Highways Asset Manager

Overview

We're hiring an experienced, influential and forward-thinking Highways Asset Manager to lead Buckinghamshire Council's highways asset management function and shape the future of one of the country's largest local authority highway networks.

This is a highly technical leadership role at Professional technical managerial group (PTMG1) level, combining strategic asset management expertise with significant budgetary, stakeholder and people management responsibilities. While overseeing the broader highways asset portfolio, the successful candidate will bring substantial experience in carriageway and footway asset management, investment planning and lifecycle strategies, alongside the ability to lead teams, influence elected members and drive service excellence.

You will play a pivotal role in developing long-term investment plans, maximising the value of infrastructure funding and ensuring our highway assets remain safe, resilient and sustainable for future generations.

Leading a team of asset management professionals, you will provide expert advice to senior leaders and elected members, helping shape investment decisions that directly impact communities, businesses and road users across Buckinghamshire.

Syed, Head of Infrastructure and Capital Schemes, said: “We're looking for a forward-thinking and experienced Highways Asset Management professional, with a particular focus on carriageways and footways, investment planning, and supporting political decision-making at scale.Please get in touch to discuss this fantastic opportunity.”

About us

Buckinghamshire Council manages one of the country's largest and most diverse highway networks, supporting communities, businesses and road users across both urban and rural areas.

As part of a wider £220 million transport infrastructure programme, we're delivering a £120 million four-year Strategic Highways Investment Programme, creating a unique opportunity to influence how major investment is planned and delivered across the network.

The Highways Asset Management Team plays a vital role in shaping long-term investment decisions, developing asset management strategies, and ensuring maintenance programmes are data-led, cost-effective and aligned with national best practice.

Working closely with elected members, service providers, government bodies and local communities, we help ensure Buckinghamshire's highway network remains safe, resilient and fit for the future.

This version reduces the word count significantly while retaining the key selling points: scale of network, size of investment programme, strategic influence, and stakeholder engagement.

About the role

As Highways Asset Manager, you will lead Buckinghamshire Council's highways asset management function, providing strategic and technical leadership across a complex and diverse network.

With particular responsibility for carriageway and footway assets, you will shape long-term investment strategies, oversee significant maintenance programmes and ensure decisions are driven by robust asset data, lifecycle planning and value-for-money principles.

Operating at a senior level across the organisation, you will provide expert advice to elected members, senior leaders and external stakeholders, translating complex technical information into clear recommendations that support informed investment decisions and corporate priorities.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing a high-performing team of asset management professionals.
• Developing and delivering highways asset management strategies, policies and programmes.
• Managing significant capital and revenue budgets, ensuring effective investment and financial planning.
• Leading the development of carriageway and footway investment programmes using asset condition data and lifecycle planning principles.
• Supporting Medium Term Financial Plan bids, business cases and whole-life cost modelling.
• Ensuring compliance with legislation, industry standards and health and safety requirements.
• Providing expert advice to elected members, senior officers and external partners on asset management priorities and investment decisions.
• Monitoring programme performance and ensuring maintenance investments deliver agreed outcomes.
• Overseeing devolution arrangements, income generation activities and performance reporting.
• Representing the Council at regional and national forums, promoting innovation and industry best practice.
• Driving continuous improvement across the highways asset management service.

Reporting to the Head of Infrastructure and Capital Schemes, you will lead a team of professionals and play a key role in influencing investment and asset management decisions across Buckinghamshire's highway network.

This version is easier to scan while still highlighting the three things your target audience will care most about: technical expertise, leadership responsibility and influence over major investment programmes.

Any-Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

About you

You will be an experienced highways asset management professional with strong technical expertise, leadership skills and the confidence to operate in a political and public-facing environment.

We're particularly interested in candidates with significant experience in carriageway and footway asset management, developing long-term investment strategies and leading teams responsible for complex highway networks.

We're looking for someone who can demonstrate:

• Experience leading a professional or technical service within a large, complex organisation.
• Extensive knowledge of highways asset management, including asset data, lifecycle planning, investment prioritisation and relevant legislation.
• Significant experience managing carriageway and footway assets and developing evidence-based maintenance programmes.
• A strong track record of managing substantial budgets and delivering value for money.
• Strategic planning, policy development and long-term programme management experience.
• Experience leading and developing multi-disciplinary teams.
• The ability to engage and influence elected members, senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical information clearly.
• A proactive, innovative and solutions-focused approach.

You will be educated to degree level (or equivalent experience) in a relevant discipline and ideally hold membership of a recognised professional institution.

If you're an accomplished highways asset management leader looking to influence a major infrastructure investment programme, this is an opportunity to shape the future of one of the country's largest local authority highway networks.

Other information

For full details about this opportunity, please refer to the attached job summary.

• Salary:Up to £82,251 per annum
• Location: Walton Street Offices, with hybrid working available
• Closing date: Monday 28th September 2026
• Interview date: TBC