Highways Improvements Manager – Strategic Road Network in Wales

The Welsh Government operates name-free recruitment. The recruiting panel will not see personal information such as a candidate’s name and address during the sifting process. This policy is in line with our commitment to end bias and promote equality and diversity.

Advertising basis: Permanent

A starting salary between £47,675 and £52,557 will be offered to the successful candidate based on their skills, knowledge, experience and performance at interview. This range is not negotiable. The pay scale of this role has a salary band between £47,675 and £56,445 in 4 annual increments.

Salary range or pay band SEO £47,675 to £56,445

Work pattern: Full time (applications are welcome from people who work part time, as part of a job share or who work full time)

Group: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy Group

Directorate: Transport & Connectivity

Branch: Highways

Location(s): Pan Wales

‘Pan Wales’ means the post holder can be based in any Welsh Government office, subject to business needs. Roles based outside Wales, including London, are not available unless explicitly stated in the advert.

The post holder’s travel from their home to their assigned Welsh Government office is considered their ‘ordinary commute’ and must be done in their own time and at their own cost.

Purpose of post: The Strategic Road Network (SRN) is one of Wales’ most vital infrastructure assets, with an estimated asset value of approximately £21 billion. Although it makes up just 5% of the total road length, it carries around one-third of all road traffic, playing a key role in connecting communities, supporting the economy and providing access to essential services.

This post is part of a wider recruitment campaign to strengthen the Welsh Government’s Strategic Road Network Division. Over the coming months, we will be building a diverse and skilled team to enhance our capability as a highway authority, ensuring we continue to deliver safe, efficient and sustainable transport infrastructure across Wales. This is an exciting opportunity to join a delivery-focused and inclusive team and help shape the future of the SRN. Your work will make a real difference to people’s lives, network resilience and the Welsh economy.

What You’ll Be Doing: As part of the Network Management function, you’ll help plan, maintain and improve the Strategic Road Network (SRN) on behalf of Welsh Ministers. You’ll lead the development of targeted improvement programmes that respond to identified network needs and deliver better outcomes for road users, communities and the wider transport network. This includes interventions designed to:

• Improve network resilience and reliability
• Reduce congestion and address known pinch points
• Improve air quality and environmental performance
• Address safety, accessibility and operational challenges
• Make best use of the existing network through proportionate, evidence-led investment

Your work will support Welsh Government priorities, such as policies and Programme for Government (PfG) commitments.

Key Focus: In this role, you’ll lead the identification, development, appraisal and prioritisation of targeted improvements across the SRN. You’ll use evidence to understand network problems, develop proportionate interventions and ensure investment is directed towards interventions that provide the greatest overall public benefit. You’ll work closely with trunk road agents, Transport for Wales, consultants, local authorities and other delivery partners to develop coordinated solutions and ensure improvement proposals are integrated with wider asset, safety and operational priorities. You’ll also manage important strategic interfaces, including highway boundaries, land ownership and relationships with local authorities and private landowners, helping protect the effective operation and long-term integrity of the SRN.

Why Join Us? We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. You will be joining a team that values collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement, and where your work will play a central role in protecting the resilience, safety and environmental performance of Wales’ Strategic Road Network.

You’ll also benefit from an exceptional employee package. As a Welsh Government employee, you’ll be automatically enrolled into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, which offers one of the most generous employer contribution rates in the UK (28.97% employer contribution), providing long-term financial security that is difficult to match elsewhere. You’ll work a 37 hour week, enjoying 31 days of annual leave plus bank and privilege holidays, alongside flexible working arrangements and a hybrid working approach designed to support wellbeing, work-life balance and productivity. We also offer a range of additional benefits, including cycle and green car schemes, discounted rail season tickets, and access to wellbeing and employee support programmes.

Key tasks:

• Lead the development of SRN improvements by identifying network needs and progressing targeted improvements and pinch-point interventions through the appropriate stages of development and appraisal, applying Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance (WelTAG) where required.
• Appraise and prioritise investment using robust evidence, risk, benefits, deliverability and value for money to ensure resources are directed towards interventions that provide the greatest public benefit.
• Commission and manage technical delivery and procurement by preparing and overseeing briefs, surveys, studies and specialist support delivered by trunk road agents, Transport for Wales, consultants and other suppliers, ensuring outputs are technically robust, proportionate, timely and avoid unnecessary duplication.
• Manage programme performance and governance through effective monitoring, reporting and risk management, including the preparation of information and briefings to support senior management and ministerial decision-making.
• Coordinate across the SRN and manage key interfaces by working across disciplines including road safety, pavements, drainage, structures, ITS and environmental functions, while overseeing SRN air quality activity and managing highway boundaries, land ownership and stakeholder relationships.
• Represent Welsh Government and drive continuous improvement through stakeholder engagement, technical forums and workshops, while promoting sustainable construction, digital approaches, collaborative delivery and whole-life value.

Joining the Strategic Road Network Division means being part of a team at the heart of planning and delivering nationally significant infrastructure across Wales. We offer:

• Exposure to nationally significant programmes that improve safety, resilience, connectivity and the performance of the SRN.
• Opportunities to work with Ministers, senior Welsh Government officials and strategic partners across Wales and the UK, providing valuable insight into policy, investment and delivery at a senior level.
• Professional growth and development through experience in programme management, investment appraisal, governance, procurement and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience of integrated transport and infrastructure planning, including sustainable, evidence-led approaches to improving the existing network.
• A supportive and inclusive team environment where diversity is valued and everyone is encouraged to thrive, with access to mentoring, peer learning and tailored development opportunities.

Other vacancy related information: This is a specialist highways engineering role. Applicants are required to hold a recognised engineering professional qualification (e.g. EngTech, IEng, CEng etc.) and be a current member of a relevant civil engineering or highways-related professional institution, such as ICE, CIHT, IHT or an equivalent body. Evidence of the qualification will need to be provided at onboarding stage or earlier.

A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.

This is a Pan-Wales role and can be based at any Welsh Government office. The successful candidate will be expected to undertake site visits as part of the role, averaging around one visit per month.

CVs will not be scored but will be used by the panel to gain a fuller understanding of your experience and employment history. In the event of two or more candidates having the same total score, the following merit order will be applied: Experience 1, Experience 2, Making Effective Decisions, Seeing the Big Picture.