Improvements Manager – Strategic Road Network

Job summary

The Strategic Road Network (SRN) is one of Wales’ most vital infrastructure assets, valued at approximately £21 billion. Although it makes up just 5% of the total road length, it carries around one-third of all road traffic, playing a key role in connecting communities, enabling economic growth, and ensuring access to essential services.

This post is part of a wider recruitment campaign to strengthen the Welsh Government’s Strategic Road Network Division. Over the coming months, we’ll be building a diverse and skilled team to enhance our capability as a highway authority—ensuring we continue to deliver safe, efficient, and sustainable transport infrastructure across Wales. This is an exciting opportunity to join a delivery-focused, inclusive team and help shape the future of the SRN—making a real difference to people’s lives, connectivity, and the Welsh economy.

What You’ll Be Doing

As part of the Network Management function, you’ll help plan, operate, maintain, and improve the SRN on behalf of Welsh Ministers. This includes delivering targeted programmes that:

• Improve network resilience
• Reduce congestion
• Enhance air quality
• Address safety and accessibility challenges

All work is aligned with Welsh Government policy, including Llwybr Newydd: The Wales Transport Strategy 2021, the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and our environmental improvement commitments.

Job description

Improvements Manager – Key Focus

In this role, you’ll lead the development and delivery of targeted improvement programmes to address congestion hotspots and upgrade key sections of the SRN. You’ll be responsible for:

• Appraising and prioritising schemes using robust evidence to support investment decisions
• Delivering measurable benefits for communities, the economy, the environment, and public health
• Collaborating across asset classes and with delivery partners to ensure joined-up planning and efficient delivery
• Managing strategic interfaces—including highway boundaries, ownership, and relationships with local authorities and private landowners—to protect the operational integrity of the SRN

Why Join Us?

We’re committed to buildinga diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences. You’ll be joining a team that values collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement, and where your work will have a tangible impact on Wales’ transport future.

Person specification

• Drive meaningful change by leading the development and delivery of strategic upgrade and pinch point improvement programmes, applying the principles of the Welsh Transport Appraisal Guidance (WelTAG).
• Shape delivery excellence by preparing and managing briefs for trunk road agents and consultants, ensuring high standards, value for money, and timely outcomes.
• Support informed decision-making through effective programme performance management, reporting, and preparation of ministerial briefings, aligned with Welsh Government governance and investment frameworks.
• Champion environmental responsibility by overseeing Strategic Road Network (SRN) air quality monitoring and interventions, and managing complex issues around highway boundaries, ownership, and stakeholder interfaces.
• Maximise impact by appraising and prioritising schemes using robust evidence, ensuring resources are targeted where they deliver the greatest public benefit.
• Foster collaboration across asset classes—such as road safety, pavements, drainage, and intelligent transport systems (ITS)—and with delivery partners to enable integrated planning and delivery.
• Lead procurement processes for surveys, studies, and technical support, working closely with Transport for Wales to ensure alignment and avoid duplication.
• Represent Welsh Government at stakeholder engagement sessions, technical forums, and WelTAG workshops, building trust and consensus.
• Promote innovation by advocating for sustainable construction methods, digital tools, and integrated project delivery approaches that support long-term resilience and efficiency.

Licences

Do you have a UK valid Drivers Licence?

Qualifications

Do you have Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status (or equivalent professional standing) in a relevant discipline?

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Understanding of highway asset management and improvement schemes, including knowledge of road safety and network operation principles.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Welsh Government, like all other Government Departments use Success Profiles when we recruit. For each role we consider what you will need to demonstrate to be successful. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job. It raises performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

The selection process and stages are:

Number of Stages:2 stage processStage 1Application FormStage 2Interview

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : EST-NMDMailbox@Gov.Wales
• Email : EST-NMDMailbox@Gov.Wales

Recruitment team

• Email : sharedservicehelpdesk@gov.wales

Further information

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Please see the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles on the Commission's website.

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and wish to make a complaint please email complaints@gov.wales. Please ensure that you refer to the vacancy reference number.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Welsh Government, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: info@csc.gov.uk.