Senior Officer (Structural Engineering) - Occ613924

Do you want to be a part of our team, improving the highway network, and helping us to make Oxfordshire an even better, safer, place to live, work and visit? 

About us

It is an exciting time to join Oxfordshire County Council’s Highways team. We’re determined to deliver a high quality, safe, sustainable, and reliable network. The service structure has recently been re-imagined, ensuring we’re best positioned to meet the high expectations of our customers, and evolving challenges such as climate adaptation.

About the role

Oxfordshire County Council is looking for two Senior Officers to work within the Highway Structures Team.

As Senior Officer – Structural Engineering (Highway Structures) you will join a dedicated team managing the County Council’s bridges, underpasses, culverts and retaining walls, prioritising public safety and climate action for a thriving economy, whilst maintaining/enhancing the assets function and helping minimising their whole life costs.  You will work with our consultants/contractors, to maintain, inspect, structurally review, assess and risk review mitigation measures and priorities for major refurbishment repairs, and help in the administration of the procurement of required consulting and construction works and aid in their supervision.

You will assist in the County Council’s role as highway structure technical approval authority for our own works, developer works, and assist in reviewing and approving utility company proposals which might affect the Council’s highway structures.

There are two Senior Officer (Engineer) posts. The service function is split into two roles, and each post holder will lead on one of these roles whilst providing support and cover to the other. 

Post 1 - Inspections, Asset Data, Routine, Cyclical, and Reactive Works

This role includes managing the inspection programmes, reviewing and approving reports arising from inspections, structural reviews and assessments, and helping in the preliminary identification and prioritisation of required construction works. 

This includes carrying out, managing, and regularly updating CS470 risk reviews with consideration for mitigation measure suitability and permanent works proposals. 

This role will establish work priorities and the associated annual funding requirements, with a five year look ahead, for maintaining different levels of health and safety risk and/or condition level of the assets, to help establish lifecycle plans. 

The post holder will have responsibility for developing and delivering a programme of routine, cyclical and reactive works.

Post 2 – Principal Works Programme 

This role is to lead on the implementation of the core programme of strengthening, renewal, and replacement of highway structures. The post holder will be responsible for the preparation and delivery of the principal works programme working with our appointed delivery partners. 

The role requires continuous review of the programme constraints, risks and opportunities, taking action as appropriate.

This includes managing the identified design and construction tasks, grouping, sorting and prioritising them in-line with the procurement process methodologies and timing of when resources may become available to perform the desired tasks. 

The role requires the concurrent management of many projects for which briefs will need to be prepared. 

Significant programme change, and its impacts may need to be managed as part of the process. 

For both roles you will be familiar with the latest design/assessment standards and be able to carry out structural inspections, assessments and designs in varying materials, and be able to prepare reports, drawings and works specifications. 

Whilst the majority of structural design work is intended to be carried out by our delivery partners it is intended to develop the Council’s in-house ability. The Council carries out its general inspections in-house, whilst principal inspections, assessment reviews, assessments and CS470 risk reviews are generally carried out by or with assistance from our delivery partners and their supply chain, but it is again wished to enhance in-house abilities. 
 

About you

You will be educated to Degree level or equivalent with relevant professional qualification or equivalent.

You need a full driving license, with access to and using your own vehicle

You will be proficient in Microsoft Office programmes

You will have extensive, demonstrable technical knowledge in highway structures and experience in relation to National Highways standards, Euro-codes, MCDHW Specification and Methods of Measurement and NEC Conditions of Contract. 

Experience in highway structure inspections, structural reviews, assessments and management of substandard structures.  

You will be comfortable in preparing risk assessments, works details, specifications, health and safety information, and managing contracting delivery partners.

You will be adept at positively representing the County Council; whether that be in person, or through written correspondence.

You will have a strong programme approach to all aspects of service delivery and be able to use these skills to good effect in effective reporting, and ensuring intended outcomes are achieved. 

The designated work location will be in County Hall, Oxford, although much of the work is anticipated to be able to be carried out whilst agile working, (i.e. other offices in Oxfordshire or from home). You may be occasionally required to carry out site visits to highway structures, for accident damage inspection, for helping determining scope of required works or for assisting in supervision of construction works etc. 

Rewards and benefits

•    Culture of flexible working 
•    Technology to support agile working where role permits
•    Up to 33 day’s holiday p.a. plus bank holidays
•    Option to ‘buy’ additional holiday
•    Employee Assistance Programme including access to health and wellbeing support
•    Membership of the Local Government contributory pension scheme, with an employer’s contribution of up to 19.9%
•    Enhanced family friendly policies
•    Local and national discounts for shopping and travel
•    Great learning and development opportunities to support your ongoing development.

Would you like to know more?

Please click here to view the Job Description and Selection Criteria 

For an informal discussion about the roles please contact Robin Calver, Team Leader - Highway Structures at robin.calver@oxfordshire.gov.uk  

To apply please click the Apply Now link below.