Principal Building Surveyor

We are seeking a Chartered Building Surveyor to join Capital Projects Service within the Housing, Neighbourhood, and Building Services (HNB) Directorate. This role would be perfect for newly chartered surveyors or experienced surveyors seeking a change.

The role will have responsibility for leading a small team of Building Surveyors within the Building Projects Team, responsible for undertaking refurbishment schemes and providing professional building surveying services and advice for a range of clients. The building projects managed by the team will be diverse, encompassing planned maintenance demand, compliance-related demand, and projects that have arisen from the requirements of the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.

Candidates must be enthusiastic, good communicators and Chartered Building Surveyors with experience of providing a range of building surveying professional services and managing building related projects.


Skills:

1. Have good building surveying knowledge, a degree level qualification in a relevant building surveying or construction related subject and be a fully qualified RICS Chartered Building Surveyor (MRICS).

2. Have current knowledge of the RICS APC Building Surveying pathway and ability to develop a team of building surveyors through the RICS APC programme to become Chartered Building Surveyors.

3. Have knowledge of the JCT suite of contracts including experience of managing contractors, negotiating contractual matters and resolution of disputes with contractors and to be able to advise others.

4. Demonstrate an ability to undertake line management functions for direct reports.

5. Have knowledge and experience of applying building related legislation, contract law and guidance. Specifically, the Social Housing Act, the Building Safety Act, Housing Act, Party Wall Act, building regulations, planning law, fire safety, electrical inspections, gas installations, legionella, with the ability to advise others.

6. Have a good knowledge and experience of construction related health & safety legislation generally, specifically the CDM Regulations 2015 and the Asbestos at Work Regulations 2012 with the ability to advise others.

7. Ability to lead and develop a team of building surveyors including recruitment and management of Apprentices, Trainees and Graduates.

8. Have relevant knowledge and experience of cost control techniques including lifecycle costing, demonstrate commercial awareness and the ability to undertake cost estimates for building work, exercise financial control of work undertaken and assess value for money.

9. Have relevant knowledge and experience of using all Microsoft packages; in particular be able to demonstrate practical IT skills using Excel spreadsheets to analyse data and MS Project to assist planning projects as well as the ability to use various software packages as part of undertaking a surveying role.

10. Have relevant experience of AutoCAD or similar drawing packages to produce or coach others preparing planning and building regulations drawings together with the ability to design a practical layout to meet a customer brief.

11. Have relevant experience of evaluating different building options and preparing a specification of work and providing feedback on specifications provided by others.

12. Be able to measure, analyse and evaluate project and stock data and review that of Apprentice, Trainee, Graduate or Building Surveyors in order to ensure that it updated accurately and in a timely manner.

13. Be organised and methodical when managing projects and technical staff available to provide the service.

14. Be a good communicator and assertive as necessary when communicating with contractors or external consultants, PCC staff, other departments, ward councillors and a range of internal or external customers.

15. Be able to advise and communicate with a range of different types and levels of project stakeholders at each stage of the project as appropriate including leading meetings or presentations or providing written reports

16. Either have a full driving licence and provide a car for work or have a commitment to learn to drive, as you will be visiting various sites across Portsmouth and will need to be able to travel effectively between them.