Clerk Of Works

Salary: £33,966 to £36,024 with progression to £44,263 per annum
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Closing Date: 28 January 2024
The Role
Based within the Estates and Facilities Service, we have an exciting opportunity for an experiences construction professional to join our Capital Team. This post is known s a Project Engineer or Project Surveyor (PEPS) within the University, but often referred to as a Clerk of Works within the construction industry.
The Capital Team are an in-house service that is responsible for the design, development and management of capital development projects across the University. Our 50-acre Newcastle City Centre Campus is the hub of teaching, research and collaboration and we have a strong pipeline of projects that seek to respond to a number of key strategic priorities including: a net zero carbon target of 2030 and ensuring our facilities enable high quality education and world class research. This role will play a significant part in providing a campus for the future.
We are looking for someone with demonstrable experience working on building projects in the construction industry, this could be as a contractor, consultant or in a client-side role. You will oversee the supervision of the University's major capital developments, as well as occasional long-term maintenance and improvements projects within the service, Project values range broadly and therefore your workload will be both varied and interesting.
The Projects Engineers/Surveyors operate within a team of four, reporting to a team Leader - Andy Ransome. There are five other team members across the Capital Team including Capital and Planning Manager - James Adshead, three Senior Project Managers and a Soft Landings Manager. Your role is based at our Newcastle City Centre Campus, with some occasional travel to offsite locations across the North East.
Please reach out to James Adshead, Capital and Planning Manager on james.adshead@ncl.uk to arrange a call to chat about this opportunity.
Please note: The University has funding available for any candidates who do not currently hold a valid CSCS Card (Construction Safety Certification Scheme).
Key Accountabilities
Represent the University as the first point of contact on project construction sites, carrying out regular site visits/inspections, identifying design or work discrepancies and recording/reporting progress against the contractor’s programme of Works
Work in conjunction with the Senior Project Manager / Project Managers and design teams to ensure that the design process conforms with university documentation, best practice and recognised standards and workmanship. In addition to identifying any potential future issues as a result of the design
Liaise with E&F teams during the design phase to ensure that operational considerations and constraints are reflected in project designs
Attend liaison and progress meetings with university departments, design team and building contractors to provide technical input, site knowledge and experience. Disseminating information to stakeholders to keep them up to date with the project and issue of Works notifications
Facilitate contractors access, out of hours working, restricted area access arrangements. Negotiate with external agencies and University neighbours where works will affect them
Prioritise personal daily workload in relation to overseeing various projects running concurrently at different stages and assist other members of Project Surveyors/Project Engineers team when the workload dictates. Assume certain Senior Project Manager / Project Manager responsibilities, including budget control when requested. Liaise with PEPS Team leader / Capital Manager to agree resource allocation for all projects
Carry out the inspection of site workmanship, materials, and products to ensure the requirements of the design and quality are met. In addition to contributing to the development of practical cost-effective solutions to resolve any site-based issues
Produce condition survey reports to ensure an accurate record of existing building conditions is on file prior to works commencing and sign off all making good at completion
Inspect and record defects and produce reports prior to handover of Works, including user raised issues and ensure contractor satisfactorily completes the work. Carry out end of defect period inspections ensuring all user concerns have been addressed and remedial works complete by the contractor(s)
Co-ordinate health and safety matters with Senior Project Manager / Project Manager, CDM / Soft Landings Manager and Contractor. Arrange site visits and inductions, review pre-construction information and construction phase plans including risk assessments / method statements for the tasks underway. Monitor and report on health and safety matters on a regular basis
Ensure current Health and Safety Legislation and Estates & Facilities policies and procedures are observed and followed. Issue permits to work in line with Estates & Facilities requirements
Produce technical and weekly progress reports to the design team to enable accurate records to be maintained in the event of a contractual claim
Interface with estates operations and maintenance departments for system shutdowns/isolations and access during construction phases and ensure a smooth handover of new or refurbished buildings at project completion
Working alongside the CDM / Soft Landings Manger witness and confirm testing and commissioning of installations in line with specification, University and legislation standards. Due to the nature of these tasks, work out of hours when required. Organise and ensure relevant persons are trained by the contractor and the soft landings process is followed through. This could be up to 3 years after handover
Undertake other duties as and when required by the Capital Manager and their deputy / Project Engineer / Project Surveyor team leader
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Proven track record in the construction industry, ensuring compliance with design brief and contractual obligations
Working knowledge of construction contracts and the roles and responsibilities within those
Solid understanding and experience of construction methods and technologies
Up to date knowledge of statutory requirements, legislation & contract law relating to building projects including Health & Safety Proficient in the reading of drawings and technical specifications
Ability to organise time to manage conflicting priorities within a demanding workload
Experience of working in a team and stakeholders to support positive outcomes
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Good attention to detail
Good IT skills with working knowledge of software packages, such as Microsoft Office packages
Attributes and Behaviours
Can demonstrate an ability to think flexibly, have sound judgement, use initiative, be proactive and adopt an active approach to problem solving
Comfortable working alongside senior colleagues to shape the project direction and programme including the negotiation skills and the ability to influence others
Ability to working on own initiative and as part of a team
Collaborative worker who builds on relationships with clients, colleagues, consultants, and contractors with excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills
Qualifications Qualified to HNC/HND level in a construction discipline or a demonstrable trade background
Desirable Membership of Institute of Clerk of Works or Chartered Institute of Building
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 26567