Civil Engineering

Drainage Surveys

Technology & Lighting

Filter Drain Recycling

Safety Barrier & Fencing

SafetyCam Solutions

Bridges & Structures

Highways Operative

Date:

Location:

  • Scotland

Highways Operative

Location: Preston Based working on various sites across the UK, working away and night shifts required

Contract: Full-time

Are you someone who takes pride in doing a job well? Do you enjoy hands-on work, being outdoors, and being part of a team that keeps the nation moving? If so, we’d love to welcome you as a Highways Operative.

At Carnell, our teams play a vital role in maintaining, repairing, and improving the UK’s road network. Every shift you work helps create safer, stronger, and more reliable roads for millions of people.

What You’ll Be Doing:

You’ll work as part of a supportive site team, carrying out a variety of construction and maintenance tasks, including but not limited to:

  • Installing kerbs, edgings, and carrying out flagging/trenching
  • Completing drainage tasks at varying depths
  • Managing ducting and cabinet site set-ups
  • Cabling and electrical ducting work
  • Earthworks and concreting
  • Constructing steps and other essential structures
  • Reading and interpreting plans and drawings
  • Ensuring all work meets required standards and safety regulations

This role involves travelling to different sites, working nights, and spending time away from home when necessary.

 

What You’ll Bring:

We’re looking for someone who is:

  • A team player with good communication skills
  • Professional, reliable, and responsible
  • Able to follow instructions and work safely

Essential Qualifications & Experience

  • NPORS / CPCS (Excavators, Dumpers, Rollers)
  • CSCS Operative Card
  • CAT & Genny
  • Safe excavation training
  • 1-day First Aid
  • Full UK Driving Licence
  • Previous experience in highways or civil engineering environments (especially high-speed roads).

 

What We Offer:

Working with us means being valued for what you do. You’ll receive:

  • Generous holiday allowance
  • Pension scheme
  • Referral scheme
  • Death in service benefit
  • Online rewards platform
  • Group income protection
  • Company vehicle (per gang), fuel card & PPE provided
  • Night shift allowance
  • Working away allowance

 

Apply Today:

If you’re ready to take the next step in your highways career—or start a new one—this is your chance to join a professional, friendly team where your work truly matters.

Apply now and help us build safer roads for everyone.

Carnell is committed to a diverse, inclusive workforce, offering equal opportunity to all. We create an environment where difference is embraced and individuals flourish.

We value passionate, responsive, innovative, trustworthy, and respectful people. These behaviours are embedded across the company; they guide us in all actions both on site and in the office.

We are committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of all our employees; not only ensuring that everybody goes home safely but also giving all a good work life balance.

 

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About the Role:

As a Site Manager, you will oversee the day-to-day operations, planning, and delivery of highways projects across Scotland. You’ll manage supervisors and site teams working on drainage surveys, trenchless remediation, Filter Drain Recycling), and wider civils activities on the Strategic Road Network.

You’ll ensure that every project under your supervision runs safely, efficiently, on programme and to the required quality standards — while supporting our broader business strategy to grow our presence in Scotland.

This is a hands-on role requiring site presence across Scotland, working days or nights, and occasionally supporting operations in the North of England.

Location:

Scotland (with some support to Northern England when required across Various sites, working away and night shifts required.

Contract: Full-time

Carnell is on a mission to raise the standard of excellence in highways maintenance, working with passion, innovation and an uncompromising commitment to safety. As we continue to grow our footprint across Scotland, we’re looking for a proactive and experienced Site Manager to join our Operations team.

If you’re motivated by delivering high-quality infrastructure, leading teams, and building trusted relationships with clients, this could be the perfect next step in your career.

What You’ll Do:

You will take responsibility for:

Project Delivery & Site Management

  • Overseeing all aspects of on-site delivery including commercial, programme, resources, safety, quality and environmental performance
  • Ensuring compliance with all SHEQ requirements and site rules
  • Coordinating shift start-ups, close-downs and changeovers
  • Supporting the production of Construction Phase Plans, Project Management Plans and other documentation


Leadership & People Management

  • Leading and developing Supervisors and Operatives
  • Delivering pre-start briefings, toolbox talks and training
  • Conducting appraisals and supporting skills development


Client Relationship Management

  • Acting as a key point of contact for clients and stakeholders
  • Attending site visits to support project development and asset assessment
  • Maintaining positive client relationships and identifying new opportunities


Quality & Performance

  • Ensuring work is delivered Right First Time and meets specification
  • Managing project KPIs and deadlines
  • Making quality adjustments and rejecting work outside specification


Resource & Operational Coordination

  • Ensuring adequate staffing levels
  • Managing working hours and authorising exceedances
  • Overseeing plant, vehicles, equipment and operational paperwork


What You’ll Bring:

We’re looking for someone with:

Experience & Knowledge

  • Previous experience in highways contract management
  • Strong understanding of drainage construction and relevant standards (CDM 2015, MCHW, DMRB, CS 551, CD 535)
  • Experience managing teams on high-speed roads
  • Strong grasp of health & safety legislation
  • Good commercial and business strategy awareness


Skills

  • Excellent communication and relationship building skills
  • Strong organisational and leadership skills
  • Ability to work collaboratively with clients, colleagues and supply chain
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word


Qualifications

  • Degree or equivalent (HND/HNC) in construction or project management
  • SMSTS
  • CSCS (manager level preferred)
  • Full UK driving licence.


What We Offer:

  • Company van
  • IT equipment & mobile phone
  • Generous holiday allowance
  • Pension scheme
  • Group Income Protection
  • Opportunities to grow within a national, forward-thinking business


Ready to Lead the Way?

If you’re passionate about managing safe, high-quality highways projects and want to play a key role in our growing Scottish operations, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and help us deliver excellence across Scotland’s strategic road network.

Carnell is committed to a diverse, inclusive workforce, offering equal opportunity to all. We create an environment where difference is embraced and individuals flourish.

We value passionate, responsive, innovative, trustworthy, and respectful people. These behaviours are embedded across the company; they guide us in all actions both on site and in the office.

We are committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of all our employees; not only ensuring that everybody goes home safely but also giving all a good work life balance.

Carnell is committed to a diverse, inclusive workforce, offering equal opportunity to all. We create an environment where difference is embraced and individuals flourish.

We value passionate, responsive, innovative, trustworthy, and respectful people. These behaviours are embedded across the company, they guide us in all actions both on site and in the office.

We are committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of all our employees; not only ensuring that everybody goes home safely but also giving all a good work life balance.

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