply legislation and best practice in a practical and customer‑focused way. Strong problem‑solving, stakeholder management and decision‑making skills will be essential, as will the ability to work collaboratively with utility companies, contractors, developers and internal teams to support the safe and efficient operation of the highway network.

About Us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like‑minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. Hear from our Chief Executive, Martin Henry, about building a career at WNC.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner.

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email [e-mail] for support.

West Northants Council, where careers thrive.

• Salary £51,224 - £54,605
• Salary Frequency Annual
• Working Hours 37
• Job Reference Ref/53/9560
• Contract Type Full Time
• Contract Details Permanent
• Closing Date 29 November, 2026
• Job Category Highways and Transportation
• Location Northampton, United Kingdom

We reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.