Principal Drainage Advisor / Team Leader

Job Description

Your new role As the Drainage Team Leader you will have a unique opportunity to lead our team of drainage engineers and advisors responsible for developing drainage policy, standards and best practice in support of the strategic road network. An accomplished leader, youwill motivate and direct your team and play a key role supporting the development, renewal and maintenance of National Highways drainage assets. You will lead in providing technical advice to operational delivery colleagues and suppliers to ensure safe, efficient,and best value maintenance solutions are implemented to meet the needs of our customers. This will require you to develop collaborative relationships with internal colleagues and external stakeholders, requiring occasional travel on a national basis.What youll be leading on

• Provide direct leadership for a team of up to 6 drainage engineers. You work closely with the Head of Technical Services, Strategy and Planning and wider Asset Management Division to set strategy and direction and ensure delivery in line with the BusinessPlan.
• Act as a source of drainage expertise; providing advice and guidance to National Highways delivery colleagues, suppliers and developers. This includes leading the development and continual review of drainage maintenance policy and ensuring the effectivecommunication of such changes within the team and to relevant stakeholders.
• Own the maintenance and development of those parts of the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges (DMRB) and the Manual of Contract Documents for Highway Works (MCHW) concerned with highway drainage. Oversee the Departure from Standards process for drainage proposalsso we can ensure innovative, non-compliant, drainage solutions are appropriately assessed. Activity includes working with Operations and Major Projects Directorates to assure work is carried out in accordance with the published standards. Actively engage withthese stakeholders to share best practice and understand their business needs / identify key areas for improvement.
• Supporting the development of the drainage operational (maintenance) and capital (renewals and improvements) maintenance programmes across the entire strategic road network. This involves working in partnership with regional Drainage Liaison Engineers andFlood Champions to review and assure all aspects of new and replacement highway drainage solutions. This also includes having overall responsibility for the Drainage Data Management System.
• Lead a portfolio of technical consultancy and research work for the drainage team within National Highways Innovation Programme - ensuring alignment to corporate objectives and the effective management of consultants and budgets to achieve best value.
• Contributing to National Highways representation at technical committees, steering groups, seminars and workshops, ensuring that Highways England views are appropriately represented.

To be successful

• You will be a chartered professional with a relevant engineering qualification (eg BEng, BSc, BA, HND/HNC Foundation Degree) and hold membership of a relevant professional institute (eg IHE, CIWEM, ICE or CIHT), preferably aligned with the field of civilengineering
• Experience of working in drainage engineering and applying your knowledge to support the delivery of tasks:
• Understanding of drainage design and maintenance standards including practical application for the management of Englands Strategic Road Network.
• Understanding of hydrology and flow hydraulics in gravitational drainage systems.
• Understanding of drainage materials engineering demonstrated by experience in design, investigation, and research.
• Understanding of the principles of asset management and relevance to managing drainage infrastructure.
• Experience of leading, managing and motivating teams to deliver required objectives.
• Project management experience, including project development (business justification) and the management of external suppliers to agreed requirements (time, quality and budget).
• Experience of resolving technical problems, analysing information to develop appropriate solutions to manage risks and issues.
• Strong networking and communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively using a range of media platforms to present results.
• A keen innovator who seeks to identify and promote new ideas for the benefit of our customers.

A bit about usThis is a great opportunity to lead our Drainage Team and play a key role in ensuring that this key asset meets the needs of road users across the entire strategic road network.Were a growing, influential team helping to drive the most ambitious roads investment programme our country has ever seen. Youll have opportunities to lead new research and innovation as we develop drainage policy and standards, assure capital programmesand provide best technical practice advice. Building in every opportunity to ensure that our customers and road workers get home safe and well every day while travelling or working on our road network.Why you should join usAt National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. Were proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to dobetter and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers.So if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it - then youll be a great fit for our organisation