Joining #TeamNELFT means you’ll become part of a welcoming and supportive working environment. We’re CQC rated Good, and we want you to join us on the journey towards an Outstanding rating. NELFT has sites across North East London, Essex, Kent and Medway. We provide community and mental healthcare services to adults and children within these areas.
The Trust has award winning equality and diversity initiatives and staff health and wellbeing activities. We invest heavily in your development, because when you are valued and supported, we provide the best care to our patients. We are a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader, have been featured in the Working Families Top 10 Employers benchmark for three consecutive years, and we have achieved a Carers UK Level 1 Accreditation. Along with our staff networks and training opportunities, we work hard to embed a just and compassionate culture here at NELFT.
Find out more about NELFT careers and what makes our Trust a great place to work, in this video
Job overview
NELFT Trust staff operate from nearly two hundred sites located across North East London, Essex and Kent. Operating a 24/7 service, the Estates Maintenance Team is directly responsible for the safe operation of a number of those sites that are either owned and/or managed by NELFT.
The Maintenance Manager is responsible for delivering a safe, efficient and effective maintenance service through managing various contractors.
The postholder must ensure that engineering and building activities are compliant with statutory legislation, Health Technical Memorandums (HTMs) and other relevant codes of practice. The postholder is responsible for the reactive, corrective and planned maintenance of equipment, engineering services and building fabric for all Healthcare properties under their control. The postholder will also liaise with our landlords in order to support NELFT staff working on those sites where the landlords are responsible for the maintenance of their own sites
The postholder will possess a strong track record of managing and delivering a customer focused Estates service in a highly complex environment, preferably in healthcare. The postholder will be a Senior Manager who will lead a team where the quality of service, strong financial management and statutory compliance are the key drivers within all areas of the service.
Main duties of the job
1. The postholder will be required to communicate highly complex technical information with senior managers, executive directors, contractors, suppliers and other staff on a range of operational estates projects and works programmes.
2. Responsible for ensuring that appropriate managerial, technical engineering, building resources and associated infrastructure are in place to support the delivery of a safe and cost-effective maintenance and repair service for staff and service users to maintain the corporate objectives of the Trust and the relevant Healthcare regulatory standards.
3. Ensure that managerial and staff responsibilities and objectives are clearly defined and that staff members are developed and supported to make an effective contribution to the delivery of the Estates Annual Plan.
4. To undertake staff training and appraisals and be responsible for recruitment and retention in accordance with NELFT policies for areas under their remit.
5. Have responsibility for a delegated annual budget for estate services and act as authorising officer for items such as travelling expenses, petty cash receipts and time sheets.
6. Have responsibility for the operational annual budget for both staff and non-staff revenue allocations including the procurement and purchasing of all parts, materials and supplies
Working for our organisation
Our Values 2025 - 2030
Working with our colleagues, patients and carers we have co-produced three new values that we aim to embed within our culture here at NELFT.
They are:
7. We are kind.
8. We are respectful.
9. We work together with our communities.
These three values help us to strive to provide the best care by the best people.
Probationary Period
This post will be subject to a probationary period.
NELFT place great importance on new starters being properly welcomed and inducted into the Trust. All new starters will join the Trust on the first Monday of each month and undertake a comprehensive induction of up to two weeks, including mandatory training, systems training and the allocation of equipment. As part of the process new starters will have the opportunity to also meet the executive team, senior managers and attend a number of drop in sessions focussing in engagement, health and wellbeing and key processes. The induction will be held at our head office in Rainham, Essex.
High Cost Area Supplement - Outer London
This post also attracts payment for High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of the basic salary (with a minimum of £4,714 to a maximum of £5,941 pro rata for part time).
On-call allowance
This post will be required to participate in the Estates on-call rota and attracts a payment of 3% of the basic salary.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role and working at North East London NHS Foundation Trust. We encourage you to refer closely to this when completing your application.
We welcome your application even if you do not meet all the criteria listed in the person specification. Any development needs to help you succeed in the role, can be discussed at the interview stage.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
10. Hold or be working towards a first Degree in an Electrical, Mechanical or Building Service Engineering discipline
11. Hold an HNC/HND in one of the above disciplines and demonstrate significant knowledge and post qualification experience
12. Membership of a relevant professional institute in an Electrical, Mechanical or building service Engineering discipline
Experience
Essential criteria
13. Detailed knowledge and substantial senior level experience of delivering safe Estates services that provide continuity and deliver the business activities of the Trust
14. In depth working knowledge of the legislative and mandatory compliance needs of Estates
15. Experience of managing a FM/Helpdesk computerised software programme. (Note the Trust currently uses Concept Evolution)
16. Good working knowledge of building environment sustainability and energy strategies. Also, methods of achieving plant operation and energy savings.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
17. Sound understanding of workforce, performance and financial management and processes including compliance with standing financial instructions (SFI’s) particularly with quotes and tenders
18. Ability to act as the departments Estates user/client when working with in-house project managers and external consultants, to brief on initial design and to support snagging and integration of new works into PPM system etc
19. Knowledge of complex engineering systems and maintenance procedures.
Benefits
We believe in bringing your authentic and best self to work, in order to deliver the best care to our patients. We are committed to supporting our employees holistically. Here is a snapshot of what is on offer at NELFT:
20. A long-standing and award-winning approach to equality and diversity with supportive networks for ethnic minority staff, staff with disabilities or long term/chronic conditions and LGBT staff.
21. A commitment to supporting colleagues to achieve a work life balance, through flexible working opportunities and our effortsto support our working parents and carers. This has resulted in us being recognised as a ‘Top 10 Family Friendly Employer’ from the Working Families Charity.
22. Proactive health and wellbeing support, including access to our employee assistance programme, staff psychological support, individual wellbeing conversations and a network of health and wellbeing ambassadors.
23. Detailed information about our wellbeing and benefits offer can be found in this link.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time hours or another flexible pattern.