Assistant Highway Manager

Job Details:

Job Reference: HCC624319
Salary Range: £56,285 - £63,080 per annum  
Work Location: Bishops Waltham Highway Depot, Bishops Waltham and Totton Highway Depot, Totton (Hybrid working)
Hours per week: 37
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing Date: 24 June 2026
Interview Date: Week commencing 29 June 2026

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Assistant Highway Manager to join Hampshire County Council’s Highways Delivery team and play a key role in shaping the future of our network.

We are looking for a highly motivated and driven individual to join our senior management team, helping to deliver our vital statutory highways maintenance service and make a real difference to communities across Hampshire.

As part of the Highways Delivery team, you will lead and support a team of highway engineers while overseeing frontline operations. You’ll play a crucial role in ensuring that maintenance activities are delivered safely, efficiently, and in full compliance with required standards across your area.

This is a pivotal operational leadership role where no two days are the same. You will contribute to the management of inspection regimes, respond to customer enquiries, and ensure works are delivered in line with policy, legislation, and service expectations—keeping Hampshire’s road network safe and accessible for all.

Working as part of our wider Highways Service, you will collaborate with fellow managers and our service contractor to provide strong, strategic leadership. Together, you will drive both reactive and proactive maintenance programmes, helping to protect and enhance the county’s extensive highway asset.

If you are passionate about public service, enjoy leading teams, and want to make a visible impact on the local environment and communities, we would love to hear from you.

The Role:

As the Assistant Highways Manager, you will oversee a team of up to 20 staff and lead the delivery of both reactive and planned improvements to the network. Working closely with our service contractor, you will play an important role in identifying and implementing improvements, as well as exploring new ways of working with our partners and supply chain to encourage collaboration and improve the service we provide to the residents of Hampshire.

You will need excellent communication skills and a proven ability to develop and maintain strong working relationships at all levels.

For information about the service and our recent projects, please visit Highways Careers.

What you’ll do:

You will lead and manage Highways Delivery teams, ensuring effective workload planning, resource management, and staff development. You will oversee recruitment, performance, and budgets, working with internal teams and partners to deliver high-quality services aligned with strategic goals.

You will drive continuous improvement, manage emergency highway responses as part of a 24-hour service, and engage professionally with stakeholders, including the public and elected members. You will also support training initiatives and advise on key operational decisions, including resource allocation, budgeting, and the prioritisation of works.

What we’re looking for:

You’ll have a good knowledge of the highway environment, including Health and Safety management (including CDM Regulations), highway law, materials and construction methods, as well as an understanding of contract management (specifically NEC4 contracts).

You will be able to demonstrate experience and knowledge of financial management and the application of asset management principles, alongside a good understanding of the political context in which we work, both nationally and locally.

Why join us?

There are many reasons why we are an excellent choice for your next career move:
 
• We offer a pleasant, supportive, and collaborative working environment which promotes an excellent work-life balance.
• Hybrid working: This role is based between Bishops Waltham and Totton depots with a hybrid working arrangement (office and home working) to suit operational requirements. 
• We are committed to inclusion, diversity, and wellbeing. Staff are encouraged to get involved in a variety of internal Networks (BME, staff disability, Carers and working parents, and LGBT+) in accordance with our Inclusion Strategy.
• Flexible and family friendly working patterns such as compressed hours, flexi leave and part time. 
• Generous annual leave plus bank holidays and paid sick leave.
• Generous Employer Pension Contribution.
• Opportunities to develop your skills and experience, informally, or formally.
• The support of a wider team who will value you and what you achieve.

Our benefits package includes details of the holiday entitlement, pension scheme, flexi-time scheme, family friendly policies and interest free travel loans and discounts. We offer a flexible, motivating and inclusive workplace. We have created an environment that you can look forward to being a part of, where you are empowered to be your best and a workplace built on teamwork where people can grow and develop in their roles. 

Additional Information:

Assistant Highways Manager Candidate Pack

Please note this post is Politically Restricted.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

Mike Pillans, Highways Manager South on mike.pillans@hants.gov.uk