Maintenance Manager in Leicester

Drive maintenance excellence. Lead a great team. Keep our buildings performing at their best.

Location: Leicester

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Competitive + bonus + benefits

Job Summary

As a Maintenance Manager, you will lead the delivery of planned, reactive and project-based maintenance across a cluster of student accommodation properties. You will take ownership of building safety, compliance and maintenance performance, ensuring properties remain safe, operational and maintained to a high standard. Leading a team of maintenance professionals and managing external contractors, you will play a critical role in protecting asset performance and delivering a high-quality living environment for residents. Working closely with the Cluster Operations Manager and Central Estates teams, this role combines technical expertise, operational leadership and hands-on involvement to ensure maintenance services are delivered efficiently and effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead maintenance delivery across your cluster, ensuring reactive, planned and project works are completed safely, efficiently and to a high standard.
• Take ownership of statutory compliance, including fire safety, inspections and regulatory maintenance requirements.
• Manage Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) and annual maintenance programmes, ensuring buildings remain operational year-round.
• Lead, develop and support the Maintenance Team, building capability and driving high performance.
• Coordinate contractors and suppliers, reviewing RAMS and ensuring all works are completed safely and in line with standards.
• Act as a key escalation point for incidents and support emergency response, including participation in the Duty Manager rota.
• Maintain high property standards, ensuring buildings and infrastructure are safe, secure and well maintained.
• Manage maintenance resources and stock, supporting cost control and efficient operations.
• Contribute to financial performance, identifying cost-effective solutions and supporting budget management.
• Drive continuous improvement, identifying opportunities to enhance maintenance processes, efficiency and sustainability outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bring experience in a maintenance, facilities management or property maintenance leadership role.
• Have experience leading maintenance teams and managing contractors in an operational environment.
• Have strong knowledge of planned preventative maintenance and reactive maintenance operations.
• Understand health and safety legislation and statutory compliance requirements.
• Be confident reviewing RAMS and ensuring contractor compliance on site.
• Be organised, practical and solutions-focused, able to manage multiple operational priorities across sites.
• Have excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Qualifications such as IOSH or NEBOSH would be beneficial but are not essential.

Benefits

• A performance-related bonus paid twice a year.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to buy up to 5 extra days.
• A generous pension scheme where contributions range between 4% and 11% depending on how much you save.
• Life assurance worth 4 times your salary.
• Share save scheme giving you access to purchase Unite Students shares at a discounted rate.
• Enhanced Family Leave policies.
• Medicash (Health Cash Plan).
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP).
• One free volunteering day each year.
• Retail and hospitality discounts.