Network Operations Manager

Network Operations Manager

Permanent

Full Time, 37 hours per week

£48,569 to £57,139 per annum

Location: Chelmsford

Working Style: Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 17th August 2025 (23:59)

Essex Highways is responsible for managing and maintaining one of the largest highway networks in the country: 5,000 miles of roads and around 5,000 miles of footways. Essex Highways is a delivery partnership between Essex County Council and our contractual partner.

Essex Highways will deliver a safe, sustainable and effective highway network for all road users, through sound asset management, scheme/programme identification, delivery, maintenance and management of the network. Liaising directly with elected members, district councils, strategic partners and other providers, the role will manage the implementation of the programmes of work relevant to an operational/service area, in accordance with the strategies and policies of the Council.

The role will deliver the authorities network management duty of the Traffic Management Act, drive innovation and change using expertise to influence and work collaboratively and lead on delivery of efficient services. Partnership working across the business and District partner authorities, government agencies and private sector agencies is key.

A high level of technical knowledge and experience is required to direct complex projects and provide technical support. Possessing excellent communication skills and promoting integrated and efficient delivery.

To read more about our business area, please visit Climate, Environment and Customer Services

Accountabilities

• Responsible for writing highways and transportation policies, plans, procedures and practices, to deliver economic growth, housing and improve the quality of Essex roads, achieving the wider strategic vision.
• Responsible for financial management and budgetary control, to evidence efficiency and value for money.
• Lead a team to ensure staff are clear of direction, motivated and productivity is maximised. Team performance to be regularly monitored to drive efficient delivery and positively develop staff.
• Deliver the programme of works to budget, programme and correct quality. Ensuring tasks/services are delivered efficiently whilst constantly striving to provide the best quality of life to Essex residents
• Create and reinforce a strong customer focussed, responsive and flexible culture, role modelling behaviours leading to and delivering, customer focussed and responsive services. Lead teams to deliver quality services and continuously seek innovative and efficient ways of working.
• Responsible for prioritising resources and equipment to ensure delivery of contractual compliance, including health and safety, environmental and CDM requirements.
• Build strong relationships with borough/city/district council safety advisory groups, Essex Police, National Highways and other bodies, to manage the impact of events (both planned and unplanned) on the Essex Highway network.
• Manage the enforcement of moving traffic offences including monitoring expenditure and income and managing customer enquiries.
• Act as expert witness at Crown Court, public enquiries and hearings, preparing detailed evidence as a specialist on practice issues and liaising with counsel and solicitors in case preparation.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

Dimensions

This role plays a critical part in ensuring the effective delivery of highways services, with substantial influence over financial, people, and operational resources:

• Budgetary Impact: Oversees up to £2.5 million in transactional income, typically collected through third-party delivery partners, contributing to highway maintenance, improvement schemes, and service efficiency.
• People Leadership: Directly manages a team of up to 10 staff across operational and administrative functions, promoting safe working practices and high service standards.
• Operational Scope: Influences the planning and execution of high-volume highways services, including inspections, reactive maintenance, and stakeholder engagement with contractors and local authorities.

The Experience You Will Bring

• Educated to RQF Level 6 (Bachelor’s degree) or equivalent proven experience in the field of highways and/or transportation.
• Evidence of continuing professional development, and expert knowledge in relevant professional area with Membership of the Institute of Civil Engineers, Institute of Highways & Transportation, Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers, or other appropriate professional body.
• Evidence of post qualification experience in the field of highways and transportation and project management and implementation.
• Knowledge and experience of managing highway services including statutory processes with comprehensive knowledge of relevant legislation, design standards, type approvals and local government procedures.
• Understanding and experience of financial management, including forward planning of programmes of work, budget accounting and monitoring of expenditure with the ability to work with complex statistical, and performance information.
• Excellent leadership of teams of people, creating a high performance culture, investing in and developing specialist skills and expertise and bringing together diverse capabilities to achieve common goals.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with experience of presenting to a wide range of audiences. Ability to build strong working relationships both internally and externally which are collaborative and influential in nature.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you. 

In February 2025, Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR)) on our careers site

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle,or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

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If you have queries or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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