Lead Field Operative
East Midlands Shared Services · Leicestershire, United Kingdom · hybrid
Organisation: Leicestershire County Council
Work Location: Croft Depot, Arbor Road, Croft Leicestershire LE9 3GE or Mountsorrel Depot, Hawcliffe Road, Mountsorrel, Leicestershire LE12 7AH
Salary: £29,550 - £32,055 per annum (pro rata for part-time)
Working Hours: Full Time, 37 Hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing Date: Sunday 15th November 2026
Interview Date(s): Wednesday 25th November 2026 - Please note: interviews will be in person.
About the Role
Come and work as part of a team that delivers the best value, customer-focused service throughout Leicestershire and, occasionally, surrounding counties. Leading a small team of Operators, you will work flexibly, efficiently and effectively delivering construction, maintenance and surfacing activities to maintain highways, footpaths and structures in accordance with statutory requirements.
You will ensure that activities are completed to a high standard, in accordance with the LCC specifications, tackle unacceptable behaviour on site, record any incidents, and escalate to the Site Team Leader/ Supervisor for further action, if required. You will also assist in the development of skills for less experienced operatives and encourage experiential learning whilst on site.
The nature of the work may involve you carrying out activities outside of normal working hours, including night, weekends and public holidays, in all weather conditions to meet the needs of the service. You may be required to support a call-out rota to cover evening, weekend and public holiday emergencies. (Exclusion will apply to employees aged under 21).
This role is a “Safety Critical Post” and, consequently, subject to random drug and alcohol testing in accordance with our policies and procedures. A copy of our Substance Misuse Policy and Procedure is available upon request.
About You
To apply for this post, you must be able to evidence in your application how you meet the following criteria:
- Qualifications in NVQ 2 in Highways Maintenance or similar, Trades Test Assessment, New Roads and Streetworks Act (NRSWA) Qualification (Operative),
Accredited and relevant H&S Training Records and Certification (e.g. NPORS plant operator, Appointed Person, etc)
or have demonstrable evidence of the skills and experience together with a commitment to attain the essential qualifications.
- Have experience of working in a highways or civil engineering environment and using information technology (e.g. personal computer, PDS, mobile phones, etc) in a work-related context.
- Have extensive knowledge of construction specifications, materials, compaction, and workmanship requirements, also of safe working practices when using plant and machinery
- Know about Construction Health, Safety and Environmental requirements and safe working procedures, legislation including driver’s hours, PPE and manual handling and of Chapter 8 Traffic Management Regulations.
- You have core communication skills, both written and verbal. You can and are willing to work with everyone in the team, and you can use your own initiative in planning and prioritising.
- Skilled at driving and operating specialist plant and use of rollers, compaction equipment and saws.
- Can respond confidently to customers & colleagues with understanding & diplomacy whilst maintaining an objective & professional stance and give customers the correct information and keep them up to date with regular contact. You can remain calm & positive in challenging circumstances.
In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.
Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.
Interested in Flexible Working?
We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.
For more information or an informal discussion, please contact:
John Benson, Highways Works Manager [North].
Tel: 01163055365
Email: John.Benson@leics.gov.uk
Tom Vesty, Highways Works Manager [South].
Tel: 01163050975
Email: Tom.Vesty@leics.gov.uk
How to Apply
At Leicestershire County Council we’re looking for top talent from all walks of life. Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, and whatever your background - we care about what you bring to our organisation, not just what’s on your CV. That’s why we’ve designed a recruitment process that’s fair, accessible, and focused on potential. And with benefits that support people at every age and stage of life, we make sure you can thrive - both personally and professionally.
If you share our passion to make a difference for the people of Leicestershire, we’d love to hear from you. Click the apply button to submit your application, ensuring that you upload a supporting statement that explains how you meet the criteria listed in the ‘About You’ section above. Without this information, we won’t be able to assess your suitability for the role, and your application will be rejected. For tips on how to write your statement, see the How to Apply section on our career site.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
If you have any technical issues when trying to apply for this post or you want to request an application pack in an alternative format, please contact our Employee Service Centre by telephoning 0300 3030222 (select option 2) or raising a ticket via our online portal: https://emss.org.uk/support.
By applying for this post, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.