Jobs

Area Engineer

Paul joined Hertfordshire Highways when it was formed in 2002, he had previously worked as a Highways Inspector and was keen to take on a more varied role. Based in St Albans but covering the Hemel Hempstead area, Paul estimates that his time is divided equally between the office and out “on site”.

There is no such thing as a typical day as the work is extremely varied and many issues have to be resolved on an ad-hoc basis as they occur. During an average week Paul’s role would involve some of the following:

Day to day work involves looking for maintenance needs, these would include dealing with complaints regarding the local roads/footpaths, logging the issue and ensuring the work is carried out.

Vehicle crossing – homeowners or developers looking for permission to lower kerbs for vehicle access are required to get permission from Hertfordshire Highways. Paul will view the proposed alterations and give the customer a quote for the work, which will then be carried out by one of our private sector partners. Following the completion of the work the area engineer will return to ensure it has been carried out to an appropriate standard.

Road closures for development work or by utility companies – the Area Engineer will liase with the developer and the police regarding road closures, to ensure minimum disruption to traffic and local business.

First line of contact following accidents or insurance claims, all are logged and maintenance teams sent out to repair any damage

Area engineers attend District Council meetings when requested to do so. Such meetings would involve presenting information and being questioned on various transport issues by the members.


Paul identified a number of qualities that a good Area Engineer should posses:

Good communication skills are essential. The role will involve extensive liaison with a wide variety of stakeholders including members of the public, councillors, utilities companies, developers and the local constabulary amongst others.

The ability to prioritise is also a key skill, you will have a busy work load and need to be able to identify the most important tasks on a day to day basis.

You will need to be a team player, as you will work closely with your Assistant District Manager and other team members.

It is also important that you can work on your own initiative, as you will be given a reasonable level of autonomy.

Paul enjoys his role “the work is extremely varied so there is never time to get bored, I never wanted to be stuck behind a desk all day so spending a lot of time on site is great, you are also meeting a wide variety of people”. Paul also felt that Hertfordshire County Council know how to look after their staff, the flexible working hours allows him to beat the morning rush hour traffic and he also spends a day a week in a local college, pursuing a Civil Engineering qualification. There are excellent progression prospects for candidates who are keen to move through the ranks.

If you are interested in working as an Area Engineer for us please contact Sonya Foster on 01992 531916.

or click on the 'Apply for HCC Jobs online' link at the top right of the screen.