Network Manager - Highways in Yate

As Network Manager, you will lead the council's network management and street works function, ensuring we meet our duties under the Traffic Management Act 2004 and keep South Gloucestershire's highways moving.

In this influential role, you will oversee the coordination of all works across the highway network, working collaboratively across the council and with regional partners, while leading a skilled team committed to high professional standards. You will champion clear communication with residents and businesses, minimising disruption and building public trust in how we manage our roads.

What you will be doing

It will be your responsibility to ensure the delivery of the council’s network management statutory duty, enabling the expeditious movement of traffic, for both vehicles and pedestrians. In coordinating all works on the highway, you will work with multiple stakeholders, including internal council teams, utilities, developers, National Highways and neighbouring authorities. You will manage service delivery, performance and budget oversight across all teams, providing expert advice and recommendations to senior managers, elected members and external partners. Building strong relationships with councillors, neighbouring authorities and communications teams, you will ensure effective stakeholder engagement and public messaging. To enable senior managers, council members and partners to make informed decisions, you will provide information and recommendations as well as represent the council at external meetings.

You will provide strategic leadership, policy direction and operational management for network services over four specialist teams:

• Street Works: Responsible for managing highway permits, ensuring legal compliance, coordinating works, improving quality and maximising income.
• Highway Development Implementation: Ensures developer‑led infrastructure meets council adoption standards and secures relevant fees and maintenance sums.
• Traffic Signals: Oversees the maintenance and performance of traffic signal assets to optimise network operation.
• Road Safety: Works to reduce road casualties through education, training, school services, bikeability and safety initiatives.

What we need from you

It is essential that you hold a relevant professional qualification in civil engineering, alongside an NVQ Level 5 in management or equivalent. You will bring substantial experience at a senior level, with a proven track record of leading and managing the delivery of complex services within relevant areas. We are looking for someone with technical expertise and an understanding of legislation and national policy within civil engineering. You will also be able to influence and develop business opportunities and optimise income. With experience of leading, coordinating and delivering significant engineering programmes and projects, you will demonstrate that you can meet clearly defined outcomes and outputs. You will have experience of writing technical reports for fellow professionals, with the ability to adapt format for other key decision makers, including elected members and councillors.