Principal Engineer - Adoptions

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You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council.

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Principal Highways Engineer to join our Highways Development Management team at West Northamptonshire Council. This is a senior role leading on the assessment, negotiation, and delivery of highway works linked to new developments, with a strong focus on Section 38 and Section 278 agreements, design reviews, and the adoption of new infrastructure into the public highway network.

Knowledge of the planning process would be highly beneficial, as there may be a need to assist colleagues in responding to planning applications from a highways perspective. This could include reviewing transport assessments, travel plans, and layout designs, providing technical advice, and working with developers to help secure suitable mitigation and infrastructure improvements.

You will take highway agreements through the full lifecycle — from pre-application advice and technical review of designs, through to approval, construction oversight, inspection, and final adoption. This will involve scrutinising detailed submissions to ensure they meet required standards, protecting the council’s interests and ensuring long-term maintainable assets for the public.

As a senior member of the team, you will also provide expert technical advice on complex or high-profile schemes, lead negotiations with developers and consultants, and mentor junior engineers. Collaboration across planning, legal, and highways colleagues will be central to your success in ensuring that growth in West Northamptonshire delivers safe, high-quality, and sustainable highway infrastructure

What will you be doing?

As a Principal Highways Engineer in our Highways Development Management team, you will take a lead role in ensuring that new developments across West Northamptonshire deliver safe, sustainable, and high-quality highway infrastructure.

You will:

• Lead on the technical review and approval of Section 38 and Section 278 agreements, guiding schemes through design, construction, inspection, and adoption into the public highway.
• Carry out detailed design reviews to ensure proposed layouts and works meet both local and national standards, protecting the council’s interests and securing long-term, maintainable assets.
• Work closely with developers, consultants, contractors, and planning colleagues to negotiate suitable solutions and mitigation measures that support growth and protect the highway network.
• Provide expert technical advice on more complex or high-profile schemes and assist colleagues in responding to planning applications where highways input is required.
• Mentor and support junior engineers, sharing your expertise and helping to build capability within the team.

This is a role where you will directly influence the quality of growth in West Northamptonshire, ensuring that new developments contribute positively to our communities and transport network.

About you

You will be a skilled and motivated highways professional with strong technical expertise and a passion for delivering high-quality infrastructure. Ideally, you will bring significant experience in highways development management, highway agreements (S38/S278), design reviews, and the adoption process, along with the confidence to lead on complex schemes.

We are looking for someone who can:

• Demonstrate a strong understanding of highways engineering principles, standards, and design guidance.
• Manage and progress highway agreements through the full lifecycle — from initial negotiation and technical approval to inspection and adoption.
• Provide clear, pragmatic technical advice on development proposals and infrastructure design.
• Build effective relationships with developers, consultants, contractors, and internal colleagues, negotiating positive outcomes for the council and community.
• Communicate confidently and professionally, both in writing and verbally.
• Mentor and support junior colleagues, helping to develop the wider team’s skills and capability.

Knowledge of the planning process would be beneficial, as you may be required to assist in providing highways input into planning applications and related discussions.

This role is suited to someone who is proactive, organised, and solutions-focused, with the ability to balance technical detail with the bigger picture of supporting sustainable growth across West Northamptonshire.

About us

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.

Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. 

Hear more from our Chief Executive, Anna Earnshaw, about what its like to work at West Northants Council.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential.  We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner

The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.

If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.

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