Principal Surveyor - Req24812

Job title: Principal Building Surveyor
Salary: £37,335.96 - £40,221.00          
Hours: 37
Contract: Permanent
Location: Merrion House/hybrid
As a Principal Building Surveyor you’ll thrive on ensuring best value for our customers through effective contract management and will enjoy contributing to technical problem-solving for the team.

This is great opportunity for you to join a knowledgeable and supportive team, who take immense pride in ensuring high quality and best value outputs are delivered from our two Housing PFI (Private Finance Initiative) Contracts, along with embedding and driving a positive performance management framework across Housing to help shape and inform data and intelligence-lead decisions and strategies.
It’s not about the contractual theory of the PFI Contracts and paper-based outcomes, but about living the contracts and outputs in the real world and making an impact on our residents and communities.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council values and ambitions.
About you
As a Principal Building Surveyor, you will bring to the role:

• An ability to develop and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, communicating effectively at all levels.
• An ability to analyse technical problems, both on site and contractual, and develop effective solutions.
• An ability to identify service improvements and support a culture that drives up standards and performance - both project-specific and for the wider team.
• Possession of a relevant qualification in building surveying and a minimum of 12-month employment working in construction / PFI maintenance industry, including a sound knowledge of Building Pathology.
• Ability to dynamically achieve the delivery of quality outputs, ensuring that the relevant technical, contractual and statutory standards are met and maintained.

About the role

As our next Principal Building Surveyor, you’ll provide frontline contract management and technical oversight to Leeds City Council’s two housing PFI projects. You’ll deliver best possible outcomes for our residents by ensuring quality, best value and effective service performance though the contracts. You will ensure residents’ safety by working closely with contractors, colleagues and external agencies to ensure building compliance with relevant statutory obligations.  

This role offers the opportunity for someone to use their strong technical and contractual knowledge, in a proactive and self-motivated team, to drive performance on the ground for our residents and communities. You will have the opportunity to work autonomously, whilst being part of a supportive team, picking up issues and steering them towards satisfactory outcomes using contractual mechanisms, partnership working and your negotiation skills.

The role is integral to our Contracts and Performance team, who play a critical part in ensuring that we meet our statutory compliance for the Housing PFI contracts, and that we conduct ourselves in line with regulation & best practice.

What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply
Please complete the online application form.
Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact:
Kevin Clark (Contract Manager) on 0113 378 0073,
Earl Grey (Principal Environmental Surveyor) 0113 3781041, or
James Carek (Principal Building Surveyor) on 0113 5350555
or by email:
James.Carek@leeds.gov.uk, Earl.Grey@leeds.gov.uk or Kevin.Clark@leeds.gov.uk.
A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our recruitment of ex-offenders policy.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.
All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
 
This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description

Job purpose:

The PFI Team are seeking a self-motivated, versatile, delivery focused individual with relevant knowledge, skills and experience to provide support around construction, maintenance and technical advice across both PFI contracts.

The successful candidate will thrive on making a difference for our residents and communities of Leeds. They will achieve this by tackling day to day issues which arise within our housing stock, as well as being able to undertake surveys to identify faults, issues or defects and see them through to resolution by liaising and working in partnership with our PFI contractors and internal Council departments.
RESPONSIBILITIES:

To develop and maintain an understanding of the Council, Directorate and Partnership plans and priorities, including the implications for service areas.

To support the delivery of the Council’s relationship with the both internal and external bodies individuals and interests.

To develop and maintain strong, productive and collaborative working relationships with key partners in Housing Leeds, other Directorates, Members and stakeholders in the City.

To contribute to the development of service plans to ensure that the Division’s strategic objectives are met.

To support a culture of continual improvement and performance management within which staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities in relation to achieving individual, team, directorate and corporate targets.

Carrying out any other duties commensurate with the grade and required for the role.

To deputise for senior staff as required. 

To work closely with internal and external partners and interests to ensure a customer focused service that meets legal, statutory and regulatory requirements.

To support and facilitate productive and efficient interaction with all stakeholders, Council Directorates, external partners and authorities.

To provide a comprehensive technical service in respect of all matters in the delivery of asset related services under the HRA such as procurement commissioning, specification and quality and cost control etc.

To support the ongoing development and monitoring of the performance management and assurance frameworks within the provision of housing and related services in Leeds.

To provide high quality technical analysis in support of the councils objectives, including the preparation of reports for management, enforcement and litigation purposes. To negotiate with external and internal parties in order to ensure the effective execution of and compliance with statutory responsibilities on the part of all internal and external housing providers within the city. Where appropriate to comply with applicable legal processes including attendance at Court or any recognised forum for dispute resolution.

To participate in team meetings, actively share information and best practice in order to empower colleagues.

To collate, produce and disseminate management information, reports and statistics.

To develop and implement systems to monitor performance and productivity.

To support the process for the development of HRA Business plans and the further development of the city’s housing stock.

To support effective relationship management with partners, value for money and achievement of quality standards.

SKILLS

Ability to provide direction which motivates staff to achieve results

Ability to develop and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Ability to communicate effectively at all levels

Ability to analyse technical problems and develop effective solutions.

Ability to present information clearly and effectively and appropriate to the audience

Ability to work to strict deadlines with conflicting priorities and to manage personal work and time effectively

Ability to organise necessary resources to achieve the delivery of quality to ensure that the relevant contractual and statutory standards are met and maintained.

Ability to identify service improvements and support a culture that drives up standards and performance

Ability to negotiate confidently, assertively and effectively

KNOWLEDGE/QUALIFICATIONS

Understanding of the legislative framework in which housing is delivered including knowledge of relevant technical, contractual and regulatory standards.

Possession of a relevant qualification in building surveying and a minimum of 12-month employment working in construction / PFI maintenance industry.

Understanding of current issues relating to Social Housing

Understanding of issues relating to PFI contracts

Understanding of building pathology.

Knowledge and understanding of the main legislation including The Building Act 1984 and The Building Regulations.

EXPERIENCE

Of working effectively with internal and external parties to achieve positive outcomes

Of communicating confidently and appropriately with a wide range of people and using a variety of different methods

Providing technical expertise in an appropriate manner, including communication with service users and none-technical staff.

Of interpreting and analysing complex information and data 

Of developing, managing and monitoring performance management regimes

Of supervision and direction of contractor works on site 

Of developing services to meet continuously changing needs

Essential Behavioural and other Characteristics

Understand and embrace Leeds City Council Values and Behaviours  and codes of conduct.

Committed to continuous improvement in all areas and work towards delivering the Best City Ambition of Health & Wellbeing, Inclusive Growth and Zero Carbon

Able to understand and observe Leeds City Council equality and diversity policies.

Carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health and Safety Policies.

Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities.

Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade.

Participate in appraisal, training, and development activities.

Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures.

Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, equality & diversity policies of Leeds City Council.

Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment, victimisation, and any form of abuse, reporting any concerns to the appropriate person.

The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and the role will be expected to work within these parameters.

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