Lead Maintenance Operative

Unite Foundation; Leeds; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance bonus

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Pension scheme 4–11%

Life assurance 4x salary

Share save scheme

Enhanced Family Leave

Medicash health plan

Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

Volunteer day per year

Staff discounts platform

Job summary

Unite Foundation is seeking a proactive Multi-Trade Operative to deliver safe, well-maintained student housing across sites in Leeds. You’ll perform planned and reactive maintenance, from leaks to safety checks, while coordinating with Facilities Managers and teams to minimise disruption for students.

You’ll join a values-driven organisation offering a bonus scheme, generous leave, pension and life cover, plus a range of wellbeing benefits.

Qualifications

• Hold a Valid UK driving license and be able to travel between sites.
• Minimum entry-level construction skills with experience in general maintenance and minor repairs.
• NVQ Level 2 in Electrical or related trades; additional construction/facilities management qualifications are desirable.
• Be competent to safely operate a range of tools and equipment with strong health and safety understanding.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and influencing skills for teamwork and customer service.
• Flexibility to participate in on-call rota and work a 5/7 pattern.

Responsibilities

• Deliver multi-trade maintenance and repairs across electrical, plumbing, carpentry, decorating and general building works.
• Adhere to health and safety legislation and carry out dynamic risk assessments.
• Complete digital job tickets, raise follow-up work orders and ensure policy compliance.
• Provide high-quality customer service with punctuality and responsiveness to students and colleagues.
• Collaborate with Facilities Managers, Team Leaders and Estates to ensure seamless service delivery.
• Maintain equipment, stock levels and vehicles, and participate in on-call emergency rota.

Skills

General maintenance skills

Communication skills

Flexible working hours

On-call rota availability

Education

NVQ Level 2 in Electrical or related trades

Job description

Bring your multi-trade expertise to a role where your skills make a real difference in creating safe, thriving student communities!

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Hours: 37.5 hours per week working 5 days out of 7 between the hours of 8am and 8pm. Weekends will be required on a rota basis.

Salary: Competitive + bonus + benefits

Essential: A full UK driving license

As a Multi Trade Operative, you`ll play a key part in delivering safe, warm, and well-maintained homes for our students. You`ll work closely with Facilities Managers, Team Leaders and peers, providing high-quality planned and reactive maintenance that ensures students can focus on their studies without disruptions. Your day might start with a maintenance plan, but expect dynamic challenges from fixing a leak to ensuring compliance with safety checks to keep you agile and engaged.

Your impact

Whilst no two days are the same at Unite Students, here`s a flavour of what you`ll be responsible for in this role:

• Deliver high-quality multi-trade maintenance and repairs, including electrical, plumbing, carpentry, decorating, plastering, tiling, and general building works.
• Adhere strictly to health and safety legislation, carrying out dynamic risk assessments to maintain a safe and secure working environment.
• Complete all digital job tickets accurately, raise follow-up work orders as needed, and maintain compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Provide excellent customer service by being respectful, punctual, and responsive to the needs of students and colleagues.
• Collaborate effectively with Facilities Managers, Team Leaders, Estates, Housekeeping, and Student Experience teams to ensure seamless service delivery.
• Maintain equipment, stock levels, and vehicles to a high standard, while supporting the team by attending required training and participating in out-of-hours emergency repair rota.

Your background

You don`t need to fit a box or follow a traditional path - what matters most is your mindset. We`re looking for curiosity, openness to learning, and the drive to make a difference. Whether you`re solving problems, leading change, or supporting our students day-to-day, it`s your attitude and approach that will help shape something bigger.

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Hold a Valid UK driver`s license - essential for traveling between sites.
• Have minimum entry-level construction skills with experience in general maintenance and minor repairs.
• Hold relevant qualifications such as NVQ Level 2 in Electrical or other related trades; additional construction or facilities management qualifications are desirable.
• Be competent and qualified to safely operate a range of tools and equipment, with a strong understanding of health and safety responsibilities and safe work systems.
• Demonstrate good communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills to work effectively with colleagues and customers.
• Be flexible with working hours, including the ability to participate in an on-call rota and work contracted hours across a 5/7 pattern, maintaining accuracy and efficiency.

Why it`s great to work with US!

In this values-led organisation, you`ll do work that makes a difference, helping to shape welcoming, vibrant communities where students can thrive. Whether this is your first step or your next one, we`ll help you build skills, confidence and a career you`re proud of.

We believe that everyone thrives when they`re able to bring the best version of themselves to work. So, alongside a competitive, we`ve built a culture and a reward package to support you in bringing your full, authentic self to work, including:

• A performance-related bonus paid twice a year
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to buy up to 5 extra days and earn up to 5 additional days for long service (FTE equivalent)
• A generous pension scheme where contributions between 4% and 11% depending on how much you save
• Life assurance worth 4 times your salary
• Share save scheme giving you access to purchase Unite Students shares at a discounted rate
• Enhanced Family Leave - including 18 weeks full pay for birthing parents and 4 weeks for non-birthing parents
• Medicash (Health Cash Plan) - access to claim back the cost of routine medical care, such as dental, optical, physio, etc.
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to ensure that you`re supported as much as possible when you need it
• Free volunteering day per year to make a difference!
• Access to our online platform that provides access to a range of retail and hospitality services at a discounted premium

There`s even more to enjoy - find the full benefits package on our careers page .

Alongside all these great benefits to support you, we also want to ensure that we`re supporting your family too. You`ll also have access to 20% student rent at any of our direct let properties for your children, siblings, their children, or any student of depends on you!

Once you`ve joined US, you`ll also gain access to an extensive suite of essential learning to get you ready to take on your day to day, as well as wider catalogue to explore and elevate yourself and your career!

If you`re expecting ordinary, then think again. We`re US, we`re different - and we`re proud of it. How far you could go? Join US and find out.