Technical Lead

National Highways; Guildford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

National Highways is seeking a Technical Lead to coordinate national programmes across civil engineering assets. You will lead with the Head of National Programmes on strategy, ensuring asset needs are defined, prioritised, and managed within governance structures.

The role requires collaboration with engineering teams and programme managers to ensure compliant, value-driven delivery. You will oversee studies, design, and delivery while managing budgets and asset information, aiming for

Qualifications

• Incorporated Engineer or near Chartered Engineer with civil engineering degree or equivalent.
• Proven scheme development experience with knowledge of relevant technical standards, asset policies, specifications and strategies.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication abilities with evidence of influencing outcomes.
• Solid budgeting and project management experience.
• Knowledge of CDM and Health & Safety regulations in highway design/construction.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the leadership and management of the National Programmes, supporting the Head of National Programmes on setting the overall strategy and direction of the team and portfolios they are responsible for.
• Ensure that all asset needs are correctly identified, scope defined, prioritised and managed in accordance with required governance to achieve business objectives/outputs.
• Collaborate with engineering colleagues, Project Managers, Planning & Development managers and Scheme Delivery managers to ensure national/regional programmes and capital investment reflect asset needs and comply with policies.
• Oversee the commissioning of studies, surveys, design and delivery, managing related budgets, and driving asset management best practices; ensure schemes are developed and handed back with up-to-date asset information and databases.
• Continuously identify opportunities for efficiencies, working with stakeholders to share and implement ideas.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Commercial acumen

Budget management

Project management

CDM knowledge

Health & Safety knowledge

Education

Civil Engineering degree or equivalent (HND or similar)

Job description

About the job.

The National Programmes Team is excited to offer a fantastic opportunity for a Technical Lead to join a growing team to help co-ordinate, monitor, support and report on numerous varied and nationally important programmes - focussing on performance and technical progress.

The National Programmes Team sits within the Planning and Performance Division, part of the Operations Directorate. The programmes themselves are varied in nature and are typically being delivered by the 6 geographic regions.

Currently, the team is involved with the LED Upgrade Programme, Small Schemes, and Water Quality National Programmes. It also covers various Designated Funds Programmes and Large Renewals (i.e. renewals schemes with a value £50m), and its responsibility is expected to increase as the team develops.

This role is based from any of our National Highways offices and will be focussed across various civil engineering related National Programmes.

• Contribute to the leadership and management of the National Programmes, supporting the Head of National Programmes on setting the overall strategy and direction of the team and portfolios they are responsible for.
• To ensure that all asset needs are correctly identified, scope defined, prioritised and managed in accordance with required governance and to achieve the relevant business objectives/benefits/outputs.
• To collaborate with engineering colleagues, Project Managers, Planning & Development managers and Scheme Delivery managers to ensure that national/regional programmes and capital investment reflect the asset needs and considerations, are developed in a way that is compliant with the relevant technical policies and standards, and consider new techniques, materials, buildability, and costs.
• Oversee the commissioning of studies, surveys, design and delivery, managing related budgets, and driving best practice asset management processes; including ensuring that schemes are developed and delivered correctly & handed back using accurate and up to date asset information and databases.
• To continuously identify opportunities for efficiencies, working closely with internal and external stakeholders to share & implement ideas.

About you.

• An Incorporated Engineer or near Chartered Engineer with extensive relevant experience; holding a Civil Engineering degree, HND or equivalent.
• Proven experience of developing schemes with thorough understanding of relevant technical standards, asset policies, specifications and strategies.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with proven evidence of influencing relationships to achieve positive outcomes.
• Good commercial and financial acumen, including budget & project management.
• Good knowledge and understanding of CDM and Health & Safety regulations across highway design & construction.

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.

Operations is at the heart of keeping the strategic road network moving and ensuring our customers get the best possible experience when using our roads.

We address over 39,000 customer enquiries every month, plan and deliver all maintenance activities on the network, drive efficiencies and improvements across our systems and roads, and respond to incidents across 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads that we manage. All to make sure National Highways customers have safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys.

External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.

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