Building Services Engineer

Building Services Engineer – Mechanical Bias

Department

Estates / Facilities Management

Reports To

Head of Estates / Facilities Director / Head of Engineering

Location

London

Job Purpose

To manage, maintain, and continuously improve the mechanical building services across the site(s), ensuring statutory compliance, operational reliability, and energy efficiency. The role holder will lead the mechanical engineering function within the wider building services team, providing technical expertise on HVAC, heating, cooling, ventilation, pumps, and associated plant, while also overseeing the coordination of electrical, public health, and fabric services where required.

Key Responsibilities

Mechanical Engineering & Plant Management

Manage the operation, maintenance, and performance of mechanical building services, including HVAC systems, boilers, chillers, air handling units (AHUs), pumps, calorifiers, and associated pipework and controls.

Ensure all mechanical plant and systems are maintained in accordance with manufacturer guidance, industry best practice, and statutory requirements.

Oversee planned preventative maintenance (PPM) schedules and reactive maintenance response for mechanical assets.

Diagnose and resolve complex mechanical faults, escalating and coordinating specialist contractor support where necessary.

Review plant performance data (e.g. BMS trends) to identify inefficiencies, faults, or opportunities for improvement.

Compliance & Statutory Duties

Ensure compliance with relevant legislation and guidance, including but not limited to: Health & Safety at Work Act, L8 (Legionella/ACOP L8), F-Gas Regulations, Pressure Systems Safety Regulations, Building Regulations Part L, and relevant British/European Standards (e.g. BS EN, CIBSE guides).

Maintain accurate compliance records, certification, and audit trails for all mechanical systems.

Act as a Responsible/Competent Person for relevant mechanical disciplines (e.g. Legionella, Pressure Systems) as required.

Liaise with statutory bodies, insurers, and auditors on mechanical compliance matters.

Team & Contractor Management

Line-manage in-house mechanical/multi-skilled engineers, including performance management, training, and development.

Manage specialist mechanical subcontractors and service providers, including contract performance, KPIs, and SLAs.

Coordinate mechanical works with electrical, BMS, and fabric teams to ensure integrated service delivery.

Participate in and manage an on-call/emergency response rota for critical mechanical plant failures.

Projects & Continuous Improvement

Support or lead small-to-medium capital and lifecycle replacement projects relating to mechanical plant.

Provide technical input into design reviews, specifications, and tender documentation for mechanical works.

Identify and implement energy efficiency and sustainability initiatives relating to mechanical systems.

Contribute to asset lifecycle planning and long-term maintenance strategy.

Health & Safety

Ensure safe systems of work (e.g. permits to work, risk assessments, method statements) are followed for all mechanical activities.

Promote a strong safety culture among direct reports and contractors.

Investigate mechanical-related incidents, near-misses, and non-conformances, implementing corrective actions.

Budget & Reporting

Manage the mechanical services maintenance budget, including forecasting, cost control, and reporting.

Produce regular reports on plant performance, compliance status, and maintenance activity for senior management.

Support procurement of mechanical parts, equipment, and contracted services.

Person Specification

Essential

Recognised mechanical engineering qualification (e.g. HNC/HND, Degree, or equivalent time-served apprenticeship) in Building Services, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline.

Substantial experience maintaining and managing mechanical building services in a commercial, industrial, or institutional environment.

Strong working knowledge of HVAC, heating, cooling, and ventilation systems.

Sound understanding of statutory compliance relevant to mechanical building services (e.g. L8, F-Gas, pressure systems).

Experience managing engineering teams and/or contractors.

Strong fault-finding and problem-solving skills.

Working knowledge of Building Management Systems (BMS).

Full UK driving licence (if multi-site role).

Desirable

IOSH/NEBOSH qualification.

Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. CIBSE, IHEEM).

Experience with CAFM/CMMS systems for maintenance management.

Experience managing capital projects or plant replacement schemes.

Knowledge of electrical systems sufficient to coordinate cross-discipline works.

Personal Attributes

Strong leadership and people management skills.

Excellent communication skills, able to liaise with stakeholders at all levels.

Highly organised, with the ability to prioritise competing demands.

Proactive and solutions-focused approach.

Commitment to continuous improvement and best practice.

Working Conditions

Based on-site with regular plant room and roof-level access required.

May involve participation in an out-of-hours on-call rota.

Some travel between sites may be required (if applicable).

This job description is a guide to the general nature of the role and is not exhaustive. Duties may be varied from time to time in consultation with the post holder
Only candidates based in UK and eligible to work in UK are allowed