District Surveyor

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is seeking an experienced District Surveyor to lead its Building Control service. You will provide strategic direction, oversee major developments, and ensure safety and regulatory compliance across London’s high-profile projects.

We require Chartered membership of CABE/CIOB/RICS or equivalent and registration as a Class 3 Building Inspector, with proven leadership, governance and stakeholder-management skills in a changing regulatory environment.

Qualifications

• Chartered membership of CABE, CIOB, RICS, or equivalent.
• Registered as Class 3 Building Inspector.
• Extensive Building Control experience on major, high-risk developments.
• In-depth knowledge of Building Regulations and fire safety.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction and operational oversight for Building Control.
• Lead regulation of major, complex, high-risk developments.
• Influence governance, assurance and public safety standards.
• Develop capability and drive continuous service improvement.

Skills

Building Control leadership

Stakeholder management

Regulatory compliance

Budgeting and performance management

Education

University degree or equivalent in Building Control or related field

Job description

Lead the future of Building Control in one of London's most high-profile boroughs

We are looking for experienced, forward-thinking District Surveyors to play a key leadership role in delivering building safety, regulatory excellence and service transformation within our Building Control Service. This is a rare opportunity for accomplished Building Control professionals to lead the regulation of complex, high-risk and high-profile developments, applying their expertise to some of London’s most significant projects. Operating within the post-Grenfell regulatory landscape, you will help drive the highest standards of safety and compliance while influencing the future direction of Building Control and contributing to a service that is committed to continuous improvement, innovation and public confidence.

What you’ll be doing

As District Surveyor, you will play a pivotal leadership role within Building Control, providing strategic direction and operational oversight to ensure the delivery of a high-performing, customer-focused service. You will lead on the regulation of major, complex and high-risk developments, ensuring compliance with an evolving legislative framework while maintaining the highest standards of governance, assurance and public safety. Working closely with senior leaders, elected members, developers and regulatory partners, you will be a trusted source of expert advice, influencing key decisions and driving service excellence. Alongside overseeing performance and continuous improvement, you will champion the development of Building Control professionals, helping to build capability, foster innovation and shape the future of the service.

What you’ll bring

We're seeking leaders who can combine deep technical expertise with strong commercial acumen and people management skills. The successful candidate will hold Chartered membership of CABE, CIOB, RICS, or an equivalent professional body, and be registered as a Class 3 Building Inspector. They will bring extensive Building Control experience across major, high-risk and complex developments, alongside expert knowledge of Building Regulations, Building Safety legislation and fire safety compliance. With a proven track record of leading regulatory services in a changing legislative environment, they will have demonstrated success in managing teams, budgets, performance and service improvement initiatives. Strong stakeholder management and communication skills are essential, with the credibility and confidence to influence senior decision‑makers, developers, regulators and partners at all levels.

Why join us

At RBKC, we’re all in – investing in our people, our communities and our future.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a Building Control service that is recognised for its expertise, collaborative approach and ambition. Having successfully passed its Building Safety Regulator statutory audit, the service is trusted to deliver at the highest standards and is extensively utilised by the Building Safety Regulator on Building Control applications. You will be part of a highly capable and supportive team that benefits from in‑house Level 3 Building Control expertise, complemented by dedicated structural and fire engineering specialists. The service has established strong partnerships with other London boroughs to deliver major and complex projects and offers a collaborative and welcoming culture where new colleagues quickly become valued members of the team. This role provides the opportunity to work on some of London’s most significant and challenging developments, while offering a genuine platform for professional growth and the chance to help shape the future of Building Control.

You can read more about the different benefits offered to colleagues working for RBKC here - Who We Are - RBKC Careers Careers

Kensington and Chelsea is home to diverse communities, thriving businesses and unique local places. Everything we do is focused on supporting our residents, strengthening our approach and creating a fairer borough.

As a competent and caring Council, we take pride in our work every day, ensuring our services are delivered with care and competence. We listen to our residents, act with integrity and work together to build a borough that is greener, safer and fairer for all. As an Auditor, you’ll play a key role in that mission – not just spotting problems, but helping solve them. You’ll bring clarity, integrity and insight to complex issues and help shape a Council that’s accountable, effective, and always looking to improve.

Working Style

We are committed to supporting flexible ways of working and welcome applications from candidates seeking either full-time or part-time opportunities. Full-time employees are expected to be present within the Borough three days per week. Part-time employees are expected to present within the Borough one day per week.

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.

We are committed to promoting equality and respecting diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

We are a Disability Confident Employer – committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.

We are committed to fair, transparent, and consistent pay practices. New hires will start at the minimum of the advertised salary range.

Employees receive annual salary increases until they reach the top of the pay scale. In addition, employees will receive any agreed cost of living pay rises.

Job Info

• Job Identification 645
• Job Category Environmental and Operational
• Degree Level University / Degree with Honours e.g. BA, BSc or equivalent
• Job Schedule Full time
• Locations Kensington Town Hall, London, London, W8 7NX, GB