Signage Engineer – 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 accounts for 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 will 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 and inclusive team and help shape the future of the SRN, making a real difference to people’s lives, connectivity and the Welsh economy.

Job description

The Strategic Road Network (SRN) is one of Wales’ most vital infrastructure assets, valued at approximately £21 billion. Although it accounts for 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 will 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 and 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 Will Be Doing

As part of the Network Management function, you will help plan, operate, maintain and improve the SRN on behalf of Welsh Ministers. Your work will focus on the management and improvement of key network assets, including traffic signs, road markings and road studs. All activity 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.

Signage Lead. Key Focus

In this role, you will lead the strategic management, development and assurance of motorway and trunk road signage across the SRN. You will be responsible for:

• Ensuring all signage complies with the Traffic Signs Manual, Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions (TSRGD) and relevant standards
• Supporting safe and efficient network operation by managing layout, visibility and consistency of signs
• Leading the prioritisation and delivery of signage improvement programmes
• Advising on new policy, standards and innovation in signage and wayfinding
• Working collaboratively with colleagues, trunk road agents and delivery partners to ensure integrated planning and high-quality delivery

Your work will help maintain the operational integrity of the SRN, strengthen road user safety and ensure clear, accessible and consistent information for all road users.

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.

You’ll also benefit from an exceptional employee package. As a Welsh Government employee, you’ll be automatically enrolled into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, which offers one of the most generous employer contribution rates in the UK (28.97% employer contribution), providing long‑term financial security that is difficult to match elsewhere. You’ll work a 37 hour week, enjoying 31 days of annual leave plus bank and privilege holidays, alongside flexible working arrangements and a hybrid working approach designed to support wellbeing, work‑life balance and productivity. We also offer a range of additional benefits, including cycle and green car schemes, discounted rail season tickets, and access to wellbeing and employee support programmes. For more information, visit https://www.gov.wales/welsh-government-careers/pay-pensions-and-benefits

Person specification

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership on traffic signs, road markings and studs, ensuring consistency, compliance and best practice across the SRN.
• Manage the asset plan for signs, lines and studs, including maintenance, renewal, prioritisation and investment planning.
• Produce evidence-led reporting on asset condition, performance and compliance, including State of the Nation updates.
• Ensure compliance with TSRGD, Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB), bilingual requirements and Welsh Language Standards, and assess non-prescribed signing proposals.
• Represent Welsh Government in UK-level forums to influence standards and contribute to national guidance development.
• Manage budgets and delivery partners to secure high-quality, value-for-money outputs.
• Collaborate across asset classes to support integrated programme delivery and wider Welsh Government objectives.
• Promote innovation through professional engagement and adoption of new tools, systems and approaches.
• Prepare briefings and correspondence and engage with Ministers, stakeholders and the public on signing and lining matters.

Licences

UK valid Drivers Licence

Qualifications

Recognised engineering professional qualification and a current member of a relevant civil engineering or highways-related professional institution (for example, ICE, CIHT, IHT or similar)

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £47,675, Welsh Government contributes £13,811 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 and Experience.
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