Building Services Manager

English Heritage; Dover; Hybrid; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary from £40,852

25 days holiday + bank holidays

Matched pension up to 10%

Flexible hours

Free access to English Heritage sites

25% discount in shops and cafes

Enhanced parental leave

Additional leave options

Job summary

English Heritage in the Kent/Sussex region is seeking a Building Services Manager to oversee high-quality mechanical and electrical maintenance across historic properties, including Dover Castle. The role supports the South & East Region from Dover Castle or remotely, with a 36-hour week and flexible working where possible.

You will manage M&E assets, coordinate with estate teams, and drive compliant, safe, reliable services while balancing heritage constraints and statutory requirements.

Qualifications

• Minimum HNC/HND level qualification in mechanical and/or electrical engineering and/or equivalent relevant experience in Building/Construction.
• Experience of client-side administration of M&E term maintenance contracts and schedules of rates including budget control and management of KPIs.
• Experience of developing and delivering small to medium M&E capital projects such as boiler and lift replacement.
• Ability to prepare schedules of work, specifications, simple working drawings and diagrams.
• Working knowledge of current legislation and regulations covering an extensive range of mechanical and electrical systems, including fire safety/firefighting equipment, gas safety, pressure systems, legionella controls, security systems and bylaws.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality building services maintenance provision for the National Collection of Historic Properties and Estates.
• Lead on maintenance and management of Mechanical and Electrical assets across Kent and Sussex.
• Coordinate with Estate Managers, Senior Estates Manager and Facilities Manager on maintenance, projects and day-to-day priorities.
• Ensure asset information, maintenance schedules and statutory certification are recorded and compliant.

Skills

M&E contract management

Budget control

Project management

Stakeholder liaison

Education

HNC/HND in mechanical and/or electrical engineering

Tools

K2 CAFM system

Job description

Heritage is for everybody, and we are here for heritage. Heritage lives in places and people, memories and stories, artefacts and traditions. It can connect us all to the past, and to each other. It can make us happier, strengthen every community, and help shape society for the better. Everybody should be able to enjoy the benefits it brings. That's why, as a charity, we care for over a million objects and hundreds of historic sites in every part of England, from international icons to local treasures. And it's why we open them up, share their stories and find new ways for everybody to enjoy, learn, play and create. We are looking for a Building Services Manager to join our team. The role is full time, permanent and working 36 hours per week. We offer flexible working arrangements where the role allows. This role covers Kent and East Sussex and is based at our Dover Castle office or homebased.

The Benefits

• Salary from £40,852, depending on skills, experience and location
• 25 days' holiday plus bank holidays, pro rata, rising to 28 days after 3 years
• Matched pension contributions up to 10%
• Flexible hours
• The opportunity to progress your career within the heritage sector
• Apprenticeship opportunities
• Subscriptions to professional bodies
• Free access to all English Heritage sites for you and up to six friends and family members
• 25% discount in our shops and cafes
• Enhanced maternity, paternity or shared parental leave
• Options to buy additional leave
• An inclusive working atmosphere everybody is supported from all backgrounds, religions and with different needs
• Opportunities to go to some of our great live music and history events

English Heritage cares for the monuments, buildings and places that bring the story of England to life for over 10 million visitors each year. This is a great opportunity for a dedicated Mechanical and Electrical professional to join the South and East Team as a Building Services Manager supporting our Kent and Sussex portfolio which includes Dover Castle, Walmer Castle, Deal Castle and Battle Abbey. This role brings together building services, facilities and project management providing expertise to a team that delivers a holistic estates service to the region. You will actively champion Building Services and lead on the maintenance and management of Mechanical and Electrical systems across the region. The sites within the portfolio vary considerably in complexity and scale. Ranging from Castle's such as Dover, Walmer and Deal to Roman Forts such as Richborough.

Are you passionate about caring for some of England's most important historical buildings and landmarks? If so, this is a great opportunity to join English Heritage Trust's Kent and Sussex based Estates Management team.

The Building Services Manager's primary purpose is to provide a high-quality building services maintenance provision and associated facilities management support for the National Collection of Historic Properties and Estates. It is a busy and varied role which makes the everyday interesting with no two days the same.

The Estates Department is made up of four Regions with teams providing professional expertise to conserve and maintain a range of properties from country houses, ruined castles to hill forts and Roman temples. Working from either Dover Castle or remotely from home, you will be part of the South & East Region team, supporting a diverse portfolio of historic sites across Kent and Sussex.

As Building Services Manager, you will manage mechanical and electrical assets across historic properties and modern visitor facilities. Working with Estate Managers, the Senior Estate Manager, site colleagues and the Facilities Manager, you will use condition information to prioritise maintenance and plan the timely replacement of end-of-life infrastructure, keeping services safe, compliant and reliable. To do this the role requires strong project/contract management skills and a working understanding of health and safety regulations in a construction environment (CDM Regulations etc.). It also requires competence in operating within the constraints of heritage and planning policies and statutory requirements, as well as being able to demonstrate a robust understanding of historic building conservation best practice principles.

As a confident communicator, you will work collaboratively with Estate Managers, the Senior Estates Manager and site colleagues across the Kent and Sussex portfolio, including the Facilities Manager for the Kent area based at Dover Castle. You will build strong working relationships to coordinate maintenance, projects and day-to-day building services priorities.

You will have experience of working with both internal stakeholders and managing contractors in procuring, administering and supervising M&E measured term contracts and associated budgets. You will be confident in preparing works instructions and managing and auditing the quality of work on site. You will also ensure that asset information, maintenance schedules, service records and statutory certification are accurately recorded and kept up to date in the K2 CAFM system, in line with statutory compliance requirements and English Heritage Safety Critical Reporting standards.

To be considered as a Building Services Manager, you'll need:

1. Minimum HNC/HND level qualification in mechanical and /or electrical engineering and/or equivalent relevant experience in Building/Construction.
2. Experience of client-side administration of M&E term maintenance contracts and schedules of rates including budget control and management of KPIs.
3. Experience of developing and delivering small to medium M&E capital projects such as boiler and lift replacement.
4. Ability to prepare schedules of work, specifications, simple working drawings and diagrams.
5. Working knowledge of current legislation and regulations covering an extensive range of mechanical and electrical systems, including fire safety/firefighting equipment, gas safety, pressure systems, legionella controls, security systems and works and other relevant statutory regulations and bylaws.

Interviews will be held on 22nd October 2026 at Dover Castle. If you would like to talk to us e.g. about workplace adjustments or working patterns, please contact Karen Eakers, Estates Manager on [e-mail]. Find out more about us and what we do: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/ You can also meet some of our people and hear about why they enjoy working with us: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/our-people/careers-with-us/

Everybody's welcome at English Heritage Forget the stereotypes. It takes thousands of people from every background to care for England's heritage and open it up for everybody to enjoy. We're looking for every type of person with every kind of skill and experience, and we're committed to making sure that English Heritage is an equitable, diverse and inclusive place to work. You can connect with others through our EDI networks as a member or ally. These include Ethnic Diversity, Faith & Belief, Social Equity, LGBTQ+, Neurodivergence, Age, Disability and Gender Health and Wellbeing. We take wellbeing seriously. We are committed to ensuring everyone feels safe at work and can carry out their role. To support this, we have a network of Mental Health First aiders, regular information and awareness events, unlimited access to an Employee Assistance Programme and work with our people to implement reasonable adjustments.