Assistant Project Manager-Returners
| Posting date: | 05 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £38,190 to £43,240 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 12 January 2026 |
| Location: | Maidstone, Kent, ME20 7SL |
| Company: | National Highways |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 6977_1767605038 |
Summary
Are you looking to return to work following a career break of 2 or more years? If you are an experienced professional looking to return to the workplace, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. To apply for this vacancy and join our Returners Programme, applicants must be returning from a career break of 2 or more years or have been freelancing or working in a home business, in that time.
About the job.
At National Highways, we have an excellent opportunity for an Assistant Project Manager to join our Operations Directorate Scheme Delivery Team in the Southeast. The role will involve supporting the management and delivery of a portfolio of projects within the Region. You will manage and support the performance of project teams, multiple external contractors and consultants, ensuring adherence to effective governance, quality assurance, health and safety, technical and specialist standards across the supply chain and National Highways.
This role will be based in our Maidstone office in Kent or Basingstoke office in Hampshire.
- To support the delivery of a wide range of projects, across all stages of the project lifecycle, from design to construction and handover into service.
- Develop, support and maintain strong collaborative relationships with the Scheme Project Managers, Construction Assurance Managers, key stakeholders, designers, contractors and across National Highways teams, to ensure a fully mutual understanding for the allocated projects.
- To comply with National Highways Operations Quality Management System (QMS) and 3D Process (Develop, Design, Deliver) on all projects in scope, to enable delivery within agreed parameters for quality, cost and time, ensuring they meet intended outcomes, customer service levels, and corporate technical and health and safety requirements.
- Assist in programme management, reporting and risk management against the budgets for all projects in scope, ensuring effective governance, financial and contractual practices are in place and adhered to by all project resources.
- Ensuring the health and safety needs of all parties involved in the projects are fully considered and accounted for throughout the planning and delivery of each service activity.
About you.
- Recognised engineering or project management qualification, and / or experience in the delivery of highways infrastructure renewals and maintenance
- Understanding and experience of project and financial management practices and controls
- Ability to review and challenge project plans and detailed programmes in conjunction with designers and suppliers
- Experience in managing customer relationships and stakeholder engagement
- Evidence of working within a project team to achieve mutual goals, delivering at pace.
About us.
Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England's motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership.
Operations is at the heart of keeping the strategic road network moving and ensuring our customers get the best possible experience when using our roads.
We address over 39,000 customer enquiries every month, plan and deliver all maintenance activities on the network, drive efficiencies and improvements across our systems and roads, and respond to incidents across 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads that we manage. All to make sure National Highways customers have safer, smoother, and more reliable journeys.
External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy.
We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme