Highways Technician/Inspector

Additional details

About Southwark:
We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises and we have a young, diverse and growing population.
At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities. Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.

Benefits and more information:

In your role, we want you to feel supported, challenged and rewarded. You will benefit from our family-friendly policies including flexible working, home working, and a local government pension scheme, plus many other staff benefits. You will join a motivated, driven and supportive team that strives for excellence and values its members. You will also be part of a successful and high-achieving development team that is making a real difference to the lives of residents in the borough. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Staff Benefits page.

The role

Southwark Council is looking for a dedicated and skilled Highways Technician/Inspector to join our Environment, Sustainability & Leisure Department. This is an exciting opportunity to play a vital role in keeping our borough’s streets, highways, and public spaces safe, well-maintained, and accessible for all.

The Role

As a Highways Technician/Inspector, you will:

• Inspect, monitor, and report on the condition of public highways, street furniture, drainage, lighting, and structures.
• Identify defects, submit reports, and manage work instructions to service providers using handheld and desktop systems.
• Respond to emergencies, coordinating contractors and issuing urgent work orders where required.
• Record and monitor unsafe worksites or structures, escalating issues appropriately.
• Liaise with statutory utilities, oversee compliance with health and safety legislation, and carry out maintenance inspections.
• Provide technical reports on incidents and insurance claims, attending court when necessary to represent the Council.
• Support the delivery of small-scale highways projects and ensure contractors’ compliance with health and safety and contractual standards.

This is a hands-on role that may involve significant time spent on site, including walking, standing, climbing ladders, and working in confined spaces.

About You

We’re looking for someone with:

• Demonstrable experience in highways inspection, maintenance, or project delivery.
• Strong working knowledge of the New Roads & Street Works Act 1991, the Highways Act, and health and safety compliance.
• Ability to diagnose defects, interpret site instructions, maps, and drawings, and provide practical solutions.
• Competence in using Microsoft Office and asset management databases.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with residents, contractors, and colleagues.
• Supervisory accreditation under the New Roads & Street Works Act (desirable).

Recruitment timetable

Closing Date: 14 September 2025

Shortlisting Date: 19 September 2025

Interview Date: 2 October 2025

Guaranteed Interview Scheme:

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together programme. We particularly welcome applications from members of the Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Attachments

• Click here to view the Job description and Person Specification