General Maintenance Employee

Gentoo Group Limited; Sunderland; Hybrid; GBP 24,000 - 29,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

31 days annual leave

Early finish on Fridays

Flexible and hybrid working

Health cash plan

Private healthcare access

Pension scheme (Aviva)

Salary sacrifice EV scheme

Enhanced family-friendly leave

Car mileage allowance

Life assurance

Job summary

Gentoo, a leading social housing provider in Sunderland, seeks a General Maintenance Employee to support homes across the city. You will help deliver safe, high‑quality repairs, damp/mould treatments, insulation work, and customer‑facing service as part of the Property Maintenance team.

The role is 36 hours per week with occasional overtime. A full UK driving licence and a basic DBS check (funded by Gentoo) are required.

Qualifications

• A full UK driving licence.
• Experience or transferable skills relevant to construction, maintenance, or labouring work.
• A flexible, reliable approach to meeting service demands.
• Ability to work at height and outdoors in varying conditions.
• Confidence using handheld IT systems.
• Knowledge of, or willingness to learn, relevant Health & Safety requirements.
• A positive attitude towards learning and developing new skills.

Responsibilities

• Carry out general construction and maintenance labouring duties, including working at height and in confined spaces.
• Support trade colleagues with repairs such as gutter clearing, pointing, and window mastic replacement.
• Remove furniture, waste, and debris from homes, sites, and communal areas.
• Undertake damp and mould treatments, including mould wash‑downs and warmer wall applications.
• Install loft insulation (replacements and top‑ups).
• Deliver excellent customer service through clear, respectful communication.
• Respond to property damage, including spillages and flood‑related debris.

Skills

Driving licence

Construction/maintenance experience

Flexibility

Height work

Handheld IT

Health & Safety knowledge

Learning mindset

Job description

We’re a values-driven, charitable organisation on a mission to make a real difference in Sunderland. Every day, we provide more than 60,000 people with a place they’re proud to call home. Our vision is clear: everyone deserves a good-quality home they can afford. We invest millions of pounds each year to keep our homes safe and decent, while also playing a part in tackling the UK housing crisis by building hundreds of modern, energy-efficient homes for rent right here in Sunderland. If you share our passion for creating thriving communities and want to be part of something that truly matters, we’d love for you to join us and help achieve our vision. If you have any accessibility needs or require adjustments, please let us know—we’re here to support you. We may close this vacancy earlier than the advertised closing date if we receive a large number of applications.

Salary : £26,747.00

Job Description

Join us and be part of a team that values excellence, collaboration, and making a real difference to our customers. Due to a recent retirement we’re recruiting a General Maintenance Employee (GME) to join Gentoo’s Property Maintenance team, supporting homes across the City of Sunderland. This role plays a key part in delivering safe, high‑quality repairs and maintaining the homes our customers rely on every day. Working alongside experienced colleagues, you’ll support the delivery of a responsive repairs and maintenance service. Your contribution will directly impact customer safety, comfort, and satisfaction. Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We’re looking for people who take pride in their work, communicate clearly and respectfully, and enjoy working as part of a team to deliver great service. This role is based on a 36‑hour working week, with flexibility to support occasional overtime. We also offer training and development opportunities, helping you build your skills and progress your career with us. A full UK driving licence is required. A basic DBS check will be arranged and funded by Gentoo.

What you will be doing

• Carry out general construction and maintenance labouring duties, including working at height and in confined spaces.
• Support trade colleagues with repairs such as gutter clearing, pointing, and window mastic replacement.
• Remove furniture, waste, and debris from homes, sites, and communal areas.
• Undertake damp and mould treatments, including mould wash‑downs and warmer wall applications.
• Install loft insulation (replacements and top‑ups).
• Deliver excellent customer service through clear, respectful communication.
• Respond to property damage, including spillages and flood‑related debris.
• Drive, collect, and deliver materials to support team operations.

What you will bring

• A full UK driving licence.
• Experience or transferable skills relevant to construction, maintenance, or labouring work.
• A flexible, reliable approach to meeting service demands.
• Ability to work at height and outdoors in varying conditions.
• Confidence using handheld IT systems.
• Knowledge of, or willingness to learn, relevant Health & Safety requirements.
• A positive attitude towards learning and developing new skills.

Some of our great benefits include

• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) with an option to purchase up to 5 additional days per year.
• Early finish on Fridays
• Flexible and hybrid working.
• Free Health Cash Plan, with cashback for dental, optical, physio, wellbeing therapies and more, with some free child cover.
• Access to private healthcare through the Health Cash Plan.
• Competitive Aviva pension scheme - Gentoo will contribute up to 10% based on your personal contribution.
• Salary sacrifice electric vehicle scheme
• Enhanced family-friendly leave
• Car mileage allowance if you use your personal vehicle for business purposes.
• Life assurance cover to the value of 3 times your annual salary

We are one of the largest employers in Sunderland and a leading provider of social housing in the North East.

We are officially a Great Place to Work and employ more than 1,100 people in more than 200 different job roles. We are proud of every colleague who helps make a difference in our communities and our customers’ lives

Our Values, made by colleagues for colleagues. We care about people. We take accountability. We shape the future. We bring leadership. We deliver.

If you have any accessibility needs or require adjustments, please let us know—we’re here to support you.