Built Estate Manager - RAF Wittering

Vivo Defence; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading facilities management firm in the UK is seeking a Built Estate Manager to oversee maintenance activities across various sites. This role involves managing both internal teams and supply chain partners to ensure compliance and operational excellence. Candidates should have technical expertise in engineering, relevant health and safety certifications, and strong leadership capabilities. The position requires the ability to manage budgets and develop stakeholder relationships while promoting sustainability and safety across operations.

Qualifications

• Proven technical expertise in relevant engineering fields.
• Relevant health and safety certifications (e.g., IOSH, SMSTS).
• Specialist training in areas such as asbestos and legionella management.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and enhance the built environment across allocated sites.
• Manage budgets and track financial progress of projects.
• Lead and support teams while ensuring effective communication.

Skills

Technical expertise in building, civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering

Strong IT skills (Microsoft Office, CAFM systems)

Leadership and team management

Effective communication

Education

HNC/HND-level qualifications or equivalent experience

Tools

CAFM systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

As a Built Estate Manager with VIVO Defence Services, you will take ownership of maintaining and enhancing the built environment across your allocated sites, ensuring all maintenance activities - reactive, planned, and billable works - are delivered safely, efficiently, and to the highest quality standards. You will lead both internal teams and supply chain partners to ensure performance targets are consistently achieved, with a focus on compliance, value for money, and operational excellence.

Your technical remit will include managing the delivery of all Reactive and Programmed Maintenance, as well as Billable Works under 25k, in line with statutory legislation, MoD requirements, and health, safety, and environmental policies. You will oversee the maintenance of site-specific schedules, monitor compliance states, and ensure overdue statutory and mandatory tasks are mitigated through close collaboration with Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and Heads of Establishment. You'll also identify opportunities to support the MoD's Net Zero carbon reduction goals and initiate appropriate projects to help achieve them.

On the people side, you will act as the primary point of contact for senior stakeholders on your sites, developing and maintaining strong working relationships to ensure effective communication and service delivery. You will lead, mentor, and support your team—ensuring thorough onboarding for new managers, overseeing their CPD, and promoting professional standards across all operations.

Commercially, you will manage budgets, track financial progress against planned works, and ensure all projects are delivered efficiently and economically. You will make sound commercial decisions to balance cost control with stakeholder satisfaction, while supporting risk management across the contract.

To succeed in this role, you will need proven technical expertise in building, civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering supported by HNC/HND-level qualifications or equivalent experience. You will hold relevant health and safety certifications (such as IOSH, SMSTS) and have specialist training in areas such as asbestos and legionella management. Strong IT skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office, CAFM systems, and collaboration tools like Teams and SharePoint, are essential.

Desirable attributes include professional membership (CIOB, IEng, or similar), NEBOSH qualifications, and advanced CAFM knowledge. Above all, you will be a strong communicator, a collaborative leader, and a solutions-focused manager who can ensure sites are operated safely, sustainably, and to the highest operational standards.

Hard services FM management and project management experience is essential to be considered for this role, as well as the ability to pass SC Clearance.

VIVO provides facilities management and accommodation maintenance for the UK military and its partners. VIVO embodies both experience and innovation.