Lead Highway Steward

About the role

Balfour Beatty Living Places is looking for a Lead Highways Steward to join our East Sussex Contract, based in Ringmer.

In this key role, you will lead the day-to-day activities of our Highway Stewards, ensuring inspections, enquiries and other essential activities are completed in line with contractual standards and timescales. You will act as a point of escalation for complex matters, provide operational and administrative support to the team, and help maintain the consistent delivery of highway inspection and maintenance processes.

You will also carry out routine and reactive highway safety inspections, investigate customer enquiries and third-party claims, and work closely with local councillors, residents, supply chain partners and other stakeholders.

As part of the wider Network Management Team, you will help ensure the highway network is managed safely and effectively. You will also deputise for the Assurance Manager during periods of absence.

What you'll be doing

As a Lead Highways Steward, your responsibilities will include:

• Managing the workload and day-to-day delivery of a team of Highway Stewards


• Ensuring key activities are completed in line with agreed programmes, contractual timescales and quality standards


• Carrying out routine and reactive highway safety inspections


• Identifying and recording defects, assessing risk and raising the appropriate works orders


• Completing quality audits across the Highway Stewards' workstreams, promoting a right-first-time approach


• Managing customer enquiries and ensuring investigations are completed in accordance with relevant policies and procedures


• Responding to customers in a professional, clear and timely manner


• Investigating third-party claims relating to personal injury or property damage and gathering the information required to support a robust response


• Acting as a point of escalation and supporting the team with complex enquiries


• Attending meetings with local councillors, residents, supply chain partners and other stakeholders


• Representing Balfour Beatty, the Highways Partnership and East Sussex County Council professionally at meetings and forums


• Supporting the development and implementation of effective systems and processes


• Helping to reduce the risk of third-party claims and maximise recovery opportunities where appropriate


• Contributing to the delivery of contractual performance indicators and service standards


• Providing operational and administrative support to the Highway Stewards and Assurance Manager


• Deputising for the Assurance Manager during periods of absence


• Supporting the wider Network Management Team and other service areas across the contract


• Maintaining a strong focus on Zero Harm and complying with all relevant health and safety requirements


• Supporting Balfour Beatty's sustainability activities and living our values in everything you do

Who we're looking for

We are looking for someone with strong leadership, organisational and communication skills who can manage a varied workload and support the effective delivery of a busy highways service.

You will have:

• Previous experience in highway inspections or highways operations


• A working knowledge of highway maintenance standards, policies and procedures


• Strong leadership skills and the ability to support and guide a team


• Excellent communication and customer service skills


• The confidence to manage customer expectations professionally and sensitively


• The ability to represent the Highways Partnership and East Sussex County Council confidently when engaging with elected members and other stakeholders


• Good organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise a diverse workload and meet deadlines and performance targets


• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to use your initiative


• Good IT skills, including word processing and recording information using works management systems


• A flexible and adaptable approach as the role and service continue to develop


• The ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a wider team


• A full UK driving licence

Previous line management experience, including experience of managing team performance, would be advantageous.

Why work for us

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK's most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

Why join us?

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn't rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You'll have the freedom to shape the package that's right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
• Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more...

About us

Balfour Beatty Living Places works in long-term partnerships with local authorities to create great places to live, work and play. We actively engage with local people to understand the needs of the communities we work in and shape the places where local economies can thrive and grow. As a leader in sustainable working, diversity, and social value, we use our expertise to bring real, positive change for our customers.

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty, we want everyone to be able to thrive and achieve their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. We're making great progress through our Value Everyone DEI Action Plan, but we know we've got more to do. Find out more about our values and DEI initiatives.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this role will be offered an interview.

We are committed to our processes being barrier-free and will support adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. Please let the recruiter for this role know if you require any adjustments.

We're looking to continually improve our recruitment process, so if you have any feedback, please share this with us via candidaterecruitmentenquiries@balfourbeatty.com