Somerset Council
Assistant Engineer
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Assistant Engineer
📅 Closing date: 7 July 2026 💰 Salary: £32,597 - £36,363 per annum
Role Summary
You will support the effective management, inspection, and maintenance of Somerset Council’s bridges and highways structures. Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting technical inspections, surveys, and investigations
- Coordinating on-site works and supporting project delivery
- Assisting in planning and executing routine and minor schemes
- Collaborating with contractors, stakeholders, and internal teams
- Supervising routine activities and supporting junior staff
Your work will ensure safe, reliable, and sustainable infrastructure is delivered efficiently and effectively.
Key Responsibilities
- Undertake inspections, investigations, and surveys on bridges and structures.
- Lead and deliver routine bridge and structures maintenance schemes.
- Coordinate and supervise project teams while supporting new starters, junior technicians, and graduates.
- Collate findings and prepare inspection reports (written/ electronic formats).
- Manage and supervise on-site works related to highways structures.
Essential Requirements
- Knowledge of bridge and highway structures inspection, maintenance, and improvement.
- Understanding of engineering principles and their practical application.
- Familiarity with health and safety requirements for site-based work.
- Awareness of stakeholder and public engagement considerations in infrastructure projects.
- Experience in inspections, investigations, or surveys and report preparation.
- Experience in routine maintenance or minor improvement schemes.
- Collaboration with internal teams, contractors, and stakeholders.
- Contribution to technical reports, documentation, and engineering outputs.
- A Level 3 qualification (e.g. BTEC, NVQ) or equivalent in civil engineering (or related field)/or demonstrable equivalent experience.
- Evidence of continuous professional development in a relevant field.
- Ability to:
- Undertake inspections, analyse findings, and produce clear, accurate reports.
- Organise, prioritisise, and support multiple tasks/projects.
- Communicate effectively with colleagues, contractors, and stakeholders.
- Apply technical knowledge to problem-solving and decision-making.
- A full UK driving licence is essential.
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Desirable Requirements
- Knowledge of design standards, codes of practice, and inspection regimes.
- Understanding of local authority procedures and governance for highways.
- Awareness of project management in highways or engineering environments.
- Knowledge of sustainability, resilience, and asset management.
- Experience in supervising small teams or on-site works.
- Working experience in a highways or local authority environment.
- Prior involvement in feasibility studies and options appraisal for engineering works.
- Experience as a point of contact for stakeholders, communities, or external partners.
- A degree (or higher qualification) in civil engineering or related fields.
- Membership (or working towards membership) of a relevant professional body (e.g. ICE, IStructE).
- Relevant CSCS (or equivalent health & safety) qualification.
- Skills in:
- Supervising or supporting junior staff.
- Coordinating on-site works and managing competing demands.
- Preparing technical data, costings, programmes, and presentations.
- Building and maintaining collaborative relationships across teams.
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Additional Information
- Full-time role, 37 hours per week.
- Annual leave: 30 days (in addition to bank holidays).
- UK driving licence is mandatory.
- No visa sponsorship available.
For informal queries, contact: Paul Tucker, Service Manager – Structures (paul.tucker@somerset.gov.uk)
Find the full job description here.
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