Chartered Building Surveyor – Built Environment in Birmingham

The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) are the public sector’s property valuation experts and advisers with a vision to be a world-leading provider of public sector valuations. As one of the largest employers of surveyors in the country, our work is vital to the collection of over £60 billion of revenue which goes back into communities, touching every citizen and every business across England and Wales. We champion the values of professionalism, integrity, respect and innovation. We are committed to providing a collaborative and supportive working environment that encourages every colleague to contribute, grow and excel together. With opportunities to drive your own development and growth, we empower our colleagues to succeed by ensuring support at every step of their career journey.

The Valuation Office is seeking a RICS-qualified Chartered Building Surveyor to join our Built Environment and Minerals Surveying (BEAMS) team. The BEAMS team prides itself on its professionalism, customer focus, and the provision of independent and impartial cost and surveying services. Our team comprises Chartered Surveyors specializing in Minerals & Waste Management, Quantity, and Building Surveying, providing impartial advice relating to cost and repair. Our services are essential for maintaining the Agency's non-domestic rating list. BEAMS also extends its professional services to other government bodies.

BEAMS are responsible for the provision of surveying services encompassing a diverse portfolio of properties and specialist building structures, varying significantly in complexity and scale. Professionals within our team may be assigned to projects involving historically significant buildings, as well as unique and specialised structures such as lighthouses, government facilities, and nuclear sites. This opportunity would form part of our core operational delivery, in the specialist surveying area of:

• Building Surveying - This encompasses comprehensive assessments, including pathology analysis, cost scheduling for repair works, dilapidation surveys, condition assessments, insurance reinstatement evaluations, disrepair cost estimations, and depreciated reinstatement cost advice. Our expertise extends to the preparation of Agency Cost Guides, incorporating detailed specifications, evidence-based cost data, and the provision of cost information to support contractor basis valuations. We also provide development viability assessments and cost appraisals for various government bodies.

The training we offer will support you to enhance your technical knowledge and further your career.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing specialist advice on the cost and repair of buildings, infrastructure, and associated attributes.
• Preparing schedules of costs and professional reports.
• Maintaining your knowledge through CPD (Continuous Professional Development) in areas of legislation, case law, codes of practice and professional standards relevant to your area of expertise and the work undertaken within the Built Environment Team.
• Managing and mitigating risks and issues, ensuring timely escalation to senior colleagues.
• Managing and supporting the delivery of single jobs or projects to ensure time, cost, and quality deliverables are met.
• On occasions you may be called upon to act as an expert witness at Valuation Tribunal and other courts as required (Training and support in appearing as an expert witness will be provided).
• Provide mentoring, technical advice and training to support graduates and apprentices on their APC pathways and to support the development of others within the immediate team or wider agency as required.
• Working knowledge and application of Microsoft Office Excel and Word is essential to enable the preparation of reports and cost estimates.