Hard Service Manager in Colchester, Essex

At Places for People, we hire People, not numbers. Experience and qualifications matter, but we are equally focused on people who live our People Promises – doing the right thing, taking ownership, showing respect, supporting community and delivering consistently high standards.

As part of the Places for People Group, PFP Students provides facilities management services to university campuses and student accommodation across the UK. Our approach is built on partnership, statutory compliance and delivering a first-class student experience. Join a team that genuinely cares about the communities it supports.

Due to continued growth, we are recruiting a Hard Services Manager on a permanent basis. This role is site-based, five days per week at: The Copse, Capon Road, Colchester, CO4 3ZT.

You will lead and coordinate all hard services activity across site, ensuring the accommodation remains safe, compliant, functional and well maintained at all times. This is not just a technical role. The administrative and compliance elements are critical. You will be accountable for:

• Planning and delivering the full Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) programme
• Managing lifecycle replacement schedules
• Coordinating reactive maintenance
• Maintaining accurate asset registers
• Ensuring O&M manuals are kept fully up to date
• Producing performance reports, budget information and compliance records
• Managing contractor documentation, audits and statutory certification
• Maintaining auditable Health & Safety inspection records
• Updating risk assessments and safe systems of work
• Using CAFM and other IT systems to record, monitor and evidence compliance

You will report to the General Manager and lead the on-site Maintenance team, providing clear direction, technical expertise and professional oversight. You will also deputise in the General Manager's absence where required. Health and Safety, statutory compliance and documentation control are fundamental to this role. You must be confident in managing compliance frameworks and ensuring records stand up to audit scrutiny. Participation in an out-of-hours standby and call-out rota is required. A Basic DBS check is mandatory.

Essential Experience

• Buildings maintenance or facilities management
• Managing and leading staff
• Delivering PPM programmes and building maintenance
• Complying with Health, Safety and Environmental regulations
• Using computerised maintenance / CAFM systems

Essential Qualifications

• City & Guilds Level 3 trade qualification (e.g. electrical, plumbing or equivalent)
• Minimum of 4 GCSEs (Grade A–C) including Maths and English (or equivalent)
• Full UK Driving Licence

Desirable Qualifications

• Leadership qualification
• Health & Safety or Environmental qualification
• ONC/HNC in mechanical or electrical discipline
• First Aid qualification
• Manual Handling training
• Customer Service training

Skills and Knowledge

• High attention to detail, particularly in record keeping and compliance
• Strong working knowledge of Health & Safety legislation
• Good understanding of mechanical and electrical systems
• Experience working within multi-occupancy buildings (e.g. student accommodation, hotels, care settings)

You will be organised, methodical and confident managing both the operational delivery and the administrative control that underpins statutory compliance.

The benefits

We are a large, diverse and ambitious organisation offering stability, progression and genuine opportunity to develop your career. Our benefits package includes:

• Buying and selling holidays
• Pension with matched contributions
• Ongoing training and development
• Retail, leisure and lifestyle discounts

If you are technically capable, compliance-focused and ready to take ownership of a critical site leadership role, we would welcome your application.

What's next?

If you meet the criteria and are ready to make the next step in your career then click apply. You will be redirected to our careers site where you can discover more about the role, read a full job description and apply directly to us.

As part of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we offer a guaranteed interview to candidates who are disabled, neurodiverse, or have served in the Armed Forces, provided they meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to be considered under this scheme, please indicate this in your application.

We are dedicated to creating a supportive and accessible recruitment process for all. We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview experience, please let us know. We're happy to work with you to ensure you have the opportunity to perform at your best.

If you are a Places for People customer and you're looking for support with your application, please contact our skills and employment team on skillsemployment@placesforpeople.co.uk.

We understand the importance of a supportive and inclusive work culture so please talk to us at interview about flexibility you may need. We can't promise to give you exactly what you want, but we promise not to judge you for asking.

If you are a recruitment agency please note we operate a PSL and do not take cold calls.

Safeguarding

At Places for People, safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. We are committed to creating safe communities for our customers and colleagues by protecting children, young people, and adults at risk from harm, abuse, and neglect. We follow robust safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring all employees, volunteers, and contractors uphold the highest standards of safeguarding and accountability. Our recruitment process includes pre-employment checks, including Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks where applicable, to promote a safe and secure working environment. By joining Places for People, you are expected to contribute to our safeguarding culture, following our policies and reporting concerns to protect those in our communities.