Works Communication Officer

Job description

Description

We are committed to the development of our workforce. This position is only available to applicants who already work for Surrey County Council. We thank you for your interest in our roles and would encourage you to review our vacancies which are open to all.

This role has a starting salary of £34,660 per annum, for working 36 hours per week.

We are excited to be recruiting a Works Communication Officer to join our fantastic team working in the East of Surrey and currently based at Merrow Highway Depot, Merrow Lane, Guildford. This role is hybrid, requiring two days per week at Surrey Highways Merrow Depot, where you will be co‑located with our partners and contractors.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service.
• Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave.
• A generous local government salary related pension.
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year.
• Paternity, adoption and dependents leave.
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing.
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources.
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping.
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Role

Surrey County Council maintains around 3,000 miles of roads, and with increasing demands and tighter budgets, keeping our network safe, reliable and well‑managed has never been more important.

We are looking for two talented Works Communications Officers to join our high‑performing Works Communication Team, helping to develop effective communications for residents, stakeholders and council members about planned works across the county.

In this role, you'll play a key part in creating clear, timely and impactful messages using a range of communication channels to help our 1.1 million residents and stakeholders plan ahead and minimise disruption caused by roadworks.

If you are proactive, organised and passionate about helping people stay informed and moving smoothly across Surrey, we'd love to hear from you.

What You will Do

• Plan, develop and deliver impactful communications that explain planned works clearly and accurately to our residents and stakeholders.
• Manage, monitor and cross check detailed works programmes in order to pull out key information to inform communications.
• Work closely with highways engineers to ensure information is accurate and on schedule using supplier information maps and live information of multiple works schemes.
• Produce a wide range of resident-facing content including letters, emails, road signs, and social media posts.
• Support the smooth flow of information across customer services, operational teams, councillors, and community stakeholders.
• Manage multiple projects at once with ever changing deadlines and to be able to work independently using your own initiative to solve problems.
• Deal with a high volume of customer enquiries and be able to quickly develop responses using information from colleagues, partners and stakeholders.

Your Application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours:

• A background in customer communications or project management with an eye for detail and a strong work ethic.
• A methodical approach with proven project management skills and the ability to juggle multiple projects and deadlines at once.
• Confidence working in a fast-paced environment and picking things up quickly.
• Experience using CRM and digital systems to manage and progress resident enquiries.
• The communication skills to work collaboratively with busy technical teams and external stakeholders including local councillors.

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following 4 questions:

1. Describe a communications project you managed where your communication skills directly contributed to a better or more successful outcome.
2. Give an example of a project you have managed involving multiple service providers and stakeholders. How did you manage the flow of information to keep the project on track, and how did you handle changing deadlines?
3. Describe a situation where you built strong relationships with stakeholders to enhance service delivery. How did these relationships contribute to the project's success?
4. Describe a time you had to communicate complex or technical information to a non‑technical audience. Explain your approach and the communication channels you used.

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description & Our Life at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

A basic DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) will be required for this role.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 04/10/2026 with interviews planned to follow at Surrey Highways Merrow Complex in Guildford.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Contact Us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment. Please contact Nick Lindop via email.

Local Government Reorganisation

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation and will move to new authorities in April 2027. This role is currently employed by Surrey County Council and will remain so until then. If you are employed by Surrey County Council on 1 April 2027, your employment will transfer under TUPE arrangements to one of the new councils, with your current terms and conditions protected. The provisional allocation for this post is East Surrey Council, subject to final confirmation through the wider transition process later this year. Please see more information here: Information for applicants on Local Government Reorganisation - Surrey County Council .

Our Commitment

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and have evidenced you meet the minimum shortlisting criteria, as displayed on the advert, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day, we're committed to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.

Files to download

• Works Communication Officer - Job Description (PDF)

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