Building Surveyor (Repairs & Maintenance) - Housing Services Manchester City Council

Building Surveyor

Hourly Rate: £28

Location: Blackley, Manchester (M9)

Job Type: Full-time, Temporary Contract

Join our Housing Operations team as a Building Surveyor, focusing on housing disrepair. This role involves carrying out professional technical surveying duties, delivering high-quality inspections, schedules of work, and expert technical advice. You will act as a crucial link between contractors, legal teams, and housing officers, ensuring that cases progress efficiently and works are completed to required standards, timescales, and legal obligations.

Day-to-day of the role:

• Technical Inspections & Reporting:

  • Carry out technical inspections of disrepair properties within required timescales.
  • Produce clear, detailed, accurate schedules of work and technical reports.
  • Validate and interpret expert reports, ensuring recommendations are appropriate, cost-effective, and deliverable.
  • Conduct joint inspections and support the production of Scott Schedules and other legal documentation.

• Case & Legal Support:

  • Liaise with contractors, legal representatives, housing officers, and internal teams to help progress disrepair cases efficiently.
  • Provide technical evidence and, where necessary, act as a single joint expert or attend court as a professional witness.
  • Support timely case closure in line with legal and regulatory requirements.

• Contractor & Works Management:

  • Provide technical oversight to ensure works are delivered to required standards, budgets, and timescales.
  • Monitor contractor performance, challenge costs where necessary, and ensure works meet both quality and compliance expectations.

• Service Improvement & Reporting:

  • Contribute to improved reporting, forecasting, data accuracy, and case management processes.
  • Support continuous improvement of the repairs and maintenance service, ensuring a Right First Time approach.
  • Maintain excellent communication with residents throughout the process.

• Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Proven experience working in housing disrepair, including inspections, diagnostics, and legal processes.
• Strong understanding of building construction, standards, HHSRS, damp and mould, and local authority housing regulations.
• Ability to write high-quality technical reports and manage multiple cases simultaneously.
• Experience liaising with solicitors, contractors, loss adjusters, and internal stakeholders.

• Desirable Skills / Requirements:

• Construction-related qualification or equivalent experience.
• Experience of CDM, planning/building regulations, insurance claims, and voids/major works.
• Strong negotiation, communication, and project management skills.
• Full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle.

• Benefits:

• Competitive hourly rate.
• Opportunity to work in a dynamic and impactful role within housing operations.
• Exposure to diverse professional challenges and continuous professional development.