Senior Project Engineer – Highways Maintenance

We value diverse perspectives and experiences and are striving to create a workplace culture that is inclusive, is accepting of all and is free from discrimination and bias.

Coventry is a city that is changing fast – and we’re looking for skilled people to join our team and help take us into a bright new future. We are a city that is going places - with an inspiring, world-famous history and exciting times ahead.

Home to award-winning universities, top-level sports and famous brands such as Jaguar and Severn Trent. We are a part of the ‘Midlands-Engine’, the home of the UK motor industry and a proud multicultural city.

Coventry is a great place to live and work and with major developments continuing to take shape around the city it’s getting even better - and having the right infrastructure is vital. That’s why we are looking for passionate people, dedicated people who, like us, are determined to make real, positive changes to Coventry.

The Council is committed to improving the quality of life for residents and making Coventry a top 10 city. We’re bringing in new, streamlined ways of working and making more use of technology to deliver services to the people who live and work in our city.

We know how hard our people work in our Highways Teams, and what it means to have a great manager who makes the time to say 'thank you'. So, with us, your work will always be appreciated and recognised.

We also know that to recruit passionate, dedicated staff in this field there’s simply more demand than available resources, we show our appreciation in other, more tangible ways, too - to make Coventry City Council an attractive place to work in terms of the benefits.

In line with our One Coventry Values, we want to ensure that our communities are represented across our workforce. A vital part of this is ensuring we are a truly inclusive organisation that encourages diversity in all respects, including diversity of thinking. We particularly welcome applicants from minority ethnic, LGBT+, disabled and neurodiverse communities to make a real difference to our residents so that equity and respect remains at the heart of everything we do.

Our Values are:

• Open and fair: We are fair, open, and transparent.
• Nurture and develop: We help and encourage everyone to be their best and do their best.
• Engage and empower: We talk and listen to others, working together as one.
• Create and innovate: We embrace new ways of working to continuously improve.
• Own and be accountable: We work together to deliver the best services for our residents.
• Value and respect: We put diversity and inclusion at the heart of all we do.

As a Senior Project Engineer in our Highways Maintenance Team, you’ll play a key role in delivering our capital‑funded programme of maintenance for carriageways, footways and drainage.

Working closely with the Senior Engineer, operational teams and external contractors, you will help design, plan and deliver schemes that are safe, efficient and cost‑effective. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to major improvement projects across a varied and complex network including:

• 887km of roads
• 2,161km of footways and cycleways
• 300 structures
• 33,000 street lighting columns
• 44,000 drainage gullies

Your work will make a real difference to the day‑to‑day experience of residents, visitors and businesses across the city.

What You’ll Do

• Identify highways maintenance needs and support the development of forward works programmes.
• Propose engineering solutions and prepare designs for maintenance and minor improvement schemes.
• Produce drawings, specifications and contract documentation.
• Work with internal teams and contractors to ensure safe, timely and on‑budget delivery.
• Contribute innovative ideas and best‑practice thinking to improve how we manage our network.

We’re looking for someone who brings technical knowledge, creativity and a proactive approach.

You’ll need:

• BTEC Higher in Civil Engineering or equivalent — or proven experience in highways maintenance.
• Strong project management skills (Health & Safety, finance, contract oversight).
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to mentor others.
• An adaptable and innovative approach to problem‑solving.
• Confidence using office‑based IT systems.
• A full UK driving licence.

Why Join Us?

• Your work is recognised, valued and supported.
• You’ll be part of a friendly, committed team that genuinely appreciates the contribution you make.
• Coventry City Council offers a range of employee benefits, development opportunities and a strong culture of inclusion.
• You’ll help shape the infrastructure of a city with huge ambition.

If you need help or support to complete your application, please visit our accessibility page to see how we can assist you.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme - As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

For full details on the application process please read the attached document labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'. If there is any evidence of a candidate using AI to complete their application, then the application will be rejected unless the candidate can provide a justification which the Council considers to be reasonable.

Interview date: Tuesday 31st March and Wednesday 1st April 2026

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 5100 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards and benefits package - to find out more please visit https://www.coventry.gov.uk/council-vacancies