As Director of Highways at Warwickshire County Council (WCC), you will be part of our senior leadership team working collaboratively with other Directors and senior leaders to deliver our organisational outcomes. The Director of Highways role brings together our Engineering Design Services and County Highways functions, with a clear focus on highways scheme design and delivery, the operation of the Highways Maintenance Contract, managing the network, delivery of the member delegated budgets scheme, and the management of all assets, including lighting, signals, structures, and public rights of way.
Effective collaboration and communication between Directors, project leads, and Tier 3 managers are the cornerstones of successful delivery and ensuring that we work effectively. The Director will be responsible for the delivery of high performing services which contribute to the strategic outcomes of the Warwickshire Council Plan, taking direct operational responsibility for services, working closely with our partners and communities to ensure consistent service delivery across the county of Warwickshire.
The Director will develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders, including elected members; Department for Transport; National Highways; Transport for West Midlands; and other organisations and individuals as appropriate. The Director will maximise commercial opportunities and income streams to enable the financial sustainability of WCC and will deliver a mixed economy of services at the optimum cost of delivery through the delivery of lean and efficient services and adoption of modern working practices. The Director will ensure that services are delivered proportionate to need, building and strengthening our community capacity to enable a stronger resilience base.
Strategic/Operational Planning and Organisational Leadership
1. Deliver to the operational vision of the service(s) as set by the Council Plan and the organisation's strategies.
2. Take accountability for operational outcomes, performance, management, and delivery of the services.
3. Develop a robust operational business plan to ensure operational requirements are delivered to time, quality, budget, and performance standards.
4. Ensure service areas set and operate robust financial plans and controls.
5. Meet the reporting requirements as set out in the Council's performance framework.
6. Lead, manage and drive through operational objectives of the service.
7. Manage and control allocated operational budgets to ensure the Council delivers a balanced budget and achieves savings across the service.
8. Deliver allocated service specifications, statutory or regulatory duties.
9. Ensure the safe operation of the business and compliance with appropriate regulations and legislation.
Management of Resources and Continuous Improvement
1. Gather and analyse information across the whole service system to identify, understand and consider fresh approaches to improving service delivery.
2. Set clear measures of success to drive down costs and, where appropriate, generate income and deliver against specified outcomes.
3. Lead on achieving the optimum quality demonstrated through customer satisfaction levels.
4. Manage the integrated customer pathways, working collaboratively across organisational boundaries to ensure the most effective deployment of both internal and external resources.
5. Ensure operational contractual arrangements are managed effectively to ensure the operational requirements of the service are delivered.
6. Manage all activity within the service and ensure the delivery of demonstrable performance and outcomes as outlined in the Council's service specification/s.
People Leadership
1. Establish a culture and environment of excellence and high performance across the workforce, where innovation and creativity are encouraged and rewarded.
2. Ensure services have the right capacity and capability to deliver service priorities through effective workforce planning, recruitment, and talent management planning.
3. Develop effective relationships with key partners, customers, and stakeholders in order to deliver high quality and professional services.
4. Ensure the service has the right people in the right roles with the right skills and behaviours to maximise performance.
5. Ensure the most effective use of resources, including financial management, human resources and delivering outcomes through effective contract and performance management.
6. Act and operate corporately across WCC, adopting a one Council approach.
7. Act as a positive role model for 'our behaviours' at all times.
Driving Organisational Change
1. Translates strategic priorities into clear outcome-focused objectives for performance through managers and teams.
2. Recognises the need for change, develops and leads programmes and solutions to deliver the vision for effective organisational change.
3. Engages others to work collaboratively, gains buy in and commitment to change.
4. Acts as a role model by inspiring, developing, and empowering others to respond effectively to change.
5. Monitors progress on the delivery of change projects, ensuring results are aligned and delivered to meet the organisational strategy.
Generic Competency Indicators
1. Translates strategic objectives and political agendas into clear, tangible, and manageable plans and determines resource requirements to support implementation.
2. Helps others understand WCC and the complex environment in which it operates.
3. Ensures service outcomes are delivered at optimum efficiency and cost, and that statutory and organisational requirements and standards are met.
4. Enables WCC to respond with agility to changing priorities.
5. Inspires staff and partners to engage fully with the vision and direction of WCC.
6. Leads talent and career management for all and encourages continuous learning and development.
Finance and Commercial Leadership
1. Interprets financial information to help the function understand and takes into account a range of commercial, as well as technical, operational, and service quality factors.
2. Develops and establishes commercial and financial objectives and targets and supports teams to deliver and achieve.
3. Ensures commercial considerations are fully considered in policy implementation, decision making and contract management.
Generic Competency Indicators
1. Reviews the external environment together with the organisation's strategic plans to identify trends, opportunities, risks and benefits for the function.
2. Develops in-depth insight into the issues facing WCC including political, economic, social, environmental, and technological impacts.
3. Identifies and shapes the functional agenda and purpose in delivering services to meet stakeholder requirements.
Minimum Requirements
1. A strategic leader with significant senior-level expertise and experience in a Highways Engineering field.
2. Experience of leading and managing high performing teams of staff, balancing strategic thinking with hands-on leadership.
3. Experience of managing in a political environment, working closely with elected members and an understanding of the complexities of local government.
4. Successful experience of leading and delivering complex engineering projects and programmes.
5. Demonstrable experience of successful budget management, including the realisation of service-level savings.
6. Previous experience of working in a Highways Delivery and/or Engineering Design Services function, and experience of having worked in a traded service or commercial environment.
7. Strong and effective partnership working, the ability to collaborate effectively and forge lasting relationships with a wide range of partners and stakeholders.
Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in light of new information. Accepts feedback and responds in a thoughtful and considered way. Creates an environment to support the development of skills to overcome challenges. Fosters and adopts a continuous and professional development approach showing interest in new ideas and opportunities to build success. Balances drive to deliver and succeed with strong business ethics and safeguards WCC's reputation. Builds positive and collaborative relationships based on trust and support.
Our Values and Behaviours
We want to support our workforce to be the best they can be. Our Behaviours and values provide a framework for our culture and reflect the standards we expect from all our people. We are committed to creating a working environment of equality, respect, and inclusion where everyone can thrive and contribute to our community. Working with us gives you the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of the people of Warwickshire.
You must be able to demonstrate that you role model the Warwickshire values and six behaviours.
Our Values and Behaviours - The Warwickshire DNA
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