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We are seeking to recruit a Highways Adoption Engineer (Career Graded). Your primary role will be to ensure that all new roads built within the County are designed and built to a standard suitable for adoption as publicly maintained highway and to manage the procedures relating to securing highway status. To work with developers, their representatives and the Council’s legal and finance officers to secure agreements under Section 38 and Section 278 of the Highways Act.

• To apply technical expertise and make recommendations when assessing and approving technical drawings and associated documentation in relation to construction of new roads for development.
• To calculate and negotiate quantities and financial bond figures and to establish and secure inspection fee payments associated with the works.
• To instruct legal and finance officers in relation to project finance (including enforcement) and to maintain accurate financial records of costs, estimates and financial bond security.
• To prepare instructions and secure legal agreements for adoption and changes to the highway network in accordance with S38 and S278 of the highways act.
• To monitor works progress, prepare certification for approval and advise the Senior Adoptions Engineer on release of financial bonds as schemes progress.
• To ensure compliance with the legal agreements and agreed technical details in the construction and execution of the works.
• To ensure compliance with corporate policies in relation to new development work.
• To liaise with Highways Inspectors in overseeing scheme delivery.
• To maintain and interpret highway records and provide accurate advice on highways issues both internally and externally for legal, operational and financial purposes.
• To liaise with and advise internal and external partners to secure highway adoption of new roads.
• To address day to day technical queries with clients and their representatives to ensure construction works are undertaken to the required specifications and standards.
• To advise Highways Development Officers on acceptability of construction proposals and adoption issues that may arise.
• To prepare reports for delegated approval to enter into legal agreements and obtain authority to adopt on completion of all works.
• To provide data relating to performance indicators for the team.
• Assist in the training and development of junior and apprentice engineering staff through mentoring and workplace coaching.

We encourage you to contact Phillip Thompson via email at phillip.thompson@durham.gov.uk to arrange an informal discussion about the role.

The essential qualifications for this post are:

A minimum of HNC or equivalent in Civil Engineering or a related subject, or equivalent level of qualification in a relevant subject area or be working towards this qualification. This role offers a career path with grades 8 to 10. Your starting grade depends on your current qualifications and experience, and you can progress further through the grades with continued development. Please refer to the attached person specification for the full criteria.

Interviews are scheduled to be held week commencing 19/01/26. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that can show they meet all the essential criteria and have indicated they have a disability, are a looked after young person, care leaver or a veteran.

We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable. Explore the full range of rewards and benefits on our website https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/26895/Rewards-and-benefits-if-you-work-for-us. Rewards and benefits are subject to individual terms and conditions.

We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled people and offer support throughout the recruitment process. We welcome applications from disabled people and those who are or consider themselves to be neurodivergent.

Please note, we do not accept CVs. All applications must be submitted online via the Northeast Jobs portal. Use the ‘Person Specification’ section of the form to clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential (and where possible, desirable) criteria. Applications that do not evidence the essential requirements will not be shortlisted. For guidance on completing your application, visit our website https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/2083/How-to-apply-for-a-job-with-us. If you require assistance when applying for this role, please contact our Recruitment Helpdesk on 03000 26 27 27 (option 4) or via email RecruitmentNE@durham.gov.uk. All correspondence relating to your application will be sent from donotreply@northeastjobs.org.uk. Kindly check your spam/junk folder regularly to ensure you don’t miss any updates.

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