Highway Claims Officer in Hereford

This is an exciting time to join the Highways and Public Realm team at Herefordshire Council. We are transforming how highways and public realm services are delivered across Herefordshire, bringing them back under direct Council control for the first time in years. From June this year (2026), we will be working in a new way that gives us greater flexibility, more local accountability, and a sharper focus on quality and value for money. By joining us now, you will be part of a team shaping the future of essential services that residents rely on every day from maintaining roads and green spaces to keeping our streets clean and safe. If you are looking for a role where you can take pride in what you do and be part of positive change, we would love to hear from you.

In this role you will be involved in overseeing and ensuring the efficient management and delivery of the claims process related to the Highway network. You will help co-ordinate the Council's Statutory Defence Process in accordance with Section 58 of the Highways Act 1980. Additionally, you will provide essential technical support to the Group Manager by administering statutory, professional, and local protocols in response to claims, service requests, complaints, and other demands, while serving as a key liaison between the public and the Highways Team.

As a Highway Claims Officer you will have:

• Substantial experience and a working technical knowledge of Highways Act 1980 and associated legislation and a number of service areas associated with Highway services, e.g. Highways maintenance, flooding, winter service etc.
• Substantial experience in dealing with customer complaints and requests for service.
• Experience in data gathering and analysis.

We offer a competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:

• Salary range of £32,061 to £36,363 per annum.
• Enrolment in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Career progression: clear pathways to progress.
• Annual Leave: 31 days' annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period.
• Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling.
• Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements).
• Pick your perks – our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.

Herefordshire is big hearted, welcoming and friendly. We have strong and independent communities and idyllic countryside, situated in the South West Midlands and bordering Wales. The county sits between Worcestershire and the Malvern Hills to the east, and Bannau Brycheiniog (the Brecon Beacons) in Wales to the west. Historically Herefordshire has been the gateway to the Marches. We embrace partnership working. We are a member of the Marches Forward Partnership, which is a cross border collaboration between Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, Powys and Shropshire who are collectively working to secure funding to invest in the region.

The council priorities over the next four years are set out in the Council Plan, with four main areas:

• People: We will enable residents to realise their potential, to be healthy and to be part of great communities who support each other. We want all children to have the best start in life.
• Place: We will protect and enhance our environment and ensure that Herefordshire is a great place to live. We will support the right housing in the right place, we will support access to green spaces and we will do everything we can to recover the health of our rivers.
• Growth: We will create the conditions to deliver sustainable growth across the county; attracting inward investment, building business confidence, creating jobs, enabling housing development along with providing the right infrastructure.
• Transformation: We will be an efficient council that embraces best practice, delivers innovation through technology and demonstrates value for money.

Herefordshire Council is committed to strengthening a diverse and inclusive work environment which reflects the communities of Herefordshire. If you are looking at the next stage of your career and have a broad base of fieldwork experience, we can provide supportive and welcoming opportunities to help you develop your professional, management & supervisory skills.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: enquiries@hoopleresourcing.co.uk.

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council.

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role. For more information or to arrange an informal discussion about the role, please contact: Ed Bradford, Major Contracts Programme Director, ed.bradford@herefordshire.gov.uk.