Estates Engineering Maintenance Manager

Royal Ballet and Opera; Greater London; On-site; GBP 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

The Royal Ballet and Opera in Covent Garden, London, is seeking an experienced engineering professional to lead our team of in-house mechanical and electrical engineers and work with specialist contractors.

This hands-on leadership role focuses on ad hoc maintenance and shaping the future Masterplan, requiring a proven track record in large public buildings, heritage-sensitive environments, and strong budgetary control.

Qualifications

• Engineering Apprenticeship/HNC Level Engineer, or proven competence through practical experience.
• Knowledge of working practices in large, complex public buildings.
• Understanding of statutory compliance in a large estate.
• Experience maintaining historic/heritage buildings.
• Strong budgetary understanding and control.
• Project management skills with a track record of delivering projects on time and within budget.

Responsibilities

• Lead our in-house mechanical and electrical engineers and coordinate with specialist contractors.
• Deliver ad hoc maintenance projects and contribute to the Masterplan.
• Plan, manage and monitor budgets and project deadlines with accountability.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Public buildings knowledge

Statutory compliance knowledge

Heritage building maintenance

Budget management

Project management

Education

Engineering Apprenticeship/HNC

Job description

Salary: c. £60,000 per annum, based on skills and experience

Hours - Full time, 40 hours per week (with some flexibility to work varied hours including evenings and weekends)

Based in: Covent Garden, London

The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world-class Companies: The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.

The Royal Opera House describes the place we work, not who we are. The whole is always more than the sum of its parts - we may be a House, but three quarters of our audiences experience what we do outside this building. While our Covent Garden theatre is the nerve centre, the impact and influence of the organisation can be felt in every corner of the country, and around the world.

The Estate of the Royal Ballet and Opera comprises three buildings: the main site in Covent Garden includes a 2,000+ seated theatre which dates from 1858, and redeveloped stage and newly developed rehearsal rooms, dressing rooms, workshops offices and ancillary spaces sating from a large-scale capital project completed in 1999, and a second theatre and refreshed front of house spaces delivered via the Open Project in 2018. The RBO’s Production Workshop and Costume Centre are located in Thurrock, Essex and a 14,000m2 store in Aberdare, Wales. Together the facilities enable the organisation to deliver a complex and busy production schedule and support the work of staff, artists and creatives to stage opera and ballet to exacting standards.

Following a recent internal promotion, we are looking for an experienced engineering professional to lead our team of in-house mechanical and electrical engineers, as well as working with specialist third party contractors delivering work on behalf of RBO. Our ideal candidate will be a professional with an extensive track record in a similar role, with a hands on engineering background. They will have robust people management and communication skills and the ability to lead a team of engineers to achieve consistently high standards of performance. They will have a flexible mindset and the ability to plan and manage change effectively, being reliable and resilient when responding positively to changing circumstances.

Can You Demonstrate The Following

• Engineering Apprenticeship/HNC Level Engineer, or proven competence through practical experience.
• A detailed knowledge of the working practices and demands of a large complex public building and/or listed building.
• Good working knowledge of statutory compliance within a medium to large, diverse, and complex estate.
• Previous knowledge and experience of maintaining buildings of historic/heritage importance.
• Strong budgetary understanding and control.
• Project management skills and ability to deliver to budget and deadlines with a proven track record of taking and accepting responsibility for projects and initiatives.

Please note, although project management skills are a bonus in terms of the way we work, this role is not for a project manager. This requires hands-on engineering skills and leadership and is required to work alongside the senior team to deliver both ad hoc maintenance projects and to work on the future Masterplan.

Job Description

A full job description can be found here.

Closing date for applications: 11:59pm, Sunday 18th October 2026

To ensure a fair process, late applications will not be considered under any circumstances.

Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK. No agencies.