Principal Highway Drainage Engineer in Hereford

This is an exciting time to join the Highways and Public Realm team at Herefordshire Council. We’re 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’ll 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’ll 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. We can offer the chance to make a real difference in your community, work with a dedicated team, and help deliver improvements that matter. If you’re looking for a role where you can take pride in what you do and be part of positive change, we’d love to hear from you.

In this role you will be responsible for managing the highway drainage system across Herefordshire. You will be the person who ensures that issues that are reported to us are investigated in a timely manner and that they then get fixed by raising jobs through to our partner contractors or through liaison with water companies through our annual programmes. You will also be responsible for developing and ensuring delivery of a county wide gully and drainage asset cleansing programme. You will work closely with our Flood Risk Management team to mitigate the likelihood and impact of flooding from the highway network on property and with our Road Safety and Traffic Management team to develop plans to keep the network moving in times of extreme weather.

About You

• Knowledge / experience of investigating and resolving highway drainage system problems.
• Experience of highway drainage design and designing and implementing SuDS.
• Comprehensive knowledge of key highway legislation including the Highways Act 1980 and flood risk management legislation including the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, Flood Risk Regulations 2009, Land Drainage Act 1991, etc.
• Experience of working positively with key stakeholders and communities.
• Experience in reviewing highway drainage plans as part of the development management process, and willing to get involved in developing highway drainage schemes and progressing new projects.

We Offer

• Salary range of HC10 - £46,142 to £50,269 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.

Why Choose Us?

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.

Don’t meet all parts of the job description?

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.

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. 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.

Creating an inclusive workplace

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. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people’s views and needs.

Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for: Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme. Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant. Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care. 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.

How to apply

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. Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, Hoople Resourcing will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox - check your spam/ junk folder too. Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!