Operational Estates Workshop Manager, GMS Band C in Gloucester

Are you a confident and experienced maintenance front-line leader who thrives on bringing out the best in people and services? Gloucestershire Managed Services (GMS) is looking for a Workshop Manager to lead the delivery of our Operational Estates trade staff team across both hospital and healthcare building sites in Gloucestershire. In this pivotal role, you will combine technical expertise with hands-on leadership to ensure our maintenance services are safe, compliant, and efficient. You will plan, coordinate, and oversee the work of skilled trades teams and contractors, helping to maintain acute hospital environments that are reliable, safe and ready for patient care every day. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys managing people and performance, solving complex challenges, and improving systems and processes. At GMS, you will be empowered to make a real impact, shaping how our Estates services operate today and evolve for the future.

Main duties of the job:

• Provide day-to-day leadership and direction to operational estate maintenance teams, ensuring planned and reactive tasks are completed safely, efficiently, and to high standards.
• Oversee the delivery of Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) programmes, ensuring full statutory compliance and operational readiness.
• Lead and support staff, promoting accountability, development and professional pride within the team.
• Manage contractors and monitor performance against key standards and KPIs ensuring best value and quality outcomes.
• Provide technical and operational guidance on mechanical, electrical and building services systems.
• Identify and implement service improvements, supporting a proactive and productive maintenance culture.
• Ensure risk assessments, method statements, and safe systems of work are current and effective.
• Contribute to budget planning, resource allocation, and operational reporting.
• Participate in the operational estates on-call rota, providing out-of-hours advice and coordination when required.
• Act as Authorised Person (Confined Space), Authorised Person (Working at Height) and Authorised Person (Duty to Manage Asbestos in Healthcare Buildings).

About us:

At GMS, we are proud to provide the essential support that keeps hospitals running safely and effectively. Our operational estates team plays a vital role in maintaining and improving healthcare environments across Gloucestershire, ensuring that patients, staff, and visitors experience safe and comfortable facilities every day. You will join a forward-thinking and collaborative Estates team where ideas are valued, and innovation is encouraged. We invest in our people, offering structured development and training to help you build your leadership capability and technical expertise. When you join GMS, you will be part of a friendly, inclusive organisation where every member of the team plays an important role in supporting patient care, and where your contribution will be recognised and valued.

Job responsibilities:

• Lead operational estates workshop operations and direct labour teams across multiple healthcare sites in Gloucestershire.
• Set clear expectations, manage priorities, and provide visible day-to-day supervision.
• Foster a culture of safety, teamwork, and professionalism.
• Support staff recruitment, training, and appraisal, developing skills and succession planning within the team.
• Ensure maintenance works meet statutory, mandatory and legislative requirements, including NHS England HTMs, HBNs, ACOPs H&S Regulations and British Standards.
• Plan and oversee maintenance activities to minimise disruption to clinical and non-clinical services.
• Manage and review contractor performance, ensuring quality and compliance is maintained at all times.
• Maintain accurate service records using CAFM and other digital systems.
• Monitor service performance and identify opportunities for efficiency and quality improvement.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives and contribute to estates planning and reporting.
• Work collaboratively with the Operational estates management team and other key stakeholders to deliver a responsive, efficient, productive and customer-focused service.
• Maintain up to date technical and compliance knowledge, including Authorised Person responsibilities where appropriate.
• Undertake mandatory, statutory and role-specific training.
• Must be able/willing to drive.

Person Specification:

Qualifications:

• Time-served qualification or completed apprenticeship in a building services discipline (mechanical, electrical or operational estates management).
• Health & Safety qualification (e.g. IOSH Managing Safely, or equivalent).
• Degree or higher qualification in Estates Management, Engineering or Building Services.
• NHS England HTM Authorised Person in relevant disciplines (e.g., Medical Gases, Electrical, Mechanical, HVAC, Confined Space Working at Height, Duty to manage Asbestos etc).

Experience:

• Experience managing operational estates maintenance teams, contractor management and performance monitoring.
• Experience delivering PPMs and reactive maintenance programmes.
• Experience supervising contractors or capital works, ensuring compliance is maintained.
• Experience managing statutory, mandatory compliance and technical documentation.
• Experience in an acute healthcare, NHS, or other critical environments.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Proven knowledge of operational estates/building services systems (Mechanical, LV/HV Electrical, HVAC, MGPS, Pressure Systems, Safe Water Management, H&S WAH, H&S Confined Space, H&S Asbestos Management).
• Strong understanding and experience of statutory compliance, NHS England HTMs, HBNs, ACOPs and safety regulations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, CAFM, and BMS systems.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and team coordination skills.
• Must be able/willing to drive - have a full driving license.
• Knowledge of fire safety systems and relevant codes of practice.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.