Private Sector Housing Senior Surveyor

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About the role

Assist with mentoring, training and supervising a team of Surveyors that carry out duties involving survey, design and the production of tender packages, to deliver mandatory Disabled Facilities Grants.

To lead on the design and production of tender packages of complex cases including extensions and garage conversions, which provide adaptations to eligible residents.

To support the Disabled Facilities Grant Manager to deliver operational changes as required and to assist with any other operational management duties within the team.

What will you be doing?

Principal responsibilities

1. To act as the senior technical advisor for Disabled Facilities Grants, providing legislative guidance and technical support to the other Surveyors and the Council.
2. Overall support and oversight of the production of design packages for tender for complex cases, to ensure that it meets internal policy; statutory and good practice requirements, to minimise the risks to the authority and protect public health.
3. To have direct supervisory responsibilities of the other surveyors in the DFG Team, including offering advice, answering queries and assisting at all levels of the process, where appropriate.
4. To make key decisions autonomously on construction project related matters which may affect approved works and budgets.
5. To visit clients in their own homes to discuss their needs and advise on adaptations available to them in conjunction with the Occupational Therapy Service.
6. To prepare technical schedules of work/specifications and drawings, as appropriate, taking into account the recommendations of the Occupational Therapist, as well as the client's own needs and wishes.
7. To liaise with external consultations, including architects, engineers, solicitors, banks, building societies, the Occupational Therapy Service, social workers and voluntary organisations where necessary to make timely progress with cases.
8. To carry out feasibility visits for complex cases such as extensions and garage conversions and offer alternative solutions to satisfy the client's needs and meet the OT recommendation.
9. To provide early cost on proposed construction projects in order for the appropriate budgets to be agreed and any financial contributions.
10. To produce scaled drawings in AutoCAD, as required to meet the needs and criteria of planning and building regulations submissions and tender packages.
11. To understand the responsibilities of the client and the principal designed under the current CDM Regulations.
12. To prepare tender packages, including detailed schedule of works specifications and drawings and to tender for the adaptation works in line with the Council's procurement arrangements.
13. To obtain quotations from approved contractors and/or contractors requested by clients, complete evaluations and make recommendations accordingly.
14. To co-ordinate and submit applications for planning permission, building regulations approval and party wall where appropriate.
15. To attend pre-start meetings, interim site inspections, final inspections and check on works progress; to act on the client's behalf in any negotiations while the contractor is on site.
16. To ensure standards of quality and compliance with the approved specification, including expenditure and to ensure that any defects are remedied within the defect's liability period.
17. To collate all necessary certification / warranties and approve contractor payments before submitting for final authorisation.
18. To monitor expenditure against agreed contracts and budgets, making recommendations for payment when necessary.

About you

Presentation of portfolio is required at the job interview. This should include CAD drawn former work examples with emphasis on planning, building regulations and tender packages. The work can be presented electronically on a device such as laptop or iPad.

Attributes

Essential criteria

Desirable criteria

Education, Qualifications and Training

A good overall standard of education, e.g. A Levels, HND.

Educated to degree or diploma level in PSH, EH, Building Surveying, or relevant equivalent experience.

Professional membership of chartered body, e.g. ARB, RIBA, RICS, CIOB

Additional post graduate qualification in a building surveying or related subject.

Experience and Knowledge

Up to date knowledge of building construction, health and safety, contract law, and building control procedures.

Extensive experience in case project management, supervising contracts for building works, involving preparation of technical specifications, interim payments, variations and final certifications.

Knowledge of procurement processes including arranging and supervising contracts.

Extensive experience of using AutoCAD.

Experience in Microsoft Office and other software applications.

Experience of working in building surveying with a local authority housing department, housing association or other housing related field.

Previous experience in the management of aids and adaptations schemes.

Evidence of continual professional development.

Ability and Skills

Able to demonstrate excellent communication skills, both written and oral.

Good numeracy skills with an ability to monitor and control project expenditure.

Ability to work to tight deadlines and be flexible in work approaches.

Able to demonstrate problem-solving skills.

Ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with a wide range of customers, stakeholders, and partners.

Innovative approach to problem solving and achieving value for money.

Self-motivated and able to work with a minimum of supervision.

Equal Opportunities

Ability to demonstrate awareness/understanding of equal opportunities and other people's behaviour, physical, social and welfare needs.

Safeguarding

Demonstrate an understanding of the safe working practices that apply to this role.

Our benefits

Here at North Northamptonshire Council, we're transforming for the better, using all our creativity and imagination to create the best life for our local people.

You'll find that we have a wide range of careers that may be more surprising than you think!

Why choose us?

We offer a vibrant working environment with:

• a competitive salary
• a pension scheme, where we pay a significant contribution on top of your contribution. It provides life cover and ill-health protection.
• lots of opportunities to develop your skills, knowledge and potential in a large unitary council
• generous leave entitlement (28 days, rising to 33 days) and bank holidays, plus the option to buy up to an extra 10 days
• hybrid and flexible working arrangements, where practicable for service needs to help you with a healthy work-life balance.

We provide a range of great benefits such as an Employee Assistance Programme, an Employee Benefits Scheme, wellbeing support, travel rates at HMRC rates, as well as supporting a range of active Employee Network Groups.

About us

Our Values and Behaviours

Our values define who we are and how we operate, by forming the foundation for how we interact with our customers, colleagues and provide our services. They are also at the forefront of our decision making and delivery and are:

Customer-focused
Respectful
Efficient
Supportive
Trustworthy

Our Key Commitments

Our key commitments help ensure that the priorities we make, now and in the future, maintain the necessary breadth of focus in those areas that we believe matter most.

We are proud to be a recognised Disability Confident Employer and is committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role.

North Northamptonshire Council re-signed the Armed Forces Covenant in June 2024 which highlights the Council's pledge to support the Armed Forces community. The council obtained the silver status award for the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) and we are now currently working towards achieving Gold status.

We aim to be a carbon neutral Council by 2030.

Further information can be found at Jobs and careers | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk)