Drainage Technician - Working for Essex

About the role

Drainage Technician

Permanent, Full Time

£31,001 to £36,471 per annum

Location: North Essex

Closing Date: 28th May 2025

Please note that the job role requires you to be mobile throughout an operational area. Therefore, the post holder will need to have a driving licence and access to a vehicle, or the ability to meet the mobility requirements of the role through other means.

The Role

Essex Highways is responsible for managing and maintaining one of the largest highway networks in the country: 5,000 miles of roads and around 5,000 miles of footways. Essex Highways is a delivery partnership between Essex County Council and our contractual partner. As an Essex County Council employee you will work alongside our contractual partner to deliver road maintenance, street lighting, drainage and flooding, winter travel, road safety, traffic management, highway development, bridges and structures, grass and vegetation, bus stops and bus shelters, public rights of way and roads strategies for users of Essex highways.

To read more about our business area, please visit: Climate, Environment and Customer Services

The Opportunity

The Drainage Technician is responsible for delivering planned works and services within Essex Highways in accordance with Essex County Council (ECC) strategies and policies. The role will support and assist the co-ordination of a range of resources to deliver maintenance work programmes.

The role will support the investigation, design, planning, programming, and the implementation and monitoring of highway drainage works programmes. Supporting and contributing to the co-ordination of a range of resources to deliver local objectives, utilising internal staff, operatives and supply chain partners, consultants and other key stakeholders, maximising opportunities to ensure value for money solutions.

Accountabilities

Supporting the implementation of policies and procedures of the wider Essex Highways management systems e.g. Health and Safety, Environmental, Quality, Construction Design to minimise work related injuries.
Responsible for providing timely and accurate advice to senior leaders/members/local Councillors and the general public on all highway related matters. Responding to complaints to meet relevant targets and provide high performance standards.
Contribute to budgetary monitoring to deliver value for money.
Contribute to the ordering of work and services, to enable future programmes to be delivered on time and within budget.
Act as an expert witness at Crown Court, Public Inquiries and Hearings as required; preparing detailed evidence as a specialist on practice issues, liaising with Counsel and Solicitors in case preparation.
Contribute to the identification, preparation, design, planning, programming and ordering of work and services.
Contribute to the identification of schemes and services for the future platforms as appropriate.
Contribute to the team’s performance in providing speedy and courteous responses to queries and complaints in accordance with relevant targets and standards.
Understands the overall functions, aims and directions of Essex Highways, and how specific area of responsibility fits into those objectives.
Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

The Experience You Will Bring

Educated to RQF Level 3 (‘A’ level) or equivalent by experience in Highways.

Evidence of continuing professional development and knowledge in relevant professional area. Membership of, or working towards, a relevant Professional Institution is desirable.

Knowledge of relevant design procedures and standards/practice, engineering or service techniques and procedures including the use of specialist software tools.

Knowledge and application of Highway and Health and Safety legislation, including Construction (Design and Management) regulations.

Good written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to build and maintain effective internal and external working relationships.

Knowledge of financial management including budgetary governance and controls.

Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with key people both internally and externally.

Ability to prioritise own work to support business priorities. Manages own performance and seeks feedback to improve where identified.

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex . With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In February 2025 , Greater Essex was accepted onto the Government’s devolution priority programme, which will see local authorities in Essex work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority by May 2026. You can read more about devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR ) on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles , including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email resourcing.team@essex.gov.uk

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