Job Description
Job Title:
Responsible to:
Responsible for:
Hours of Work:
Salary:
Maintenance Foreman
Estates Manager
N/A
Permanent, part-time position.
25 hours per week (Monday to Friday 8.00am to 1.30pm with a 30 minute unpaid break)
circa £25,000 pro rata to £16,447 for part-time hours.
Job Purpose:
The post-holder is expected to uphold and actively promote the ethos of St Leonards School. The Maintenance Foreman
will supervise and co-ordinate the daily operation of the Estates Department, allocating jobs to internal staff and
external contractors, as deemed necessary. The post-holder will have a full and working knowledge of buildings
maintenance as a skilled tradesman (essential).
The primary focus of the Maintenance Foreman is to reduce the reliance on external contractors and allocate jobs in a
manner that achieves efficient and effective maintenance expenditure for the School.
Reporting to and line managed by the Estates Manager, the role of Maintenance Foreman is hands-on, dealing with a
variety of remedial works. Ultimately the post-holder is accountable to the School’s Bursar who leads the School’s
support functions.
Key areas of responsibility:

Monitoring the Estates’ Helpdesk and investigating and assessing maintenance requests, implementing
solutions and monitoring works to ensure that a satisfactory solution is reached. Updating the Estates’
Helpdesk, once work has been completed.

Supervising and leading the School’s maintenance technicians, allocating work/jobs to them and monitoring
progress. Highlighting any concerns with performance or workmanship to the Estates’ Manager.

Maintaining an effective balance between planned and reactive works and, where possible, effectively
assessing, prioritising and planning such works and re-prioritising works when required.

In conjunction with the Estates’ Manager, surveying and costing remedial works and tendering to contractors, if
deemed necessary. Taking a pro-active approach and monitoring the School buildings and grounds for potential
remedial works and highlighting these to the Estates’ Manager.

Ensuring that all work is carried out to the highest standards of workmanship and safety. A full and working
knowledge of Health and Safety regulations is an essential requirement of this role.

Compiling documentation for any quotes gathered to justify expenditure on external contractors and any other
administration which may be deemed necessary.

Liaising with and monitoring external contractors to ensure compliance with various regulations e.g. Health and
Safety, Child Protection etc. and that their services are delivered in line with contract Service Level Agreements
(SLAs).

Providing hands-on technical support and attending to maintenance works, as and when required, making
repairs or adjustments to the building fabric, mechanical or electrical services in line with skills and
qualifications.

Attending the weekly Estates’ team meeting to communicate planned works, developments, changes to
schedules etc. Building effective working relationships with other members of the Estates’ team to
communicate and co-ordinate activities in the most efficient means.

In this client facing role, maintaining effective working relationships with the wider School community and
external stakeholders to the highest standards of customer service.

On a rota basis, responding to emergency call-outs during ‘out of hours’.

Checking the operation of boiler and hot water plant and making simple adjustments as required (training will
be provided).

Checking the operation of swimming pool water treatment equipment (training will be provided).

Deputising for the Estates Manager, as and when required.

Keeping own knowledge up to date through continuous professional development and networking
opportunities.
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities and duties. It is expected that the post-holder will participate in other reasonable
activities which may be required to meet the needs of the School or for better fulfilment of the role.
Person Specification
Criteria
Education, Training and
Qualifications
Experience
Skills
Interpersonal skills
Essential
 Accredited City and Guilds
qualification in a related buildings
maintenance trade or equivalent.
 Accredited ‘Health and Safety’
qualification e.g. NEBOSH, CIEH,
IOSH etc. or equivalent experience.
 Significant experience of working
in a buildings maintenance role.
 Experience in costing and
delivering small works projects.
 Good all round maintenance
knowledge and skills.
 IT literate (Word & Excel).
 Ability to work with minimum
supervision.
 Excellent problem solving skills and
ability to use initiative.
 Excellent communication skills
(both verbal and written).
 Excellent planning and
organisational skills.
 General commercial awareness
and current knowledge of the
latest Health & Safety
developments.
 Full & clean driving licence.
 Helpful and friendly manner.
 Customer focussed with the ability
to communicate with people at all
levels in the organisation.
 An effective delegator with a fair
approach to the allocation of tasks.
 Ability to work calmly under
pressure. Resilient.
 A flexible approach to work,
adapting to change at short notice.
 Professional manner and
appearance.
Desirable
 Accredited City and Guilds
qualification in a construction
trade or equivalent.

Experience of supervising
technicians, contractors and
operatives in a similar
environment.

Empathy with the aims and ethos
of the Independent Schools’
sector.