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NHS Borders
Estates Manager - M&E (Mechanical Bias)
Melrose On-site 5-10 yrs exp Hospitals and Health Care 678 employees
Mechanical EngineeringMaintenance ManagementVentilation SystemsPressure SystemsDecontamination
Requirements
Requires a suitably qualified professional with strong mechanical engineering bias and experience managing services in complex healthcare environments. A full valid driving licence and the ability to participate in an emergency on-call rota are essential.
Job Description
OUR VALUES IN ACTION
Compassion Kindness Integrity Teamwork Excellence
This position will be based at the Borders General Hospital (Melrose) but there will be a requirement to work flexibly across the Scottish Borders region serving acute and primary health care facilities.
NHS Borders Estates Department is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced Estates Manager with a strong bias toward mechanical engineering (ventilation, pressures systems, decontamination, medical gas etc). The post holder will have responsibility for the operational maintenance management of all mechanical engineering services, and support with links to the electrical team across the NHS Borders property portfolio. A key focus of the role will be the safe, compliant, and efficient delivery of mechanical systems management, resilience, and statutory obligations.
The post holder will lead and coordinate a multidisciplinary team of directly employed staff and specialist contractors, ensuring resources are utilised effectively and service standards are consistently maintained. They will oversee the operation, maintenance, and development of mechanical infrastructure, including supporting planned upgrades, compliance programmes, and resilience improvements.
Candidates should be experienced in managing services through periods of change, capable of working with a high degree of autonomy, and confident in prioritising competing demands in a complex healthcare environment.
Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills are essential, along with assertiveness, diplomacy, and the ability to communicate complex technical information clearly at all levels. The successful candidate will be able to apply logical and practical problemsolving approaches to ensure safe and effective management of electrical systems.
The post holder is expected to uphold and promote NHS Borders’ core values - quality, teamwork, care and compassion, dignity and respect, openness, honesty, and responsibility - through professional behaviours and leadership.
A commitment to ongoing professional development is essential, and the successful candidate must be willing to undertake further training as required to support the role.
There is also a requirement to participate in the emergency oncall rota for Estates services and, on occasion, to work out with normal hours in response to urgent or emergency situations.
A full and valid driving licence is essential.
For informal inquiries please contact: Gavin McLaren, Head of Estates, 01896 826382 or email gavin.mclaren@nhs.scot
Whether you’re early in your career or looking to take the next step into a more senior role, NHS Borders offers a supportive environment where you can grow, influence change, and make a real impact.
To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.
As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website.
For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found.
It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsoredBEFORE submitting your application form
AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your applicationbut your answers must be your own.
Compassion Kindness Integrity Teamwork Excellence
This position will be based at the Borders General Hospital (Melrose) but there will be a requirement to work flexibly across the Scottish Borders region serving acute and primary health care facilities.
NHS Borders Estates Department is seeking a suitably qualified and experienced Estates Manager with a strong bias toward mechanical engineering (ventilation, pressures systems, decontamination, medical gas etc). The post holder will have responsibility for the operational maintenance management of all mechanical engineering services, and support with links to the electrical team across the NHS Borders property portfolio. A key focus of the role will be the safe, compliant, and efficient delivery of mechanical systems management, resilience, and statutory obligations.
The post holder will lead and coordinate a multidisciplinary team of directly employed staff and specialist contractors, ensuring resources are utilised effectively and service standards are consistently maintained. They will oversee the operation, maintenance, and development of mechanical infrastructure, including supporting planned upgrades, compliance programmes, and resilience improvements.
Candidates should be experienced in managing services through periods of change, capable of working with a high degree of autonomy, and confident in prioritising competing demands in a complex healthcare environment.
Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills are essential, along with assertiveness, diplomacy, and the ability to communicate complex technical information clearly at all levels. The successful candidate will be able to apply logical and practical problemsolving approaches to ensure safe and effective management of electrical systems.
The post holder is expected to uphold and promote NHS Borders’ core values - quality, teamwork, care and compassion, dignity and respect, openness, honesty, and responsibility - through professional behaviours and leadership.
A commitment to ongoing professional development is essential, and the successful candidate must be willing to undertake further training as required to support the role.
There is also a requirement to participate in the emergency oncall rota for Estates services and, on occasion, to work out with normal hours in response to urgent or emergency situations.
A full and valid driving licence is essential.
For informal inquiries please contact: Gavin McLaren, Head of Estates, 01896 826382 or email gavin.mclaren@nhs.scot
Whether you’re early in your career or looking to take the next step into a more senior role, NHS Borders offers a supportive environment where you can grow, influence change, and make a real impact.
To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.
As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website.
For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found.
It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsoredBEFORE submitting your application form
- PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early***
AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your applicationbut your answers must be your own.
- Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
- Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
- Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.
Education
Professional Certificate
Skills
Mechanical EngineeringMaintenance ManagementVentilation SystemsPressure SystemsDecontaminationMedical GasTeam LeadershipContractor ManagementStatutory ComplianceProblem SolvingInterpersonal SkillsOrganizational SkillsTechnical CommunicationInfrastructure DevelopmentResource ManagementEmergency Response
About NHS Borders
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