Engineering Lead
Job Purpose
The Engineering Lead for the global life sciences account provides senior technical, strategic, and operational leadership across the EMEA portfolio, ensuring safe, compliant, resilient, and cost‑effective delivery of the account Technical Provision. The role is the senior technical authority and escalation point, accountable for technical strategy, leadership of Technical Lead SMEs, and CAPEX lifecycle investment planning.
The role acts as the senior technical authority and escalation point for the account, leading a federated model of Technical Leads and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and holding overall accountability for technical strategy, CAPEX planning, lifecycle investment decisions, and regulatory compliance across a highly regulated pharmaceutical estate.
The role is accountable for development and delivery of account Technical Strategy in conjunction with senior client stakeholders. As well as regular meetings and interactions with client stakeholders, the successful candidate will be the client communication and POC for reporting initiatives, escalations etc.
Key Tasks
Technical Leadership & Governance
* Act as the senior technical authority for the client account, setting and enforcing technical standards across all sites and regions
* Provide functional leadership to existing Technical Lead SMEs ensuring clear role clarity, aligned priorities, and consistent application of engineering standards.
* Chair or sponsor technical governance forums, ensuring coordinated decision-making across engineering disciplines, regions, and suppliers
* Serve as final escalation for critical incidents, system failures, audit findings, and regulatory risks
* Energy and Sustainability – oversight and governance of the E&S provision on the account. Working with the assigned BSO to ensure delivery of agreed scope, reporting and visibility across client and internal stakeholders, and implementation of initiatives across operational teams.
People Leadership & Capability
* Provide formal leadership to senior technical resources Technical Leads and SMEs embedded within account
* Drive capability development, succession planning, and competency assurance across the technical community
* Ensure consistent application of CBRE workforce development, competency verification, and technical training expectations – including TCCC and Competency Verification Programmes
Operational Assurance & Compliance
* Ensure planning and communication of planned maintenance across all engineering systems in line with the client’s standards, statutory obligations, and CBRE policy.
* Where relevant, lead responses to audits, inspections, and technical assurance reviews, ensuring timely closure of findings and sustainable corrective actions.
CAPEX Planning & Lifecycle Accountability
* Hold account-level accountability for CAPEX planning, prioritisation, and governance, working in partnership with the client stakeholders and CBRE leadership.
* Lead development of multi-year CAPEX and lifecycle investment plans, informed by asset condition, risk, obsolescence, and business criticality.
* Ensure CAPEX decisions are aligned to asset strategy, regulatory risk, operational resilience, and total cost of ownership.
* Sponsor technical input to business cases, investment proposals, and funding approvals, ensuring robust engineering justification and value management.
Financial & Commercial Oversight
* Support preparation of long-term technical investment plans
* Monitor engineering OPEX and CAPEX performance, identifying risks, trends, and optimisation opportunities
* Provide technical leadership on supplier strategy, performance management, and commercial challenge where required
Client & Stakeholder Engagement
* Act as a trusted senior technical advisor to client stakeholders and the CBRE Account Leadership Team
* Support productivity and effectiveness of technical teams through clear strategy, escalation management, and decision support
* Build strong partnerships across CBRE Operations, QHSE, Energy, Projects, PMO, and Workplace Experience functions.
Scope & Complexity
* Multi-country, EMEA-wide client portfolio.
* Leadership of a federated technical model comprising Technical Directors, Technical Leads, SMEs, and specialist partners
Success Measures (Role Outcomes)
* Consistent technical standards and risk management across all client sites.
* Clear leadership, alignment, and effectiveness of Technical Lead SME
* Robust, defensible CAPEX planning aligned to asset risk and business priorities
* Strong audit outcomes reduced technical risk exposure, and improved asset resilience
* Trusted advisor status with the client and CBRE senior leadership
Person Specification
* Degree level or equivalent education
* Languages English – other European Languages a benefit
* Technical Team Leadership
* Proven capability working with teams for delivery of initiatives
* Client presentations
* CAPEX planning
* LCAM
* Travel when required (across UK & EMEA)
Desirable
* CMMS capability and understanding
* Experience with SMART FM
* Experience with next generation maintenance innovation – e.g. predictive and reliability centered maintenance programmes
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