Head of Engineering Operations (Internal Only)

At King’s College London, our Engineering Team plays a critical role in ensuring our facilities are safe, efficient and well maintained to ensure our vibrant community is able to learn, innovate and shape the future. We’re looking for a skilled and dedicated Head of Engineering Operations to join our team. 

The Head of Engineering Operations is responsible for the operational leadership, coordination and performance management of engineering services across the University's estate.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Operational Engineering, the post holder will lead a team of four Grade 8 Heads of Campus Engineering Operations and provide strategic oversight of planned maintenance, reactive maintenance, service delivery standards, statutory compliance, contractor performance, asset reliability and operational resilience across all campuses.

The role ensures the consistent implementation of engineering standards, policies and procedures, while delivering a safe, compliant and customer-focused engineering service that supports the University's teaching, research and residential activities.

Acting as the senior technical and operational leader for campus engineering delivery, the post holder will drive service improvement, operational performance and workforce development whilst ensuring engineering operations remain aligned with the strategic objectives of Estates & Facilities.

The Head of Engineering Operations will deputise for the Associate Director of Operational Engineering when required and provide operational leadership during significant incidents and business continuity events.

Working closely with the Associate Director of Operational Engineering, the postholder contributes to the development and implementation of tactical plans that support the Engineering Operations business plan, the overarching Facilities Management Strategy, the Estates & Facilities (E&F) Philosophy, and Strategy 2030. They are responsible for cultivating a cohesive, high-performing team culture grounded in trust, respect, and strong partnership working with internal stakeholders, College partners, and wider Directorates.

The role will ensure completion of all mandated Health & Safety training, including eLearning modules, within required timeframes to maintain compliance with statutory and organisational standards.

Strategic Leadership & Service Delivery

• Provide leadership and direction to Heads of Campus Engineering Operations, ensuring consistent engineering service delivery across all campuses.
• Develop and implement operational strategies that support the Engineering Operations business plan and Estates & Facilities objectives.
• Establish engineering performance standards, service levels and operational KPIs across the estate.
• Ensure engineering services are delivered safely, efficiently and consistently, providing an excellent customer experience.
• Drive a culture of accountability, ownership and continuous improvement throughout Engineering Operations.
• Lead operational transformation initiatives, service optimisation programmes and efficiency improvements.

Engineering Operations Management

• Oversee delivery of planned preventative maintenance (PPM), reactive maintenance and minor works programmes across all campuses.
• Monitor engineering performance, asset reliability and statutory compliance through data-driven performance management.
• Ensure resources are deployed effectively across campuses to meet operational demands.
• Lead operational response to engineering incidents, major failures and business continuity events.
• Ensure lessons learned from incidents are captured and embedded into future operational procedures.
• Maintain a resilient engineering service capable of supporting critical teaching, research and residential assets.
• Leadership of Campus Engineering Teams
• Directly manage Heads of Campus Engineering Operations and hold responsibility for performance, development and succession planning.
• Establish clear objectives and performance expectations for campus engineering leadership teams.
• Promote collaboration and consistency between campuses and engineering disciplines.
• Lead workforce planning to ensure appropriate staffing structures, competencies and skills are maintained.
• Support recruitment, talent management and professional development initiatives across Engineering Operations.
• Champion a positive, inclusive and high-performance culture.

Compliance, Risk & Assurance

• Ensure engineering operations comply with all relevant statutory, regulatory and University requirements.
• Work closely with the Head of Technical Assurance & Compliance to ensure effective implementation of engineering safety standards and governance processes.
• Review compliance performance and ensure corrective actions are implemented where necessary.
• Oversee risk management arrangements across campus engineering operations.
• Ensure engineering teams maintain robust records, permits, maintenance documentation and audit trails.
• Stakeholder Management
• Act as the senior operational engineering interface for key internal stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships with Faculty, Professional Services and Research leaders.
• Support campus engagement activities through regular stakeholder meetings and operational reviews.
• Manage expectations during service disruptions and major projects.
• Ensure effective communication of engineering performance and operational matters to senior stakeholders.

Contractor & Supply Chain Management

• Provide strategic oversight of engineering service partners and specialist contractors.
• Monitor contractor performance against contractual obligations, KPIs and service standards.
• Ensure effective governance of outsourced engineering services.
• Support procurement and contract mobilisation activities where required.

Asset Management & Projects

• Collaborate with Asset Management and Capital Projects teams to ensure effective lifecycle planning for critical assets.
• Support the transition of new assets into operation using Soft Landings principles.
• Ensure engineering operational requirements are incorporated into capital and infrastructure projects.
• Promote asset reliability, maintainability and whole-life cost optimisation.

Finance & Resource Management

• Support the Associate Director in development and management of engineering operational budgets.
• Monitor expenditure and resource utilisation across campuses.
• Identify efficiency opportunities and ensure value for money.
• Contribute to business planning, forecasting and budget development.

Sustainability & Net Zero

• Support delivery of the University's sustainability strategy and carbon reduction objectives.
• Promote energy-efficient operation of engineering systems.
• Identify opportunities to improve performance, reduce waste and enhance environmental outcomes within engineering operations.

Out of Hours Leadership

• Participate in the Engineering Operations on-call rota.
• Provide senior incident leadership during major operational failures and emergency situations.
• Support critical maintenance activities undertaken outside normal working hours where required.

In addition to working in a dynamic environment, King’s College London offers many benefits including:       

• A comprehensive range of technical training and personal development to help you thrive and progress       
• A generous annual leave allowance to support a healthy work-life balance       
• Competitive pension schemes plus access to exclusive discounts on shopping etc     
•  A wide range of health and wellbeing benefits    

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an indefinite contract

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria 

Desirable criteria

Downloading a copy of our Job Description 

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university. 

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant’s own work and experience. AI tools should not be used during interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. Further guidance on the use of AI in recruitment can be found here.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.