SRR - Skilled Technician, HVAC / AC (AA)

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

The British Embassy Riyadh seeks a Skilled Technician (HVAC / AC) responsible for managing the Technical Works Group, ensuring compliance with health and safety standards while delivering effective maintenance services for the Embassy's estate. This full-time position offers a dynamic work environment focused on customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years in a customer-facing estates/trades management role.
• Certification in health and safety compliance or facilities management.
• Good communication skills in English, both oral and written.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily maintenance of estate-related assets.
• Install and repair HVAC systems, ensuring safety compliance.
• Organise and prioritise work for skilled trades team.

Skills

HVAC Systems

Customer Service

Team Collaboration

Problem Solving

Education

Skilled Trade Qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer. We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow. The FCDO operates an agile workforce and to facilitate this, you may be required to undertake other duties from time to time, as we may reasonably require.

Job Category

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Operations and Corporate Services)

Job Subcategory

Estates

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)

The British Embassy Riyadh has a vacancy for a Skilled Technician (HVAC / AC) under the Technical Works Group (TWG), job grade Administrative Assistant (AA), on a fixed term contract for one (1) year, with the possibility of renewal.

The Skilled Technician plays a key role in delivering Estates services, providing day-to-day management of the Technical Works Group (TWG) and will work with the Technical Works Officer (TWO) to establish the TWG as a centre of excellence serving a diverse staff base. The jobholder will manage day-to-day maintenance of estate-related assets to statutory requirements and oversee planned improvements.

The jobholder will assist and support the TWO to deliver Estates services, with a particular focus on the large and expanding office and residential estate, to customers under the One HM Government (HMG) Service Level Agreement. The role is responsible for operational delivery of maintenance services, including keeping maintenance records, organising and prioritising work for the skilled trades team, and assessing and improving customer satisfaction, acting on feedback on service delivery. The jobholder will also deputise for the TWO when they are on leave.

This is a busy role that calls for an experienced, well-organised self-starter with drive, initiative, and good technical skills. The role requires someone who can deliver customer focused day-to-day operational requirements, confident and competent in decision-making, and able to access and influence the right support from their manager and the team.

The jobholder will work to the Embassy’s health, safety, and welfare standards for the benefit of all staff at the Embassy in a ‘zero harm’ culture. You will help reduce the Embassy’s carbon footprint through greater use of renewable energy, reduction in waste and the increase of sustainable practices.

Duties and responsibilities :

• Installation of new Air conditioner units, including packaged units.
• Installing, maintaining and repairing ventilation and air conditioning systems and equipment.
• Diagnosing electrical and mechanical faults for equipment’s
• Performing emergency repairs promptly and efficiently
• Keeping daily logs and records of all maintenance functions.
• Repairing of Electronic PCB of air Conditioning.
• Ability to work on and maintain the chillers and split air conditioning systems and on the HVAC system, including AHUs and FCUs, and identifying and rectifying issues with chillers, AHUs, FCUs and packaged Units.
• Assist with maintenance of the estate so that it meets relevant UK Health and Safety standards. Enabling staff to operate from, and live on, a fit for purpose platform. Agree daily work schedules with TWG team, organise materials needed, and ensure tools for the job are fit for purpose and well maintained by the trades team.
• Ensure TWG have daily tasking and ‘work packages’ organised, covering planned and ad hoc maintenance requests, enhancement of the facilities and remedial or urgent works as identified by the Technical Works Officer.
• Help team to problem solve more technically difficult tasks, providing expert knowledge and guidance. Inspect work as it is done or completed, checking it meets UK safety standards and specifications. Make or direct corrective action where this is not the case.
• Ability and experienced to work on the building maintenance system (BMS), identifying problems on the BMS system, and coordinating with contractors for periodic maintenance and ordering the necessary parts.
• Working with the TWO and Technical Works Supervisor (UK staff), deliver planned and preventative maintenance to set deadlines covering the entire estate and triage and prioritise ad hoc or urgent requests. Recording as appropriate what was done and the outcomes.
• Lead TWG teams to work on delivery of projects which enhance or improve the office and recreational facilities to time and budget set.
• Supervise external contractors providing maintenance or works to Estate assets, ensuring technical competence, adherence to health and safety risk assessments, and safe working practices.
• Inspect work as it is done or completed, checking it meets UK safety standards and specifications. Reporting to TWO if this is not the case.
• Contribute to the Greening Committee with technical advice on what is possible and ideas following the Energy Audit.

Health, safety, and statutory compliance

• Ensure works completed by TWG or external contractors are compliant with H&S regulations and that FCDO guidelines are understood and followed. Ensure RAMs assessments are completed and understood by both TWG and contractors and that safe practices are followed at all times.
• To be responsible for the safe use of a range of portable tools, ladders, and equipment to enable duties of the role to be undertaken.
• Check and sign off on PAT testing of electrical equipment.
• Working at height and outside work may be required on occasion including on high-risk plant.
• Champion a ‘zero harm’ culture at BE Riyadh and encourage staff to use the H&S reporting portal Evotix.
• Schedule and complete urgent H&S requests including repairs or short-term mitigation. Understand when to raise risks higher and seek guidance on best practice.

Communication and engagement

• Working with TWO and TWG, ensure that estate works that affect colleagues are properly planned. Keeping customers up to date on progress of projects or maintenance requests and dealing with any complaints.
• Seek and act on customer feedback and use this to drive continuous improvement within the Estates team.
• Ability to deal with the computer, internet, and our internal mainframe HR and finance management system. This will include using our in-house Oracle-based system, Microsoft Planner, List etc.
• In order to deliver work to the highest standards, keep and maintain a record of continuing professional development, to include upskilling where agreed. Instil a culture of continuous improvement, customer service, and professionalism.
• Focus on learning and development and being open to developing new skills, experience, and knowledge. Share lessons learned and respond positively to feedback, learning from any mistakes while wanting to improve performance.

Other local requirements

• Provide cover during absences / annual leave as required for the Technical Works Officer (TWO).

Resources managed

• Necessary tools and equipment to successfully do your job and keeping these neat, tidy, and in good working order.
• Keep stock of HVAC items and components in TWG storeroom neat, tidy, and well organised, ensuring there is sufficient stock held always bearing, stock records and accurate and up to date and keeping in mind value for money and good stock rotation practices.
• Maintain Asset register / Asset Inventory, Disposed Items register for all the assets added to or removed from the estates.

The above list is not exhaustive, and the jobholder will be required to be flexible as specific responsibilities could change in the future and this would be at the discretion of the line manager or head of section. The job description may be reviewed to meet changes in business needs. The jobholder may also take on other ad hoc tasks as required, including participating in the Embassy’s emergency planning and any other response to a crisis.

• Managing a Quality Service - Deliver service objectives with professional excellence, expertise and efficiency, taking account of diverse customer needs.
• Delivering at Pace - Take responsibility for delivering timely and quality results with focus and drive.
• Working Together - Form effective partnerships and relationships with people both internally and externally, from a range of diverse backgrounds, sharing information, resources and support.
• Communicating and Influencing - Communicate purpose and direction with clarity, integrity and enthusiasm. Respect the needs, responses and opinions of others.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience

• Relevant experience in a similar estates / trades management customer-facing role, ideally for at least five (5) years.
• Proven experience with relevant certification in one or more of the following areas : health and safety compliance, maintenance works, refurbishment projects, building works [first and second fix] or facilities management.
• Holds at least a recognised Skilled Trade qualification in any relevant field : mechanical, electrical, plumbing, solar, or HVAC systems / air conditioning preferred. Ability to show additional training on HVAC / AC with higher technical content.
• Good working level communication skills in English, both oral and written.
• Highly organised and able to deal with challenging situations, confident in scheduling day-to-day tasks and making decisions on triaged, ad-hoc or emergency requests.
• Excellent team working skills including evidence of working collaboratively with multicultural colleagues.
• IT skills and literacy in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).
• Able to drive and holds a clean and valid Saudi Arabia driving license with no current points or outstanding fines.

Desirable qualifications,skills and experience

• Repairing of electronic White goods i.e. Washer / Dryers and Refrigeration, Dish Washer.
• PAT Testing Certified.
• Knowledge of UK Health and Safety legislation related to buildings and estates.
• Arabic and Urdu language skills.

Required behaviours Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace, Managing a Quality Service, Working Together Application deadline 29 June 2025 Grade Administrative Assistant (AA) Type of Position Full-time, Fixed term, with possibility of renewal Working hours per week 48 Region Middle East & North Africa Country / Territory Saudi Arabia Location (City) Riyadh Type of Post British Embassy Number of vacancies 1 Salary Currency SAR Salary 9,614.47 Type of Salary monthly Start Date 7 September 2025 Other benefits and conditions of employment