Bridge Manager

We are excited to offer a permanent opportunity for an experienced Bridge Manager to join our client’s Specialist Bridges Inspection and Maintenance (SBIM) team.

The Avonmouth Bridge Manager will oversee all technical, engineering, and operational aspects of the Avonmouth Bridge, ensuring the structure remains safe, resilient, and fully compliant with statutory and contractual requirements. This role will lead inspections, maintenance, renewals, and improvement works, acting as the primary point of contact for our client’s team.

The Avonmouth Bridge is a critical section of the M5 crossing over the River Avon — a 1,388-metre steel box girder structure carrying more than 100,000 vehicles every day. As a vital transport gateway connecting Bristol and the wider region, the bridge operates under heavy traffic volumes and challenging environmental conditions.

As Bridge Manager, you will take ownership of this strategically important structure, leading safe operations and targeted renewal programmes while proactively managing the bridge deck, welds, and access systems. Your leadership will play a key role in ensuring the bridge continues to serve road users, local communities, and businesses reliably and efficiently.

A key aspect of the role will be driving operational efficiency and maximising value for money through effective coordination of workbanks, access arrangements, resources, and supply chain activities to ensure smooth delivery with minimal disruption.

The standard hours of work are 40 hours per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead specialist bridge inspections, cyclic and reactive maintenance, and renewal schemes, including design coordination and operational delivery.
• Ensure all operations are delivered in compliance with CDM Regulations and relevant health and safety standards.
• Deliver effective maintenance and asset management solutions.
• Manage incident response activities and emergency repairs.
• Support the delivery of renewal schemes, including design management, construction oversight, and site supervision.
• Ensure compliance with ISO standards, including ISO31000 (Risk Management), ISO22301 (Business Continuity), ISO9001 (Quality), and ISO14001 (Environmental Management).
• Manage and maintain client stock, premises, and operational assets.
• Implement management systems aligned with the “Purple Book” and gantry operation and maintenance manuals.
• Provide line management and leadership to inspection and operational teams.
• Offer technical leadership to inspectors, Project Managers, and delivery teams.
• Coordinate all work activities to maximise productivity, operational efficiency, and value for money, ensuring seamless integration of inspections, maintenance, renewals, and access operations.

What We’re Looking For

Essential Skills & Experience

• Extensive technical expertise in large bridge or structural assets.
• Proven ability to manage complex portfolios involving inspections, design coordination, and project delivery.
• Experience leading operational teams and delivering projects from inception through to completion.
• Strong stakeholder and client relationship management skills, including engagement with senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing multiple projects within live operational environments.
• Strong understanding of NEC contracts, programme management, cost control, risk management, and safety compliance.
• Ability to coordinate traffic management, access requirements, resources, and supply chain activities to ensure safe and efficient delivery.
• Experience operating within high-risk, time-critical environments with the ability to make effective decisions under pressure.
• Ability to integrate multiple workstreams while minimising operational disruption.
• Principal Contractor experience with a strong understanding of CDM regulations and safe site operations.
• Proven leadership of multidisciplinary teams with a focus on compliance and safe delivery.
• Experience working within contracting environments, including commercial awareness and risk mitigation.
• Strong understanding of commercial contract delivery and achievement of business performance targets.

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

• Chartered Civil or Structural Engineer (MICE/MIStructE), or working towards chartership.
• NEC4 Accredited Project Manager qualification.
• Chartered APM, PRINCE2, or equivalent project management qualification.
• Experience with remote monitoring systems, including CCTV, WIM, wind monitoring, and dehumidification systems.

If you are passionate about engineering, thrive on technical challenges, and are ready to play a leading role in maintaining one of the UK’s most significant bridge structures, we would love to hear from you.

Ardour Associates values diversity and promotes equality. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate against any of the protected characteristics that fall under the Equality Act 2010. We encourage and welcome applications from all sections of society and are more than happy to discuss reasonable adjustments and/or additional arrangements as required to support your application.

Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.

For the purposes of the Conduct Regulations 2003, when advertising permanent vacancies we are acting as an Employment Agency, and when advertising temporary/contract vacancies we are acting as an Employment Business.

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