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.
Role
As part of the Asset Management and Standards branch, you’ll deliver technical governance of plans to operate, maintain, and improve the SRN on behalf of Welsh Ministers. This includes:
- Proactively managing and appraising Technical Approval submissions for a range of situations including structural assessments, strengthening and the design of new structures
- Preparing National Application Annexes to Design Manual for Roads and Bridges standards and Procedures Advice and Guidance (PAG) documents
- Auditing the delivery of maintenance, improvement and upgrading projects against Welsh Government standards and policies, budgets and programmes
- Providing advice to Trunk Road Agents, Local Authorities, Consulting Engineers and Contractors as required on structural technical standards
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.
Key Focus
In this role, you’ll ensure that:
- Welsh Government standards are applied consistently—contributing to National Application Annexes and Procedures Advice and Guidance, and embedding updates in live projects
- Decisions optimise whole‑life outcomes—balancing public safety, network availability, cost and carbon
- Risks are clearly articulated and managed—maintaining live risk registers and escalating promptly where safety or availability could be affected
- Digital tools, modern inspection methods and risk-based approaches are leveraged to improve insight, efficiency and traceability across the structures portfolio
- Structures are assessed, strengthened, renewed and monitored as required, using the most cost effective and least disruptive methods to maintain network availability and public safety
- High‑quality, up‑to‑date asset data is captured and maintained, ensuring structures are supported by accurate as‑built and operational information that underpins efficient delivery, robust valuation, and effective lifetime management
Why Join Us?
We’re committed to building a 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 the future of transport in Wales.
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 Pay, pensions and benefits , GOV.WALES
Person specification
Key Responsibilities:
- Drive meaningful change by acting as the Technical Approval Authority contact for assessment, maintenance, strengthening, improvement and new build projects in the [relevant Agent] area.
- Shape delivery excellence by proactively managing and appraising Technical Approval submissions by trunk road agents and consultants, ensuring high standards, value for money, and timely outcomes.
- Support informed decision-making through effective risk management, reporting, and preparation of briefings, aligned with Welsh Government governance frameworks.
- Maximise impact by making well-reasoned, formally recorded, recommendations for departures from the requirements of technical standards.
- Foster collaboration by making experience-based contributions to the philosophies governing the content on the national structures standards and procedures and advice notes to ensure that they cater for Welsh Government objectives.
- Represent Welsh Government at industry groups including Bridge Owners Forum and UK Roads Leadership Group’s Bridges Board.
- Promote innovation by championing sustainable construction methods, digital tools, and integrated project delivery approaches that support long-term resilience and efficiency.
Qualifications
This role requires applicants to be a chartered engineer. Any candidates who are not yet chartered will have professional experience in structures engineering and are either working towards chartership or able to demonstrate a clear commitment to achieving it.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Experience of application of the technical standards and procedural requirements governing the design and maintenance of highway structures work.
- Ability to demonstrate a clear, credible commitment to achieving and/or maintaining chartered status as a civil or structural engineer, including an understanding of the relevant professional institution’s requirements. See advert for further detail
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%
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:: Stage 1 | 2 stage process: Application Form
Number of Stages:: Stage 2 | 2 stage process: Interview
CVs will not be scored but will be used by the panel to gain a fuller understanding of your experience and employment history.
In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted against the lead assessment criterion: Technical 1. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.
In the event of two or more candidates having the same total score, the following merit order will be applied:
- Technical 1
- Technical 2
- Experience
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
A reserve list may be held for this opportunity. Any candidate who is successful in being offered a reserve status, will remain on the reserve list for 12 months.
This is a Pan-Wales role and can be based at any Welsh Government office. The successful candidate will be expected to undertake site visits (average of 1 each quarter) as a part of their role.
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 the Civil 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
Recruitment team
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 [email protected]. 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: [email protected]
