Group Leader - Highways - Req24958

Job title: Highways Service  Group Leader

Contract: Permanent

Hours: 37 Hours per week

Salary: Grade SO2 £34,833-£36,648

Internal vacancy. Applications will only be considered from existing Leeds City Council employees.

Would you like to be part of something bigger and join us in our ambition to become the Best Council, working together as a Team for Leeds. Do your values match ours and do you have something to offer?

Leeds City Council delivers over 500 different services to residents and is dedicated to bringing the benefits of a prosperous, vibrant, and attractive city to the people of Leeds. This is a fantastic time to join us. 

Benefits of working with us:

We pride ourselves on offering the best employee experience, with a genuine commitment to keeping our colleagues safe and well at work. You can expect great benefits whilst working for us including:

• A competitive pay progression structure including generous employer pension contributions.
• Flexible career paths with tailored personal and professional development.
• Support for you, your home and your family including personal, and financial support.
• Flexitime system.

For more information about our benefits please see the benefits section of our jobs page. www.leeds.gov.uk/jobs

Introduction to the role of the team 

Leeds City Council’s Highways Maintenance Department is fully committed to providing a safe, reliable, and efficient highways maintenance service for all residents and road users within Leeds. Highways Maintenance is much more than potholes… we operate as part of a team to deliver a range of schemes all around Leeds throughout the year. 

As a Group Leader you will:

• Provide effective management, direction and coordination regarding resources, workloads, processes, and projects.
• Have excellent communication skills both verbal and written.
• Have the ability to manage competing priorities whilst delivering on a range of service objectives and whilst adapting to changing circumstances.
• A relevant trade qualification or demonstrable experience.
• Ability to understand various charging methods including schedule of rates to ensure commercial performance is achieved.

About the Role:

This is a great opportunity to move into a vibrant and forward-thinking environment supporting the delivery of a diverse range of maintenance services. This role will appeal to you if you have a genuine interest in the delivery of public services and a commitment to continuous improvement and delivery of a high-quality service. Examples of the type of work involved:

• Group Leader will support the Highways Service Area Manager in maintaining the day-to-day operations of the service and the annual works program.
• To be responsible for undertaking daily supervisory and line management duties for operational teams.
• To undertake site visits surveys and health and safety inspections.
• To provide support and guidance to team members.

In addition, ideally you will have a proven track record of working as part of a dedicated team and be effective in managing competing priorities and workloads, responding quickly and appropriately to changing needs and be able to demonstrate excellent organisation and influencing skills. Our teams are proactive, highly skilled, self-motivated and actively seek opportunities to deliver”

What you will bring to the role 

The right candidate will work as part of a team to deliver high quality highways maintenance repairs in a safe and efficient manner. Have a sound knowledge of highway construction materials, methods, and operations, you will have an understanding of Construction Design Management CDM, risk assessments, safe methods of working and be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of current health and safety legislation. 

As part of highways maintenance duties, you will be involved in the statutory winter service operations also dealing with “out-of-hours’ emergencies where appropriate.  

Since this a front facing role, you will be required to delivery excellent customer service and answer public queries in a polite manner, using customer care principles. In addition, you will be required to work in partnership with internal and external partners to ensure that a high-quality service is delivered.

Leeds City Council are committed to promoting and living our values of:

• Bring open, honest, and trusted. 
• Treating people fairly.
• Spending money wisely. 
• Working as a team for Leeds.
• Working with communities. 

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is a Stonewall Top 100 employer 2023, a Mindful employer and a Disability Confident employer.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.

This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description 

Job Purpose:

Responsible to the Operations Manager for the preparation, organisation and day to day supervision of all Highway Maintenance works, new construction, emergency works (including winter maintenance) and other civil engineering works as directed.

Responsibilities:

• Produce weekly/monthly works programmes as necessary
• Respond to requests for service and respond to and resolve complaints. 
• Identify work and produce estimates of work as required.
• Deal with NRSWA procedures.
• Organise and supervise labour, plant, materials and sub-contractors.
• Agreeing accommodation works with property owners.
• Take responsibility for plant, tools and equipment including safe operation.
• Keep accurate records including measurement of works carried out 
• Certify and check contract measures.
• Supervision of Winter Maintenance activities and other emergencies both in and out of normal working hours.
• Undertake emergency standby duties on a rota basis.
• Ensure compliance with safety and other legislation.
• Support the development of staff within the team following the current staff development procedures.
• Work within the Departmental Safety Policy taking responsibility for your own safety and that of others.
• When carrying out the duties of the post, and as an employee of the Council consider the implications of the Council’s:
• Core Values
• Equal Opportunities Policy 
• Environmental Policy
• Comply with Standing Orders, Financial Procedures and Quality Assurance procedures.
• Take responsibility for developing your own performance within the job.

Qualifications

• ONC or similar relevant qualification together with appropriate level of experience is desirable.

Essential requirements It is essential that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post. Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate that they meet all the essential requirements.

• Ability to measure and work up quantities.
• Ability to convey information and to present reports to colleagues.
• Ability to communicate with staff, members of the public and other statutory undertakers.
• Ability to organise workload.
• Knowledge of highway materials and highway construction.
• Knowledge of contract procedures.
• Knowledge of safe working practices.
• Extensive experience of highway construction and maintenance.
• Experience of site work.
• Experience of working to tight deadlines along with a flexible approach to workload and duties.
• Experience of supervising both an operational workforce and contractors.
• Practical approach to problem solving.
• Must be able to work alone on own initiative and also as part of a team.
• Possession of a clean full driving licence.
• Willing to participate in the Winter maintenance standby rota in and out of normal hours.
• Commitment to own personal development and learning.
• Commitment to fulfil all the requirements of the job and provide a good quality service.

Essential Behavioural & other Characteristics 

• Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours and codes of conduct. 
• Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon
• Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.
• Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.
• Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities. 
• Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade. 
• Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.
• Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.
• Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.
• Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.
• The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

Desirable requirements It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post.  Candidates are not required to meet all the desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between candidates.

• ONC in Civil Engineering or similar relevant qualification together with appropriate level of experience
• Drawing office experience.
• NRASW National Roads & Street Works - Supervisor qualification

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