Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Engage with residents and manage highway-related enquiries across Surrey.
- Company: Join a supportive team at Surrey County Council making a real difference.
- Benefits: Enjoy 26 days holiday, hybrid working, and a generous pension scheme.
- Why this job: Be part of a proactive team and help keep our highways safe for everyone.
- Qualifications: Strong communication skills and a full UK manual driving licence required.
- Other info: Diverse backgrounds welcome; excellent career growth opportunities await.
The predicted salary is between 33552 - 33552 £ per year.
This role has a starting salary of £33,552 per annum based on a 36-hour working week. We are excited to be hiring a new Highways Customer Officer to join our fantastic team. The team has a central base in Merrow (Guildford) currently but as a Highways Customer Officer you will be required to work across the entire county and your contract will be countywide. A vehicle (manual gearbox) is provided for work only use. You will also be required to work from local offices, and it is likely you will work from home one day per week; therefore, hybrid working is applicable.
Our Offer to You
- 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service (prorated for part-time staff)
- Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
- A generous local government salary related pension
- Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
- Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
- An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
- Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
- Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
- A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents.
About the Team
You will be one of a team of 12 Highways Customer Officers along with two Senior Highways Customer Officers. The team has a vast range of prior skills, experience and positions to their current role. The team has been created since November 2021 and has a can-do proactive attitude. We deliver in the region of £1 million of works following customer enquiries and receive more than 10,000 public requests for service on the highway each year as a team. Your day will be a mixture of raising on-site highway safety defects such as potholes and damage to the highway. You will also meet with residents daily for other functions such as highway license applications. You will inspect matters reported regarding vegetation obstructions and encroachments on a daily basis with our interest being to keep the highway safe for residents and users to be able to pass safely and use the highway safely.
About the Role
We are looking for a Highways Customer Officer (HCO) who will undertake a range of highway related works, including going out in response to customer calls for service. Daily, you will have proactive conversations with Surrey residents and key stakeholders. Enquiries may involve conducting site suitability surveys for vehicle crossovers, tree and shrub concerns, or other highway issues such as defect and highway safety inspections. HCOs are responsible for managing their own workloads and ensuring customer response times are met. Work will include a mixture of office work and visits to sites and customers throughout the year. The work split is likely around 75% out on site and 25% office/home based. You will be required to work in an open office environment on a weekly basis to ensure close relationships and working bonds are maintained with other service teams.
Shortlisting Criteria
This job is suited to a huge variety of past careers, as examples we have HCOs who were previous armed forces personnel, emergency service workers, lecturers, hospitality managers, telecoms engineers, engineers, customer service officers, civil enforcement officers etc. In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:
- A good standard of spoken communication and personal presentation, and be able to have robust and sometimes difficult conversations face to face with customers
- A good working knowledge and ability to use IT equipment and Microsoft Office suite such as Word, Excel, Outlook
- A working knowledge and interest or experience in Highway Works
- Experience of providing excellent customer service, both remotely and in a face-to-face environment
- Ability to manage workloads and deal with conflicting priorities
- A full UK manual driving license and a willingness to travel around the county, when necessary; a vehicle will be provided for these journeys and left at your place of work overnight.
To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following four questions:
- What is your specific highway working experience?
- What makes you want to be a public facing Officer, why do you feel this role is for you?
- How do you manage your priorities and competing demands at work or home?
- Please provide a bullet point list of who you feel key stakeholders will be for this role.
Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey. The job advert closes at 23:59 on 22.04.2026 with interviews to follow. We look forward to receiving your application.
Contact us
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities. We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum criteria, we guarantee you an interview. Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we are committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need; we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.
Highways Customer Officer in Guildford employer: Surrey County Council
Contact Detail:
Surrey County Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Highways Customer Officer in Guildford
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the team! Before your interview, do a bit of research on the Highways Customer Officer team. Understanding their roles and how they interact can give you a leg up in conversations and show that you're genuinely interested in being part of the crew.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice makes perfect! Role-play potential interview questions with a friend or family member. This will help you articulate your experiences and skills clearly, especially when discussing your customer service background and how it relates to the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your local knowledge! Since this role involves working across Surrey, brush up on local issues related to highways. Mentioning specific concerns or projects during your interview can demonstrate your commitment to the community and the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! We encourage you to submit your application directly on our site. It’s the best way to ensure your CV gets seen by the right people and shows that you’re keen to join us at Surrey County Council.
We think you need these skills to ace Highways Customer Officer in Guildford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the Highways Customer Officer role. Highlight any relevant experience you have in customer service and highway works, and don’t forget to showcase your communication skills!
Answer the Questions Thoughtfully: When answering the four questions, be specific and provide examples from your past experiences. This is your chance to show us why you're the perfect fit for the role, so make it count!
Show Your Enthusiasm: Let your passion for public service shine through in your application. We want to see that you’re excited about making a difference in the community and working with residents.
Proofread Before Submitting: Before hitting that submit button, give your application a good proofread. Typos and errors can distract from your qualifications, so let’s make sure everything looks polished and professional!
How to prepare for a job interview at Surrey County Council
✨Know Your Highways Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of highway works and safety regulations. Familiarise yourself with common issues like potholes and vegetation obstructions, as you'll need to discuss these in detail during the interview.
✨Show Off Your People Skills
As a Highways Customer Officer, you'll be dealing with residents daily. Prepare examples of how you've handled difficult conversations or provided excellent customer service in the past. This will demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively and manage relationships.
✨Be Ready for Scenario Questions
Expect questions about how you'd handle competing priorities or manage your workload. Think of specific situations from your previous roles where you successfully juggled multiple tasks and kept everything on track.
✨Research the Team and Role
Take some time to understand the team dynamics and the role's responsibilities. Knowing about the team's proactive attitude and the types of enquiries they handle will help you align your answers with their expectations and show that you're genuinely interested.