General Operative

Mears Group PLC; North East; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 31,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Mears Fun Day

Volunteering Leave

Staff perks with Mears Rewards

Family friendly policies

Access to EAP Counselling

OOH rota available 1 in 6 weeks

Job summary

Mears Group plc in the Northeast is seeking a skilled General Operative to join our Repairs and Maintenance team in Newcastle/Durham. This role is largely lone working in occupied and void properties, combining practical DIY tasks with customer service to uphold high housing standards.

You will perform inspections, change light bulbs, fit blinds, seal gaps, check smoke alarms, and follow a structured checklist.

Qualifications

• Basic DIY skills including ability to re plumb a washing machine, putting up blinds, refixing door handles and siliconing a bath.
• Customer service experience.
• IT literate.
• Good communication and customer service skills where required.
• Ability to provide own hand tools including spirit level, screw drivers and hammers.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Reliable.
• Excellent time keeping.
• Can do attitude.
• Happy to travel across the region.

Responsibilities

• Carry out property inspections and a wide range of general maintenance and repair tasks.
• Change light bulbs, fit and adjust blinds, apply silicone, secure doors and perform minor repairs.
• Check smoke alarms as part of routine property inspections and follow a structured checklist.
• Work independently and, where needed, in a lone-working capacity within occupied or void properties.

Skills

Basic DIY skills

Customer service

IT literate

Good communication

Own hand tools

Full UK driving licence

Reliable

Time keeping

Can do attitude

Travel across region

Tools

Hand tools

Job description

Annual salary: up to £31,265.39

General Operative

Salary

£29,426.25 per annum plus commercial vehicle and fuel card

Location

Newcastle/ Durham

Contract Type

Permanent, Full-Time

Hours

42.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Mears provides temporary accommodation to asylum seekers whilst their claim is being assessed in three regions: Northeast, Yorkshire and Humber, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. Mears work in partnership with central and local Government, registered providers, tenants, landlords and investors to find solutions to homelessness, provide more social and affordable housing and create specialist housing for people with care needs.

About The Role

We are seeking a skilled and dependable General Operative to join our Repairs and Maintenance team. This role will be mainly lone working within both occupied and void properties. This is a hands‑on role requiring a mix of practical ability, customer service, and teamwork. You’ll be responsible for a wide range of tasks that help maintain our properties to a high standard. The role as a General Operative is to carry out property inspections and complete a wide range of general maintenance and repair tasks. Duties include changing light bulbs, fitting and adjusting blinds, applying silicone, securing doors, and completing other minor repairs as required. The role also involves checking smoke alarms as part of routine property inspections and working through a structured checklist to ensure all properties meet required standards. Attention to detail, a practical approach, and the ability to work independently are essential.

Role Criteria

• Basic DIY skills including ability to re plumb a washing machine, putting up blinds, refixing door handles and siliconing a bath
• Customer service experience
• IT literate
• Good communication and customer service skills where required
• Ability to provide own hand tools including spirit level, screw drivers and hammers
• Full UK driving licence
• Reliable
• Excellent time keeping
• Can do attitude
• Happy to travel across the region

Benefits We Can Offer You

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
• Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake paid volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment.
• Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers, Share save scheme, plus much more
• Family friendly policies
• Access to EAP Counselling sessions
• OOH rota available 1 in 6 weeks. Monday to Monday covering 24 hours a day

All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.

To drive a Mears vehicle, you must be aged over 21 have held your licence over 3 months and have less than 9 points.

As part of the recruitment process for this role, we will carry out a Background, Identity, Security clearance & BPSS check. For these checks to be completed, we will require from you the relevant identification, including Proof of Address, References, a valid passport and proof that you have lived in the UK for the last 5 years.

At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.

In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.