Property Maintenance and Compliance Manager - Orkney Depot

Starting salary: £34,721

Contract type: Permanent

Grade: 3

Location: Orkney Depot

Working Hours: Monday - Friday, 35 hours per week (annualised hours)

Interviews: To be held over MS Teams on Tuesday 25 August 2026

As part of the Monument Conservation Unit in Orkney, you will manage the operational delivery of property maintenance and compliance activities at Properties in Care (PIC), within the Orkney depot area.

Benefits of joining us at Historic Environment Scotland:

• Enrolment onto a Civil Service Pension scheme – 28% employer contribution
• 25 days annual leave, pro-rata (increasing to 30 days after 3 years) + 11.5 public holidays
• Reimbursement for relevant professional subscriptions
• Support for further education and personal development
• Study leave for work related courses
• Flexible working hours (where appropriate)
• Free entry to all of our properties (with up to three guests)
• Free entry to English Heritage, Manx and Cadw properties

Key Responsibilities of this role:

• Responsible for managing and supervising MCU property and compliance staff, deploying them in accordance with requirements at your monuments.
• Carry out maintenance and compliance inspections in line with HES policy, identifying areas of non-conformity or future maintenance requirements.
• Responsible for all property maintenance activity at designated PICs – such as gutter and rainwater goods checks and clearances, high level de-vegetation, roof checks and repairs, painting, grounds maintenance, maintenance of fences, gates, roads and pathways, culverts and drains, larger scale invasive species removal and treatment (rhododendrons, knotweed, Himalayan balsam etc), temporary works checks, Heras fencing and structural propping - all either using in house staff or contractor.
• Work closely with the Operations Compliance team to facilitate compliance activities in the depot area such as: Mechanical & Electrical services, Planned Preventative Maintenance, Asbestos, Legionella, Fire alarms & extinguishers, Emergency Lighting, Waste and pest control liaising with and overseeing contractors and HES staff.
• Act as liaison for tree or wildlife surveys and oversee reactive works.
• Carry out memorial and headstone inspections and arrange oversee remedial work.
• Responsible for recruitment, coordination of staff training, staff development, attendance management, disciplinary procedures and other staff management duties.
• Monitoring work carried out by staff and external contractors, ensuring that HES complies with all relevant Statutory Regulations at the Properties in Care (PICs).
• Purchase materials and supplies for property maintenance and compliance work at PICs, monuments and grounds in line with HES procurement policy.
• Ensure implementation of health & safety policies and procedures production of job folders, risk assessments and method statements, deliver toolbox talks and briefings, all relevant training required to enable the MCU to carry out their works, is in place and up to date.
• Compile and submit accident reports and near misses on the HES PRIME reporting system. Dealing with all aspects of; Assets, Defects, Inspections, Photos. Restrictions, Works & Zones on HES PICAMS (Property in Care Asset Management System).
• Maintain skills and qualifications required for the role, including health and safety and compliance qualifications, complete required CPD for the role.
• Act as the main area/depot liaison for all maintenance and compliance activities, with a strong focus on supporting the Visitor and Community teams with reactive requests or remedial work.
• Build and maintain constructive relationships with internal and external stakeholders and partners relating to the compliance and property operations within your Depot.
• Effectively and efficiently manage the resources and budget allocated to the depot to ensure compliance with HES governance arrangements.
• Support the ongoing development of compliance and property knowledge within the team.
• Role model a proactive, collaborative, outward-facing culture, thinking creatively about opportunities, developing networks internally and sharing the work and experiences of colleagues in the team within the District with the wider Directorate.
• Manage a team of multi-disciplinary colleagues, complying with HES policies and procedures, and developing skills and capability.

Key requirements of the role:

In order for you to be successful in this post, we will be looking for you to submit a cover letter which addresses how you can meet each of the essential and desirable criteria (in up to 1,200 words), using examples of where you have demonstrated these criteria previously. Please ensure that you provide real life examples for each of the criteria to be considered for this post. You can use examples of how you have met this criteria from your work life, home life, education or volunteer experience.

Essential:

• Qualified to SVQ level 4 or SCQF level 6 in relevant discipline
• CITB Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS)
• Safety Manager’s Certificate
• IOSH Managing Safely
• Thorough and extensive knowledge of managing compliance and maintenance in a heritage setting
• Experience and knowledge of health & safety practices including the CDM Regulations, COSHH assessments, production of Risk Assessments and Method Statements.
• Experience of controlling budget spend against the depot priorities and annual budget allocations
• Practical knowledge and experience of relevant areas of compliance associated with property and facilities management
• Ability to organise and oversee multiple compliance and maintenance activities
• Experience of contractor management/supervision

We are dedicated to building a workforce which is reflective of diversity within Scotland. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, religious beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or neurodiversity.

In support of our Gaelic Language Plan, we welcome applications from Gaelic speakers.

We want every candidate to have the best chance to succeed during the recruitment process. If you require your application in an alternative format, please reach out to us via email at recruit@hes.scot or call our Head Office at 0131 668 8600 and speak to a member of our People Team.

Please note that, at this time, we are unfortunately unable to provide sponsorship as part of the recruitment process, therefore you must have current right to work in the UK to be considered for a post.

To submit your application online, please read our ‘How to Apply’ followed by ‘Apply Now’ button to begin your application.