Highways Contract Engineer in Kettering

Join our journey, make a difference! Our Highways and Transport team are responsible for the provision of statutory highway services that all residents of North Northamptonshire use. The team helps provide a safe road network that operates efficiently and effectively.

The Highways Contract team manage the highway maintenance contract covering all aspects of highway maintenance and improvement works. The work is delivered by Kier who are the service provider for the Council and covers roads, footways, structures, drainage, routine and cyclical maintenance, traffic signals, signs and road markings, major schemes and local improvement schemes funded through the Integrated Transport budget. The team also oversees the delivery of highway professional services delivered by Kier including safety inspections, asset management, traffic and road safety design and public rights of way works.

The post holder will have direct responsibility for a small team managing the delivery of this work including procuring the work, quality checks, approval of payment, dealing with complaints and enquiries, insurance claims and attending formal contract meetings.

As Highways Contract Engineer, you will:

• Support the Service Manager role (as defined in the NEC4 Term Service Contract form) who manages all aspects of Highways Service delivery included in the Highways Services contract.
• Provide support to the Service Manager managing the highways maintenance budget.
• Directly manage the team responsible for Contract Inspection.
• Support the Service Manager in respect of managing all aspects of Highways Service delivery included in the Highways Services Contract, including ensuring that:

• Client-side activities meet both the spirit and requirements of the Contract and its associated Scope and Specification.
• Key instructions, task orders and documents are passed to the Contractor to allow them to fulfil their responsibilities effectively.
• Contractor activities and behaviours reflect those articulated in the Highways Contract and its associated Scope and Specification.
• Contractor commitments (in their Contract bid submission) are captured and agreed in the Annual and Forward Plans, are inspected and monitored (to ensure adherence), and reported in a manner that aligns with the Contract performance regime.

You will be an experienced highways engineer with specific knowledge of highway maintenance techniques and solutions. We are looking for significant experience in managing a complex NEC4 contract with a particular emphasis on ensuring the Council obtains value for money and obtains the best outcomes by working with the service provider to develop maintenance strategies that enhance the safety and condition of the highway network for all user groups. Budget control and general financial management skills are also required. A customer focused outlook is essential in meeting the needs and demands of the residents of North Northamptonshire as well as experience of dealing with Councillors and external organisations at a high level.

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we’re transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people. You’ll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think! We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are: Customer-focused, Respectful, Efficient, Supportive, Trustworthy.

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role. Our Employment and Disability Service provides bespoke support to individuals facing barriers to employment, helping them work towards their goals to start, stay and succeed in employment.

The council obtained the Gold status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS).