NHS Borders
Estates Manager - M&E (Mechanical Bias)
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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.
About the Role
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.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and coordinate a multidisciplinary team of directly employed staff and specialist contractors.
- Ensure resources are utilised effectively and service standards are consistently maintained.
- Oversee the operation, maintenance, and development of mechanical infrastructure.
- Support planned upgrades, compliance programmes, and resilience improvements.
- Ensure the safe, compliant, and efficient delivery of mechanical systems management, resilience, and statutory obligations.
Key Skills and Experience
- Experienced in managing services through periods of change.
- Capable of working with a high degree of autonomy.
- Confident in prioritising competing demands in a complex healthcare environment.
- Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills.
- Assertiveness, diplomacy, and the ability to communicate complex technical information clearly at all levels.
- Ability to apply logical and practical problem-solving approaches to ensure safe and effective management of mechanical systems.
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Core Values
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.
Professional Development
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.
Other Requirements
- Participation in the emergency on-call rota for Estates services.
- Willingness to work outside normal hours in response to urgent or emergency situations.
- A full and valid driving licence is essential.
Working for NHS Borders
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.
Eligibility to Work in the UK
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 Immigration 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.
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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 licensed 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 sponsored BEFORE submitting your application form.
Application Process
PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early.
Equality and Diversity
NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.
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- Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
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- 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.
Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you not an AI tool.
For informal inquiries, please contact:
- Gavin McLaren, Head of Estates, 01896 826382
- Email: gavin.mclaren@nhs.scot
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