Principal Building Control Surveyor in Taunton

Salary Grade 8 – £49,282 per annum, plus a time limited recruitment allowance of £7,500 per annum until 31/10/2028.

This role offers hybrid working, allowing you to work either from home or from one of our offices.

Overview: Take the lead on some of the most complex and high‑profile building projects in Somerset, playing a critical role in protecting communities and raising standards across the built environment. As Principal Building Control Surveyor, you’ll combine your technical expertise with strategic leadership—overseeing major developments, managing a highly skilled team, and ensuring that compliance and safety remain at the forefront of everything we do. This is a rare opportunity to step into a senior, influential role within Somerset Council, where you’ll help shape how the service evolves, build strong relationships across the industry, and make a visible, lasting impact at scale.

Role Summary: The Principal Building Control Surveyor provides operational leadership and expert technical oversight of the Building Control service, ensuring statutory duties, regulatory standards, and service objectives are consistently met. The role is central to safeguarding public safety, leading on major projects, enforcement activity, and high-risk work, while managing and developing a team of professional surveyors. Through strong leadership and technical expertise, the role supports Somerset Council’s priorities by maintaining a safe and compliant built environment and delivering a high-quality, responsive service for residents, businesses, and partners.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the operational management of the Building Control service, including line management of approximately 15 staff.
• Act as lead officer on major projects, dangerous structures, and complex enforcement matters.
• Ensure compliance with Building Regulations, statutory duties, and Building Safety Regulator requirements.
• Manage workloads, resources, and performance to meet key performance indicators and service standards.
• Support, mentor, and develop staff, including training plans and competency development.
• Represent the Council in legal proceedings and high‑level enforcement actions.
• Lead on marketing and business development to grow and retain service users.
• Manage financial performance including budget monitoring, revenue review, and fee negotiation.
• Deputise for the Head of Building Control as required.
• Provide expert technical advice and leadership across the organisation and to external partners.
• Ensure the service meets Operational Standards Rules and ISO 9001 quality requirements.

Qualifications:

• Understand the strategic needs of the service and have the ability to apply a robust knowledge of the Building Regulations (and associated legislation) to ensure the service meets its statutory duties and the Operational Standards Rules set by the Building Safety Regulator.
• Exercise judgement and make balanced assessments using standard technical guidance along with specialist knowledge to put forward rational, evidence‑based recommendations.
• Apply robust specialist knowledge of the Building Regulations (and associated legislation) to ensure all projects achieve the required level of compliance.
• The role will require key life safety decisions and technical expertise to ensure buildings are safe and compliant for occupants in Somerset.
• Represent the service in legal proceedings and lead on taking effective enforcement where required.
• Hold the status of a Registered Building Inspector and carry out tasks that are registered to do so under the Building Inspector Competency Framework.
• Operationally manage the service to ensure all of the Registered Building Inspectors and other staff within the team are providing a competent, highly technical service to clients to ensure the Council is achieving its statutory duty.
• Advise senior management and elected members on relevant complex and specialist buildings, allowing the organisation to meet statutory needs.
• Manage staff, support the Head of Building Control, and represent the authority in all functions where required.
• Undertake all necessary site inspections, surveys, and meetings away from the office. Also, be able to climb ladders, work in confined spaces, and be capable of entering a typical construction site environment.
• Achieve or be working towards a minimum of Class 2 (higher) registration – note that any offer will be subject to this being achieved prior to April 2024.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, sufficient to write technical reports and associated correspondence.
• Write clearly, succinctly, and correctly; in a well‑structured and logical way; use technology to achieve work objectives.
• Have 7 years of Building Control experience, either with a local authority or a private organisation.
• Hold a Degree, HNC or a degree equivalent in a construction‑related discipline.
• Membership of a professional body such as RICS, CABE or CIOB.

Additional Information:

• Hybrid working, allowing you to work either from home or from one of our offices.
• 30 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays.
• Permanent role – 37 hours a week.
• Grade 8 salary of £49,282, and a time limited recruitment allowance of £7,500 per annum until 31/10/2028.

Regretfully, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Samuel Tully, Service Manager at samuel.tully@somerset.gov.uk.