Building Services Manager

An established public-sector organisation is looking to appoint a Building Services Manager to join its Estates team, based from Exeter. This is a varied estates environment covering approximately 100 operational sites across Devon and Somerset, including training facilities, offices, workshops and stores facilities. Properties differ considerably in their age, use and operating requirements, with many locations occupied around different working patterns. As a result, the estate presents an interesting mix of planned maintenance, statutory compliance, reactive works and longer-term improvement projects.

As Building Services Manager, you will act as the Estates team's technical lead for Mechanical & Electrical building services, supporting the ongoing maintenance, improvement and renewal of the organisation's property portfolio. Working closely with the Senior Property Manager and wider Estates team, you will take ownership of building services compliance and help shape annual maintenance and improvement programmes. You will also oversee consultants and contractors delivering planned, reactive and project works across the estate.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Acting as the technical lead for M&E and building services matters across the property portfolio.
• Managing statutory compliance alongside planned and reactive maintenance programmes.
• Undertaking property inspections and condition surveys, identifying required works and advising on priorities.
• Developing annual programmes of building services maintenance, servicing, replacement and improvement works.
• Managing M&E projects from initial scope through specification, procurement and delivery to completion.
• Preparing and reviewing technical specifications, drawings, cost estimates and work instructions.
• Managing external consultants, contractors and maintenance providers, including contract administration, certification and payment authorisation.
• Monitoring contractor performance, quality and Health & Safety standards.
• Maintaining accurate statutory maintenance and asset records and highlighting areas of risk or non-compliance.
• Providing technical input across power, lighting, heating, ventilation, fire detection and alarms, security, data installations and renewable technologies.
• Supporting wider property projects with specialist building services advice.
• Monitoring utilities and energy consumption across the estate and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Contributing to carbon reduction and environmental initiatives, including assessing new and emerging technologies.
• Ensuring works comply with relevant legislation, Building Regulations, Health & Safety requirements, CDM and internal procurement procedures.
• Managing works to agreed programmes and budgets while considering whole-life asset costs.

About You

The successful Building Services Manager will bring broad M&E/building services knowledge together with experience of managing maintenance contracts and projects across a multi-site estate.

You will ideally be able to demonstrate:

• Experience managing statutory compliance, planned preventative maintenance and reactive maintenance.
• A strong background delivering both major and minor M&E projects, including contract administration and budgetary control.
• Experience managing building services consultants, contractors and suppliers.
• The ability to undertake building services condition and asset surveys and translate findings into practical programmes of work.
• Experience preparing specifications, tender documentation, drawings and cost estimates.
• Good knowledge of building services legislation, technical standards and statutory compliance requirements.
• Understanding of Health & Safety, Building Regulations, water regulations, asbestos requirements and CDM.
• Knowledge of standard forms of contract, ideally including JCT, NEC and relevant building services contracts.
• Good commercial awareness, including cost planning, budget management and procurement.
• An understanding of carbon reduction, energy management, renewable technologies and current building services trends.
• Strong communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to explain technical matters clearly to different audiences.
• The ability to organise competing priorities and manage multiple projects and maintenance requirements simultaneously.
• Confidence working independently and across a geographically dispersed estate.
• Competence using Microsoft Office and relevant estates/project maintenance systems; CAD experience would be beneficial.
• You will hold a relevant Building Services, Mechanical or Electrical Engineering qualification, or be able to demonstrate equivalent industry knowledge and experience. Professional membership of a relevant body such as CIBSE, IET or IMechE would also be welcomed.

This is an opportunity to take a key technical role within a diverse and operationally important property portfolio. Rather than looking after a collection of similar commercial buildings, you'll work across an estate ranging from operational sites and training facilities through to offices, workshops and support buildings. As Building Services Manager, you'll have the scope to influence how building services are maintained and improved, shape future investment priorities and contribute to energy efficiency and carbon-reduction initiatives across the estate.