Job Description
Principal Consultant/Engineer
* Location: Oldham
* Job Type: Full-time
* Hourly rate: up to £60 per hour Umbrella. Inside IR35.
* Length of role: Initial 12 months
We are seeking a Principal Consultant/Engineer to lead the planning, design, delivery, and governance of traffic, safety, resurfacing, and wider highway infrastructure projects. This role is crucial for managing the highway asset, overseeing key surveys and technical assessments, and coordinating with internal and external partners to deliver compliant, high-quality schemes that support regeneration, safety improvements, and long-term network resilience.
Day-to-day of the role:
* Provide technical leadership in highway design, including road safety schemes, traffic management measures, and new highway infrastructure schemes associated with wider regeneration programmes.
* Lead planning, programming, and project management for all funded schemes across their full lifecycle.
* Manage the highway asset by procuring and overseeing annual condition surveys, analyzing results, and preparing evidence-based maintenance and capital programmes.
* Lead on commercial and contractual obligations under Strategic Partnership Agreements.
* Oversee and coordinate external consultants, designers, survey specialists, and contractors essential to scheme delivery.
* Lead liaison with internal council departments, external agencies, contractors, developers, and stakeholders involved in scheme development and delivery.
* Lead wide-ranging consultations, including public exhibitions and community meetings, ensuring positive representation of the Department.
* Represent the Department and Council on corporate and external working groups, strategic partnerships, Council committees, and public inquiries.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
* Extensive technical knowledge of Traffic and Highways matters, including highway design, resurfacing, maintenance, traffic and safety engineering principles, and highway asset management.
* Significant experience leading the design and delivery of highway safety schemes, traffic management improvements, new highway infrastructure schemes supporting regeneration, and capital resurfacing and major maintenance programmes.
* Strong design awareness and ability to interpret technical drawings, standards, and safety audit outcomes.
* Excellent project management and organisational skills.
* Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
* Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication capabilities.
* Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and work collaboratively with external partners.
* Politically aware, customer-focused, and capable of balancing competing priorities.