Job overview
Working Full time: 37.5 hours per week
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated and technically skilled Senior Estates Officer (Mechanical Bias) to join the Estates & Facilities team. Reporting to the Head of Estates, the post holder will take a lead role in the operational management and technical delivery of Estates Engineering Services across the Trust.
The role is focused on ensuring the safe, efficient, and compliant operation of engineering systems and infrastructure, supporting the delivery of high-quality patient care. The post holder will provide specialist expertise in mechanical discipline, acting as a senior technical authority and Authorised/Responsible Person where appropriate.
You will lead a team of estates staff and contractors, ensuring that all planned and reactive maintenance, statutory compliance, and engineering performance requirements are met. The role requires strong leadership, sound technical judgement, and the ability to manage complex issues in a busy healthcare environment.
This is a key operational role, with responsibility for maintaining critical services, supporting capital developments, and contributing to the resilience and continuous improvement of the Trust’s estate.
Main duties of the job
The Senior Estates Officer will lead the day-to-day operational delivery of Estates Engineering Services, ensuring a safe, reliable and compliant healthcare environment.
Key responsibilities include managing planned preventative and reactive maintenance, prioritising work based on clinical risk and service impact, and providing technical leadership in either mechanical or electrical disciplines.
The post holder will oversee critical systems such as HVAC, medical gases, water systems, HV/LV distribution, standby generation and building management systems, acting as a senior escalation point for complex faults and service interruptions.
They will ensure compliance with statutory legislation, HTMs and relevant standards, and undertake condition surveys, asset validation and performance reviews.
The role includes leading the technical delivery of capital and minor works, acting as Authorised/Responsible Person where required, and managing estates staff and contractors to ensure safe and effective service delivery.
The post holder will also participate in the on-call rota and act as the first-line Estates lead during incidents, supporting emergency and major incident response.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values. An applicant guide to help and support you through your recruitment journey can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
If you have a disability that meets the definition set out in the Equality Act 2010, and you can show that you meet the ‘essential’ criteria described in the person specification for an available position, please answer ‘YES’ to the question: ‘Do you wish to be considered under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme?’
Please inform the team if you have any special support needs to be considered as part of the interview and selection processes.
The trust offers a Guaranteed Interview Scheme to any armed forces community applicants who meet the essential criteria for the post.
If a DBS is required for your role, you are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee applies which is payable to the DBS Service. Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs will be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
The Trust will not sponsor where the starting salary does not meet immigration rules
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person specification
Skills
Essential
- Awareness of Health & Safety legislation and systems
- Good man management skills, team player
- Ability to apply good problem solving skills.
- Enthusiastic and motivated with the ability to motivate the team
- Computer literate with good keyboard skills. Capable of using a variety of computer software for word processing, spreadsheets, databases, planning tools, building management systems and autocad
- Ability to analyse facts and make decisions as appropriate.
- Knowledge in procurement, design and specification of building works
- Ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels, exercising tact and diplomacy as required.
- Ability to develop client brief to produce feasibility designs and carry approved designs to handover
- Able to provide clear instructions when working under pressure or in emergency situations.
Desirable
- Undertaken role of Authorised Person of one or more disciplines.
- Specialist training in specific areas i.e. high voltage; medical gasses etc.
Qualifications
Essential
- Degree in Electrical, Mechanical or Building related subject or HNC, with relevant experience, together with appropriate extensive experience of man management, contract administration or project delivery.
- A qualification in building services would be an advantage.
- Prepared to undergo any specialist training that is required
Desirable
- Authorised Person (AP) Experience
- IOSH/NEBOSH
Values and Behaviours
Essential
- Flexibility in working patterns to meet the needs of the service
- Commitment to work flexibly across sites as and when required
- Is able to participate as a team member
- Displays CoCH Values and Behaviours
- Partake in on-call rota for estates management
- Ability to work independently
Desirable
- First aid training
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Minimum of 2 years experience in the management of estates services in a Health or other service environment
- Previous experience of team leader/supervisor of estates/maintenance persons
- Ability to interpret drawings/technical manuals
- Experience of managing and development of planned maintenance systems
Desirable
- Previous NHS experience
- Knowledge of statutory and NHS codes of practice
- Knowledge of CDM
- Experience in Financial Management of budgets
- Experience of working in a political sensitive environment
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Applying for this NHS job
This advert is for Senior Estates Officer - Mechanical with Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in Chester, North West, England. It is listed as a Band 7 Estates and facilities role. The advertised salary is £49,387 - £56,515 pa. The contract type is Permanent. The application deadline is 19 Jul 2026.
Before you apply, compare the job description with the person specification and mirror the employer's essential criteria in your supporting information. Use the vacancy title, employer, location, salary, contract type, closing date and posted date (09 Jul 2026) to decide whether this role fits your current NHS job search. If the employer can close applications early, prepare the application before the stated deadline rather than waiting for the final day.
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