Estates Engineering Shift Leader x 2

Royal Ballet and Opera; Greater London; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Opera House in London is seeking two Shift Leaders to join the in-house Engineering team, leading your own shift and third-party contractors to deliver and implement maintenance across properties.

Based in Covent Garden, you will manage planned preventive and reactive maintenance for a large and historic estate, ensuring compliance, safety, and high standards under pressure while coordinating with internal teams and external partners.

Qualifications

• Experience in shift maintenance for commercial properties.
• Mechanical/Electrical/Building Services qualification or equivalent.
• Knowledge of large complex public or listed buildings.
• Understanding statutory compliance for a large estate.
• Ability to respond quickly under pressure.
• People management and coaching experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead your own shift team and third-party contractors in the delivery and implementation of planned preventive maintenance and emergency reactive maintenance across Royal Opera House properties.

Job description

4 days on/4 days off ‘continental shift’ pattern (42.12 average weekly hours)

£56,247.62 per annum

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.

We are now seeking to recruit two Shift Leaders to work as part of the in-house Engineering team, leading your own shift team and third-party specialist contractors in the delivery and implementation of the planned preventative maintenance and emergency reactive maintenance across Royal Opera House properties.

You Will Be Able To Demonstrate

• Extensive relevant experience with shift maintenance experience in commercial properties.
• Mechanical/Electrical/Building Services qualification 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.
• The ability to react quickly to situations, to be reliable and resilient, to perform consistently under pressure and to respond positively to changing circumstances.
• People management skills to supervise team members to ensure they have the requisite skills and knowledge and are competent and supported through training and coaching to achieve consistently high standards of performance.

Job Description

Closing date for applications: 11:59pm, Sunday 6th September 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.