Head of Technical Compliance

VIVO Defence Services; West Midlands; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

6% pension

25 days annual leave

Bonus

Company car/Car allowance

Life assurance 2x annual salary

Private medical cover

Job summary

VIVO Defence Services is seeking a Head of Technical Compliance to lead technical governance and ensure safety, quality and statutory compliance across a UK defence portfolio. The role involves steering technical strategy, guiding engineers, and collaborating with senior leaders and DIO representatives.

This home-based, permanent role requires a Level 3+ engineering qualification, security clearance (SC) eligibility, and the ability to travel across England to cover contract sites.

Qualifications

• Qualification in electrical or mechanical engineering (Level 3 minimum).
• Experience managing compliance, assurance or engineering governance within a complex operational environment.
• Ability to interpret statutory compliance relating to building engineering systems, infrastructure and health and safety legislation.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical governance and compliance across a diverse portfolio.
• Oversee design reviews, major refurbishments and new infrastructure before handover into service.
• Lead and develop a team of Authorised Persons and training programmes across the contract.
• Provide data‑driven insight to senior stakeholders and interact with Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
• Write and maintain technical policies, procedures and operational standards while ensuring audit and governance processes.

Skills

Electrical engineering

Mechanical engineering

Compliance leadership

Audit programmes

Safety & health

Education

Engineering qualification (Level 3)

Job description

Who We Are

VIVO provides facilities management and accommodation maintenance for the UK military and its partners. VIVO embodies both experience and innovation.

Job Req ID: 311243

Posting Start Date: 12 Sept 2026

Location: Home Based, West Midlands, GB

Contract Type: Full Time

Job Advertisement:

What We Do

We put our Customers and Families First. They are the driving force behind everything we do. We drive forward improvements for them to ensure the service they receive, whether reactive repairs or a major project, is completed safely and on time. In order to achieve this, we have 4 core values: open, caring, agile and collaborative. These are at the heart of everything we do.

Location

Home based, candidates must be centrally located in order to cover sites across England.

Contract Type: Permanent, Full time

Salary: £85,000 - £95,000 + benefits

At VIVO, we proudly support the UK Defence estate by delivering safe, sustainable and high-quality facilities management services that help keep critical military infrastructure operational.

We're looking for an experienced Head of Technical Compliance to lead technical governance and compliance across a complex and diverse portfolio, ensuring our operations meet the very highest standards of safety, quality and statutory compliance.

This is a senior leadership role where you'll shape technical strategy, provide expert guidance across the business and lead a team of specialists responsible for ensuring our engineering, maintenance and compliance activities remain safe, legally compliant and fit for purpose. You'll work closely with senior leaders, customers and Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) representatives, providing technical assurance, influencing strategic decisions and driving continuous improvement across the contract.

You'll oversee compliance with legislation, MOD standards and industry best practice, ensuring robust governance, audit and assurance processes are in place. You'll lead technical reviews of designs, major refurbishments and new infrastructure before handover into service, ensuring assets are correctly documented and maintained throughout their lifecycle. You'll also manage centrally delivered technical programmes, safety alerts, engineering instructions and technical bulletins, ensuring risks are identified, communicated and effectively managed.

A key part of the role will involve leading and developing a team of Authorised Persons, mentoring technical specialists and ensuring robust training programmes are in place across the contract. You'll write technical policies, procedures, maintenance specifications and operational standards while leading external audits, managing compliance reporting and providing clear, data-driven insight to senior stakeholders. Working across multiple disciplines including engineering compliance, grounds maintenance, statutory inspections, health and safety and sustainability, you'll play a critical role in supporting operational performance while helping deliver the MOD's Net Zero ambitions.

This is an opportunity to make a genuine impact by creating a culture where technical excellence, compliance and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do.

About You

You'll be an experienced technical compliance or engineering leader, with qualifications in either electrical or mechanical engineering (Level 3 minimum) a strong background in managing compliance, assurance or engineering governance within a complex operational environment. You'll have an excellent understanding of statutory compliance relating to building engineering systems, infrastructure and health and safety legislation, together with the ability to interpret technical standards and translate them into practical operational controls.

You'll be confident leading technical teams, influencing senior stakeholders and presenting complex compliance information in a clear and engaging way. Experience managing audit programmes, governance frameworks, risk registers and continuous improvement initiatives is essential, along with the ability to build collaborative relationships across operational teams, customers and external organisations.

Ideally, you'll have experience working within Defence, the MOD or another highly regulated environment, together with knowledge of CDM Regulations, asbestos, legionella, sustainability, energy performance and wider engineering compliance disciplines. You'll be an inspiring leader who promotes a strong safety culture, drives high performance and continuously looks for opportunities to improve quality, compliance and operational effectiveness.

A full UK driving licence is essential, as is the ability to obtain and maintain Security Clearance (SC). This is a home-based role with regular travel across the contract, providing the opportunity to work across a diverse estate while helping shape the future of technical compliance within one of the UK's most important Defence infrastructure programmes.

What We Offer

• 6% employee matched pension contribution
• 25 days annual leave
• Bonus
• Company car/Car allowance
• Life assurance 2x annual salary
• Private medical cover for self and partner

VIVO Defence Services

The role you have applied for is with VIVO Defence Services, a joint venture between Serco and EQUANS. By applying for this role, please be aware that information contained within your CV may be shared between VIVO Defence Services, Serco and EQUANS during the recruitment process.

At VIVO, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organisation that supports the needs of all. Therefore, we will make reasonable adjustments at interview through to employment for our candidates and strongly encourage applications from a diverse candidate pool.

We are open to discussions around flexibility and flexible working and operate a hybrid work structure in many of our business areas. We are proudly a Disability Confident Leader. Disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities at an interview.