About Us

Are you looking for working arrangements that enhance your work-life balance?

Are you a competent Highways trained Engineer?

Do you have experience in all aspects of highway maintenance? 

Are you confident communicating with people from all walks of life?

Do you have a proven history of contract management 

If you answered yes, we want to hear from you!

Who we are:

The London Boroughs of Richmond Upon Thames and Wandsworth are recruiting a new Principal Engineer to work within the Highway Maintenance team, to manage, programme, plan, inspect and monitor our Planned Highway Maintenance in Richmond and Wandsworth.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and self-motivated Engineer to join our Highways Team within Engineering Group 2.

This is a unique opportunity to assist a closely-knit team of Engineers and provide comprehensive Engineering service within the Highways Team.

About the role:

You will assist the Head of Engineering (Group 2) and other Principal Engineers to plan, programme and implement the Highway Planned Maintenance in Richmond and Wandsworth. 

You will be responsible for the day to day operation of the planned highway work in partnership with other service providers to develop an integrated

approach to service delivery and assist in the overall management and delivery of the highway maintenance programme and term contract.

The ideal candidate will have a relevant professional qualification in Civil/Highway Engineering and thorough knowledge of Health and Safety Legislation under which this service operates together with significant experience in Highway Maintenance.  

 You will:

• Be able to assess all types of highway defects, agree appropriate remedials, estimate, plan and programme their repair through to completion.
• Ability to measure and agree payment applications made by the contractor.
• Supervise works on the public highway and to produce accurate and detailed site reports. 
• Chair meetings and monitor contractors and their employees.
• Have good knowledge of CDM and other relevant highway, traffic and engineering legislation.
• Be conversant with general I.T applications.
• Be conversant with UKPMS & Asset Management practices and systems

About you: 

• Have a background in contract management and highway specification contracts. 
• Have an understanding of street works and permitting on the public highway.
• You will need to be a good communicator and have confidence to deal with people at all levels, including members of the public, council officers and Councillors in writing and by telephone.
• You will have a proven background within a Highway Engineering discipline.
• You will be able to attend to emergencies and Planned works at short notice, which may include work at night or weekends.
• We are particularly looking for someone who can work on their own initiative to tight deadlines.
• Be able to work on their own and to prioritise their daily workload.
• It would be beneficial to have previous local government experience, but it is not essential.

The job will be predominantly located in Richmond, however, during periods of heavy workloads, it may be necessary to cover works in Wandsworth.

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working including, working from home and other arrangements. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if these are options you’d like to explore. We also offer a generous holiday allowance of 32 paid plus bank holidays and a wide range of learning and development opportunities. 

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, vehicle leasing, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Indicative Recruitment Timeline

Closing Date: 15^th October 2023

Shortlisting Date: 22^nd October 2023

Interview Date: from 29^th October 2023

Useful Information:

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. 

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.

The application process for this role is anonymised 

Important Information:

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils