East Sussex County Council

Head of Service - Highways
Closing Date: 24th September 2023
Interview Date: From w/c 9th October – exact dates TBC

The Role:
Are you seeking a rewarding role where you can make a real difference to the lives of East Sussex residents, businesses and visitors?  Do you have the skills to lead a large team in the delivery of a range of a high-profile programmes and projects? 

We are looking for someone with a background in highway maintenance and contract management to lead the Council’s Highways Service.  

The work of the Highways Service touches almost all aspects of county life and provides vital services for residents, businesses, and visitors across East Sussex.  The service is responsible for delivering a range of reactive and planned maintenance activities across the county’s road network as well as delivering large programmes of highway projects. 

As Head of Highways, you will be responsible for the strategic leadership and management of the service, ensuring the successful delivery of a range of high-profile projects and maintenance programmes through our highway service provider, Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP). In addition, you will act as the NEC Project Manager for the Council’s Highway Maintenance and Professional Services contract, and carry out the duties defined by the NEC4 Engineering and Construction Contract. 

As a strong and diplomatic communicator, you will manage relationships with a range of key stakeholders and partners including elected Councillors, Parish Councils and our highways service provider. And you will lead and manage the Highways Service Client Team of  thirty staff working collectively with BBLP as East Sussex Highways. 

This role sits within the Communities, Economy and Transport Department. For more information on the work of the department and Highways Service please visit the County Council and East Sussex Highways websites. 

We are looking for candidates who:

• Have significant professional experience in a highway maintenance environment, or similar
• Have worked in a political environment and  have a good understanding of local government
• Has NEC Project Management, or similar commercial contract management experience managing multi-million pound      construction-based contracts
• Can lead and manage a diverse team;  
• Are able to oversee the successful delivery of a wide range of programmes and projects;
• Can build strong working relationships with elected Members, stakeholders and partners;
• Have strong interpersonal and communications skills 

An innovative and creative individual, you will shape the future of the Highways Service, and be an active member of the senior management team of the Communities, Economy and Transport Department. You will lead the development of strategies and plans to provide sustainable delivery and improvement across our services, with compelling, forward thinking ideas, and  the scope to inform fresh approaches to delivery.

To join us, you will need an extensive track record within a large organisation, leading multidisciplinary teams. Your experience will encompass strategic service planning, change management, improving performance and delivering efficiencies. Genuinely passionate about making positive changes in our communities, you will have excellent communication, influencing and negotiating skills to build the internal and external partnerships to make those changes happen. Knowledge of local authority services and the big issues facing local government will be key to your success.

For a confidential chat or to discuss any enquiries, please contact Michael Everest on [email protected] or call +44 07894 987335.

To formally apply for this role, please upload your CV and a covering letter (2-4 pages) here

East Sussex County Council is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitable candidates, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age. All applications are treated on merit.