Head of Engineering Services

Job Introduction

As Head of Engineering Services, you’ll lead Notting Hill Genesis’s Engineering Services function and establish it as our centre of technical excellence across mechanical and electrical engineering, heating, energy, water and fire safety.

Leading a multidisciplinary team of specialists, you’ll define engineering standards and strengthen the technical control environment across our housing portfolio. Operating as an independent second line of defence, you’ll provide technical assurance and constructive challenge to ensure work delivered in residents’ homes and communal areas is safe, compliant, high quality and provides value for money.

As Head of Engineering Services, you’ll play a key role in improving contractor performance, maintaining the golden thread of asset information and strengthening confidence in building safety, regulatory compliance and asset performance.

How you’ll do it

• Define and maintain engineering policies, technical standards and assurance requirements across M&E, heating, heat networks, energy, water and fire safety, ensuring they remain aligned with relevant legislation and regulations.
• Establish an independent, reliable and auditable engineering assurance system, maintaining clear separation between service delivery, contract ownership and technical assurance.
• Provide technical authority and constructive challenge across Engineering Services, improving contractor performance, reducing defects and ensuring work meets defined safety, compliance, quality and performance standards.
• Lead, develop and build the capability of a multidisciplinary engineering team, embedding consistent professional standards and meeting building safety and regulatory competency requirements.
• Use inspections, certification, assurance data and performance insight to identify systemic risks, maintain audit-ready golden thread information and support investment and asset-management decisions.
• Oversee cost assurance and capital-work handovers, while working with senior leaders, regulators, contractors and other stakeholders to improve value for money, asset quality and engineering outcomes.
• Identify and escalate systemic engineering and safety risks, using data and insight to support early intervention, improve asset performance and inform investment decisions.
• Work collaboratively with senior leaders, regulators, contractors and external partners, ensuring engineering insight informs organisational strategy and that capital works meet engineering standards at handover.

The ideal candidate

We believe great service starts with great people, and we are committed to recruiting and developing passionate, enthusiastic, and talented individuals who can add value to our thriving organisation. 

Pending confirmation of legislative changes, this role may require a qualification to demonstrate competence. If not already qualified, there may be an expectation to study towards a professional qualification. 

Essential:

• A degree in a relevant discipline such as Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Building Services or Fire Engineering, together with professional membership or chartered status with an appropriate body such as CIBSE, IET or IGEM, or evidence that you are working towards this.
• Significant experience in a senior engineering or technical leadership role, including setting technical standards, policies and processes, leading and developing specialist teams, and effectively challenging contractors on quality and performance.
• Strong technical expertise in at least one of the following areas: M&E systems, heating, including gas and heat networks, or fire safety. You’ll also have good working knowledge across the other disciplines and a strong understanding of relevant housing and engineering legislation, technical assurance, governance, audit requirements and accurate golden thread asset information.
• Good understanding of key housing and engineering legislation and regulations, including the Building Safety Act, Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations, fire safety legislation, CDM Regulations and wider health and safety requirements.
• Understanding of technical assurance, governance frameworks and audit requirements within a regulated environment, including the importance of accurate asset data and maintaining the golden thread.
• Experience of leading and developing technical or specialist teams, including managing performance and building capability.
• Experience of using data and insight to monitor performance, identify risks and support informed decision-making.
• Strong judgement and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess complex issues, identify risks and make informed decisions.
• The ability to influence and challenge effectively and communicate complex technical information clearly to a range of stakeholders.
• Understanding of cost and value considerations in engineering decisions and service delivery.
• Intermediate IT and systems skills, including Microsoft Office.
• A full clean UK driving licence.

The role operates on a hybrid basis, with at least three days each week working from an office, community, site-based or partnership setting. Homeworking may be possible on other days, depending on the work and interaction required.

What’s in it for you?

Once you join us, you’ll find plenty of opportunities to grow within our organisation. You’ll also have access to a wide range of learning opportunities to help you achieve and maximise your potential.   

Benefits include:  

• Excellent annual leave allowance and flexible working opportunities (qualifying period may apply)  
• Generous pension scheme  
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay in addition to statutory entitlements (qualifying period may apply) 
• Employee assistance - free confidential advice and counselling services provided by independent specialist organisations 
• Health cash plan  
• Staff discounts - we give our staff access to discounts at hundreds of major retailers, gyms, restaurants, entertainment, days out, insurance, and much more 
• Interest free loans - season ticket loan, tenancy deposit loan, and training loan  
• Cycle to work scheme  
• Life Assurance x 4 annual salary

 All about us

Notting Hill Genesis is a not-for-profit organisation providing affordable homes for Londoners and it is now one of the largest housing associations in London. We are both a landlord and a developer, with more than 65,000 existing homes and 10,000 more in our pipeline and we employ around 1,800 employees. 

For more information on what we do and what makes us different please visit: https://group.nhg.org.uk/careers/  

We welcome applications from everyone. We actively monitor the diversity of our workforce and strive to show equal representation throughout all levels of the organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident employer amongst other diversity commitments. 

To find out more about our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion please visit: https://group.nhg.org.uk/careers/diversity-is-our-strength/  

Selection Process

Step 1: If you are interested, please send your application now! Closing date is 1 November.  

Step 2: Successful candidates will be asked to do an assessment  

Step 3: Successful candidates will be invited to interview   

Please apply for this role online. If you are not able to apply online or if you have any reasonable adjustment requirements arising from a disability or medical condition to fully participate in the recruitment process, please discuss this with our hiring team via jobs@nhg.org.uk.  

NHG reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role, so we advise you to submit your application at your earliest opportunity.