Shift Leader

BGIS UK & Europe; Greater London; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

BGIS UK & Europe is seeking a Shift Leader in London to oversee a 24/7 engineering team delivering safe and effective technical operations across a commercial property. You will guide engineers through reactive, planned and critical maintenance to high standards.

The role requires strong problem-solving, documentation and communication skills, with the ability to manage shift handovers, risk, and compliance while maintaining customer focus.

Qualifications

• Recognised technical qualification in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering.
• Proven experience in commercial building maintenance environment.
• Ability to lead a team during fast-paced and high-pressure situations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise a shift engineering team, ensuring safety and quality.
• Carry out planned and reactive maintenance on mechanical, electrical and building services equipment.
• Monitor critical systems including BMS, HVAC and life safety systems.

Skills

Team leadership

Fault diagnosis

Communication

Documentation

24/7 shift readiness

Education

City & Guilds / Electrical or Mechanical Eng qualification

NVQ Level 3 / Apprenticeship

Job description

Purpose of the Role The Shift Leader is responsible for overseeing the safe and effective delivery of technical operations across a commercial property on a rotating shift basis. Working as part of a 24/7 engineering team, this role ensures all reactive, planned, and critical maintenance activities are carried out to a high standard, while supporting and guiding engineers throughout the shift.

Job Description

Shift Leader

Location: London

Purpose of the Role The Shift Leader is responsible for overseeing the safe and effective delivery of technical operations across a commercial property on a rotating shift basis. Working as part of a 24/7 engineering team, this role ensures all reactive, planned, and critical maintenance activities are carried out to a high standard, while supporting and guiding engineers throughout the shift.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and supervise a shift engineering team, ensuring all tasks are completed safely, efficiently, and to required standards.
• Carry out both planned and reactive maintenance across a range of mechanical, electrical, and building services equipment.
• Monitor and manage critical systems, including BMS, HVAC, electrical distribution, and life safety systems.
• Act as the first point of technical escalation during the shift, providing guidance, fault diagnosis, and decision-making support.
• Coordinate work allocation, ensuring the shift team responds promptly to customer requests and site priorities.
• Ensure all maintenance activities are completed in accordance with site procedures, industry standards, and statutory requirements.
• Complete shift reports, logbooks, permit-to-work documentation, and all required compliance records.
• Escalate urgent or high-risk issues to senior management as required.
• Support the delivery of Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) and ensure tasks are completed within SLA timeframes.
• Liaise with contractors working on site, ensuring they follow correct safety processes and are properly supervised.
• Assist with incident response, including system failures, alarms, and emergency situations.
• Maintain good communication with the client, control room, and other shift teams to ensure operational continuity.
• Promote a strong culture of safety, quality, and teamwork.
• Ensure handovers between shifts are clear, accurate, and timely.

Accountabilities

• Reports to the Engineering Manager / Shift Manager (depending on site structure).
• Responsible for the performance and conduct of shift engineers.
• No direct budget responsibility but expected to operate with strong financial and risk awareness.

Essential Requirements

• Recognised technical qualification in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering (e.g., City & Guilds, NVQ Level 3, Apprenticeship, or equivalent).
• Proven experience working in a commercial building maintenance environment.
• Previous experience working within a shift engineering or critical environment team.
• Strong technical understanding of building services systems (electrical, mechanical, HVAC, BMS, etc.).
• Ability to lead a team during fast-paced and high-pressure situations.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to diagnose faults on complex systems.
• Good communication skills and a proactive customer-focused attitude.
• Competent in maintaining accurate records, logs, and compliance documentation.
• Ability to work 24/7 shift patterns, including nights, weekends, and bank holidays.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience working in critical environments (data centres, financial institutions, hospitals, etc.).
• Authorised Person (AP) or Competent Person (CP) certification in electrical, HV/LV, permit-to-work, or mechanical systems.
• Additional multi-skilled capabilities such as plumbing, fabric repairs, or controls.
• Experience supervising contractors and leading engineering teams.
• Understanding of health & safety legislation and safe systems of work.

At BGIS we believe that diversity and inclusion is a key business driver, such that we never lose sight of its importance as it is woven into the fabric of our organisation. We are committed to maintaining a barrier-free recruitment process by providing equal employment opportunities through recruiting and retention of individuals of all backgrounds. We recognise that promoting diversity is an essential component of our continuing pursuit for organisational success! #BGISUK