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- Tasks: Lead highway maintenance and street lighting services, ensuring safety and efficiency.
- Company: Surrey County Council, shaping the future of local infrastructure.
- Benefits: Generous salary, 26-31 days holiday, pension, and wellbeing support.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in your community while leading impactful projects.
- Qualifications: Experience in highway services and strong leadership skills required.
- Other info: Join a supportive team and enjoy excellent career growth opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 61784 - 61784 £ per year.
The starting salary for this position is £61,784 per annum based on 36 hours per week. We are looking for an experienced and forward‑thinking Highway Maintenance & Street Lighting Manager to lead the delivery of key highway maintenance services across Surrey. This is a critical operational leadership role, responsible for managing teams, contractors, and major service contracts including serving as the Council's senior manager for the long‑term PFI street lighting contract (approx. £20m per annum).
Our Offer to You
- 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
- 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 Us
The Place Directorate plays a central role in shaping Surrey's future facilitating safe and reliable journeys, delivering sustainable infrastructure, and ensuring the County's £7.5 billion highway network is maintained effectively. Highways, Transport & Network Management is the most publicly visible service we deliver, and this role sits at the heart of its success.
Why Join Us?
- Influence one of the most high profile services Surrey County Council delivers.
- Lead major service contracts and work closely with local Members and community partners.
- Play a key role in delivering safe, sustainable, and reliable infrastructure for residents.
- Be part of a supportive, highly skilled, and forward‑thinking Highways service.
About the Role
As a Routine Maintenance and Street Lighting Manager, you will oversee the delivery of routine highway maintenance activities such as drainage, road markings, traffic signs, street furniture, street lighting, and illuminated assets. With around £8m per annum of routine maintenance responsibilities and a team of approximately 10 staff, you will ensure services are delivered safely, consistently, and efficiently within set financial resources. You will play a key part in keeping Surrey's highways safe, well‑maintained, and fit for a thriving and sustainable future. This high‑profile role requires technical expertise, resilience, and the ability to balance operational demands with strong political and public engagement.
What you will be doing:
- Lead and manage operational teams delivering routine highway maintenance services.
- Act as the Council's Street Lighting Contract Manager, ensuring strong performance and value for money.
- Provide clear direction to contractors and oversee delivery across the highway network.
- Lead major projects, service reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Ensure compliance with all relevant legal, regulatory, and policy requirements.
- Use data and risk management to maintain effective systems, processes, and records.
- Manage, coach, and develop staff while working closely with councillors, partners, contractors, and residents.
- Manage budgets and resources effectively, identifying efficiencies and driving best practice.
Shortlisting Criteria
In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:
- Relevant experience in highway services and associated professional qualification.
- Proven operational leadership and team management experience.
- Experience managing teams to maximise performance, efficiency, and output.
- Technical knowledge of highway maintenance and street lighting systems.
- Experience managing large‑scale contracts and multi‑million‑pound budgets.
- Strong planning, project management, and service improvement skills.
- Analytical, risk‑aware, and decision‑making capabilities.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
- Resilient and able to manage multiple priorities in a high‑pressure environment.
Our Commitment
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're 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.
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 05/05/2026 with interviews planned to follow.
Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)
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.
Routine Maintenance and Street Lighting Manager in Guildford employer: Surrey County Council
Contact Detail:
Surrey County Council Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Routine Maintenance and Street Lighting Manager in Guildford
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in the industry, attend local events, and connect with professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its projects. Understand their values and how your experience aligns with their goals. This will help you stand out and show that you're genuinely interested in the role.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice common interview questions and scenarios related to highway maintenance and street lighting. Being able to articulate your experience and problem-solving skills will give you a leg up during the interview process.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.
We think you need these skills to ace Routine Maintenance and Street Lighting Manager in Guildford
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight your relevant experience in highway services and operational leadership. We want to see how your skills align with the role of Routine Maintenance and Street Lighting Manager, so don’t hold back!
Showcase Your Achievements: When detailing your past roles, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to manage large-scale contracts and budgets. Use numbers and examples to illustrate your impact – we love a good success story!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application clear and to the point. Use straightforward language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate a well-structured application that makes it easy for us to see your qualifications at a glance.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way to ensure it gets to the right people. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need about the role and our team there.
How to prepare for a job interview at Surrey County Council
✨Know Your Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your technical knowledge of highway maintenance and street lighting systems. Be ready to discuss specific projects you've managed, especially those involving large-scale contracts and budgets. This will show that you have the expertise needed for the role.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Prepare examples that highlight your operational leadership and team management experience. Think about times when you've maximised performance and efficiency within a team. This is crucial as you'll be leading a team of around 10 staff.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Since this role involves working closely with councillors, partners, and residents, be prepared to discuss how you've successfully engaged stakeholders in the past. Share specific instances where your communication skills made a difference in project outcomes.
✨Demonstrate Resilience
This position requires managing multiple priorities in a high-pressure environment. Think of examples where you've successfully navigated challenges or tight deadlines. Showing your resilience will reassure them that you're capable of handling the demands of the role.