ID 1570 - Project Engineer, Strategic Road Network

at  Welsh Government

JOB SUMMARY

The Strategic Road Network (SRN) is one of the largest single assets on the Welsh Government balance sheet, with a depreciated replacement cost of around £18bn. Whilst only around 5% of the total road length in Wales, covering 75 miles of motorway and 1000 miles of trunk road, the network carries a third of all traffic and supports the delivery of many of the Welsh Government’s strategic objectives. It is vital to the economy, connecting people and communities. It enables access to vital services and has an important role to play in sustaining and enhancing our environmental assets and supporting active travel and modal shift.
You will be joining a team of dedicated professionals to help ensure the integrity and sustainability of the trunk road network in line with current Welsh Government policies.
Our programme of projects across Wales include some that address the country’s most critical challenges; from complex infrastructure projects, increasing multi modal transport needs, to addressing the climate change emergency. This work includes developing and delivering a programme of capital projects valued at between £130m to £185m annually. Your work will help contribute to supporting and maintaining this vital asset and delivering a lasting impact on Wales and the local communities.
You will be responsible for the delivery of a programme of major transport projects on the SRN. You will be required to provide leadership and direction to your team of consultants, contractors, and trunk road agents, to deliver projects to programme and in a cost effective and efficient manner.
The work will require analytical skills including programme, commercial and risk management as well as budget forecasting and financial governance. You’ll also need to have an understanding on the NEC form of contracts and public procurement regulations.
You’ll have the ability to manage competing priorities and build effective working relationships with a range of stakeholders to successfully deliver major transport projects. Many aspects of the role will require decisions based on sound judgement, evidence and analysis. The post holder will also need to have the ability to identify key issues that need further consideration, develop and appraise different options for addressing those issues, seeking advice where appropriate.

JOB DESCRIPTION

What the organisation will expect

• You will be responsible for managing defined areas of work using your specialist knowledge or experience to exercise sound judgement when interpreting complex or conflicting information weighing up all evidence to produce innovative solutions to problems.
• You will be adaptable, flexible, open to, and accepting of change affecting you and your area of work and deal with that change efficiently and professionally.
• You will show political awareness and an understanding of the political landscape when considering the impact of your decision and work on the wider business area and when formulating proposals for Senior Managers and Ministers.

What your team will expect

• You may be required to manage a team setting clear direction on achieving their objectives. You will support team members in their work such as complex areas of work; work allocation and prioritisation; performance management; training and development; mentoring and coaching.
• You will value diversity and inclusion, creating an environment where individuals feel safe to challenge, share ideas and express concerns adopting an inclusive leadership style.
• You will be responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining systems or processes ensuring excellence or value for money.

What key stakeholders will expect

• You will take the lead in creating, building and maintaining constructive relationships at all levels.
• You will be able to tailor and adapt your communication style (written and oral) to advise, guide, influence and persuade internal and external stakeholders as appropriate.

Key Responsibilities

• To ensure that the interests of the Welsh Government as Highway Authority for trunk roads and motorways of Wales are safeguarded.
• To manage large multi-disciplinary teams of Consulting Engineers, Agent Authorities and Contractors employed by the Welsh Government to develop and deliver transport infrastructure projects.
• To ensure projects are delivered in line with Welsh Government policies including Llwybr Newydd: the Wales Transport Strategy and commitments towards Net Zero with focus on delivering modal shift to more sustainable forms of transport, reducing carbon, providing a net benefit for biodiversity.
• To manage large budgets for a portfolio of major transport projects and ensure actual and forecast expenditure is accurate and reported monthly. To review, scrutinise and authorise applications for payment from consultants and contractors.
• Implement appropriate financial procedures and contractual governance throughout all project development, construction, and maintenance period.
• Ensure that all risks have been identified, assessed and management strategies proposed and implemented.
• To seek professional advice as and when required to resolve technical or contractual issues or disputes.
• To provide professional advice as required to Ministers, Assembly Members, Senior Management, and other divisions on matters related to projects.
• To represent the Welsh Government at Public Consultation Exercises, draft Statutory Orders Exhibitions, Public Local Inquiries, other meetings with the public or organisations and on Technical Project boards, developing UK standards in conjunction with UK and other devolved administrations.
• To ensure project proposals are designed to appropriate standards considering any environmental constraints and value engineering principles whilst constructively using experience to challenge them at various stages of development.
• Transport project development will include preliminary investigations, public consultations, statutory procedures, procurement, construction, maintenance, and evaluation of completed projects.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• A clear understanding of project and portfolio management including commercial and risk management on various of forms of construction contracts.

Benefits

All Welsh Government staff are members of the Civil Service, and as a result are eligible for:

• Civil Service Pension Scheme
• 31 days annual leave (pro-rated for part time)
• training and development opportunities
• Cycle2Work Scheme
• Smart Working flexible working arrangement
• Green Car Scheme (subject to availability)

If you are an active Civil Service Pension member you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.
Things you need to know

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)

Key Responsibilities

• To ensure that the interests of the Welsh Government as Highway Authority for trunk roads and motorways of Wales are safeguarded.
• To manage large multi-disciplinary teams of Consulting Engineers, Agent Authorities and Contractors employed by the Welsh Government to develop and deliver transport infrastructure projects.
• To ensure projects are delivered in line with Welsh Government policies including Llwybr Newydd: the Wales Transport Strategy and commitments towards Net Zero with focus on delivering modal shift to more sustainable forms of transport, reducing carbon, providing a net benefit for biodiversity.
• To manage large budgets for a portfolio of major transport projects and ensure actual and forecast expenditure is accurate and reported monthly. To review, scrutinise and authorise applications for payment from consultants and contractors.
• Implement appropriate financial procedures and contractual governance throughout all project development, construction, and maintenance period.
• Ensure that all risks have been identified, assessed and management strategies proposed and implemented.
• To seek professional advice as and when required to resolve technical or contractual issues or disputes.
• To provide professional advice as required to Ministers, Assembly Members, Senior Management, and other divisions on matters related to projects.
• To represent the Welsh Government at Public Consultation Exercises, draft Statutory Orders Exhibitions, Public Local Inquiries, other meetings with the public or organisations and on Technical Project boards, developing UK standards in conjunction with UK and other devolved administrations.
• To ensure project proposals are designed to appropriate standards considering any environmental constraints and value engineering principles whilst constructively using experience to challenge them at various stages of development.
• Transport project development will include preliminary investigations, public consultations, statutory procedures, procurement, construction, maintenance, and evaluation of completed projects