Highways operative

About The Role

The opportunity to create is all around you. Whatever your level, whatever your role, whatever the project, you’ll be able to take initiative here and get stuck in. Join our Living Places team as a General Operative based out of our site at Southampton and shape something special. The successful candidate will be carrying out services in ground working and drainage.

In addition, the role will be required to assist our sign and structures gangs when we have either holiday leave or sickness elsewhere in the wider team. If you want to progress your career, learn new skills in a challenging and exciting environment, this role will suit you perfectly. The successful applicant will need to hold a full UK drivers’ licence at the time of joining (due to base location).

As a Highways Operative, you’ll play a vital role in keeping our road network safe, functional and accessible for everyone who uses it. Your day‑to‑day work will focus on delivering essential maintenance and improvement services across highways, footways and associated infrastructure.

• Carrying out groundworks and drainage operations, such as excavating trenches, repairing or replacing damaged drainage systems, clearing blockages and ensuring effective water management to prevent flooding and maintain road integrity.
• Performing repairs and maintenance tasks, including patching potholes, resurfacing areas, reinstating kerbs and footpaths and addressing other defects to keep highways in good condition.
• Working as part of a dedicated team to deliver high‑quality, safe and efficient services in line with health and safety standards and environmental best practices.

In addition, you’ll be expected to contribute to our Winter Maintenance Programme, which is critical for public safety during adverse weather. This involves:

• Gritting, salting and snow clearance operations to keep roads passable and reduce risks during ice and snow events.
• Participating in a rota for out‑of‑hours, emergency and on‑call responses when weather conditions or other incidents require immediate action – ensuring our communities stay connected even in challenging circumstances.

This is a hands‑on, outdoor role that offers real variety – from planned maintenance projects to reactive emergency work – and provides the satisfaction of seeing the direct impact of your efforts on everyday life and road user safety.

We’re looking for someone who is hard‑working, flexible in their approach and who is used to working outdoors often in challenging weather conditions.

• Hold a full UK drivers’ licence at the time of joining (due to base location).
• Have construction industry experience.
• Hold a CSCS card at the appropriate level.
• Have a good level of physical fitness.
• Have the ability to work as part of a team and/or individually.
• Have the ability to work outside of normal working hours.
• Possess good time‑keeping skills.

Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects – developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.

• Smart working – giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
• Family‑friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave.
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more.

Balfour Beatty Living Places works in long‑term partnerships with local authorities to create great places to live, work and play. We actively engage with local people to understand the needs of the communities we work in and shape the places where local economies can thrive and grow. As a leader in sustainable working, diversity and social value, we use our expertise to bring real, positive change for our customers.

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful,…