Bridge Inspector

Closing date: 7 July 2026

Salary: £28,598 - £32,061 per annum.

Role summary:

You’ll play a key role in contributing to the asset management, maintenance, safety and improvement of Somerset Council’s bridges, retaining walls and highways structures.

You’ll be responsible for undertaking and supporting with General, Principal and Special Inspections, initiating and delivering minor vegetation removal and maintenance schemes, as well as supporting the development and delivery of larger maintenance and improvement projects. This will include coordinating and supervising on-site works, liaising with statutory bodies and contractors to ensure that works are completed safely and efficiently, in accordance with Council policies and procedures.

Within this role, you will also provide essential technical support to the structures team, acting as a specialist in defined areas such as bridge inspection and AutoCAD. You will also serve as a key point of contact for the public, partner organisations and local councils, maintaining effective working relationships across all stakeholders and the highway service.

What you’ll do - key responsibilities:

• Undertake bridge inspections in accordance with relevant codes, policies and national good practice.
• Initiate and deliver minor and routine bridge and structures maintenance schemes.
• Coordinate and supervise routine and minor on-site works to highways structures.
• Support colleagues undertaking inspections and site visits, working together as a team.
• Support senior colleagues with the preparation of reports, technical data, presentations and briefings.
• Prepare drawings and sketches using AutoCAD.
• Act as point of contact for the public, parish and district councils, for individual structures projects and programmes.
• Update and help maintain the Structures Management System (SMS)

What we’re looking for – knowledge, experience & skills:

Essential

• Relevant qualification or training in highway structures, civil engineering, or bridge inspection
• Ability to use AutoCAD or similar technical drawing software
• Valid UK driving licence, due to requirement to travel to rural and remote sites within the county.
• Experience in initiating and delivering minor routine maintenance schemes for bridges and structures.
• Experience co-ordinating and supervising on-site works involving contractors, consultants, statutory bodies and affected parties.
• Experience preparing technical documents, including schedules, reports, calculations, costings, and work programmes.
• Experience liaising with the public, parish/district councils, partners and stakeholder organisations.
• Knowledge of highway structures maintenance, inspection principles, and improvement schemes.
• Awareness of health, safety and wellbeing requirements, including working safely on-site and lone working.
• Understanding of equality, diversity and inclusion responsibilities within public sector work.
• Knowledge of working with statutory bodies, contractors and consultants.
• Strong coordination and supervision skills for on-site works.
• Ability to produce high-quality technical reports, schedules, and calculations.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with internal teams and external partners.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, for dealing with the public and stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritise work, review programmes, and adjust plans in collaboration with colleagues.
• Ability to work in a team as well as on your own.

Desirable

• Understanding of council policies, standards and procedures, particularly relating to highways and structures.
• Formal bridge inspector accreditation (e.g., SOM, BICS, CSCS or similar).
• Health & Safety training (e.g., IOSH Working Safely/Managing Safely).
• Experience working in a multi-disciplinary highways or infrastructure team.
• Knowledge of national highways guidance, DMRB, or relevant inspection standards.
• Knowledge of project management processes.
• Advanced IT skills (Microsoft Office, SMS).
• Negotiation and stakeholder-engagement skills beyond routine interactions.
• Ability to contribute to public briefings or community engagement events.

Additional Information:  

• This is a full-time, permanent position working 37 hours per week.
• A full UK driving licence is essential for this role.
• 28 days of annual leave (additional to bank holidays)
• Flexible working / flexitime arrangements
• The opportunity to work from home (when not inspecting)
• Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. We are only able to proceed with candidates who already have the right to work in the UK without the need for visa sponsorship

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Paul Tucker, Service Manager - Structures, via email at paul.tucker@somerset.gov.uk, or phone on 07824 460 548

A full job description can be found here: Bridge Inspector - Job Description - AG0324