👋 About the role

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership – Specialist Estate Services (NWSSP-SES), based in Cardiff, is an organisation committed to championing modern, sustainable, high-quality healthcare environments. We achieve this by providing professional and technical estates-related advice and support to the NHS in Wales and the Department for Health and Social Care at the Welsh Government (WG).

We are currently recruiting an experienced Principal Mechanical Engineer to join our leadership team. In this role, you will provide expert advice and support to NHS Wales and the Welsh Government on all matters associated with healthcare building services mechanical engineering systems.

As Principal Mechanical Engineer, you will support the Head of Engineering by managing the mechanical engineering team and operating as an Authorising Engineer (AE) in an appropriate discipline. Full UK Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa sponsorship is available for eligible international candidates — the employer holds a valid Home Office sponsor licence. 🏥

📍 Cardiff, Wales, UK  |  💼 Full-time · Permanent  |  🏷️ Engineering · NHS  |  ✈️ Visa sponsorship  |  🎓 Chartered Engineer required

🎯 Main duties & responsibilities

As the sole Principal Mechanical Engineer within SES, you will take on a high-impact leadership role. Your key duties include:

• 🛡️ Fulfil the role of mechanical engineering Authorising Engineer (AE) as defined in the relevant Welsh Health Technical Memorandum (WHTM) — an independent position accepting professional responsibility for the appointment of Authorised Persons (APs) at each Health Board/Trust
• 👥 Manage the Performance Standards Engineers who validate mechanical engineering systems and undertake technical investigations on an all-Wales basis
• 📋 Manage the mechanical engineering team on behalf of the Head of Engineering, including line management of Senior Performance Standards Engineers
• 💡 Provide advice, guidance and support on a broad range of complex mechanical engineering issues to the Welsh Government and NHS Wales
• 🌐 Represent NHS Wales on working groups and committees at a UK-wide level (Department of Health, NHS Scotland, NHS Northern Ireland) and disseminate information across NHS Wales and Welsh Government
• 📊 Where required, act as project manager to enable effective delivery of Welsh Government, NHS or SES mechanical engineering projects or technical investigations

✅ What we are looking for

To meet this challenge, you will need to be a Chartered Engineer registered with a mechanical or building services institution, with senior-level experience in mechanical building services engineering. Your high level of IT literacy must be complemented by good communication, team-working and presentation skills.

Qualifications

Essential:

• 🎓 Chartered Engineer and a corporate member of a recognised engineering institution
• 📜 An accredited Master’s Degree in an appropriate building services discipline or equivalent
• 🧠 Highly developed advanced technical, practical and theoretical knowledge of complex mechanical hospital engineering systems

Desirable:

• 📋 An appropriate management qualification

Experience

Essential:

• 📅 Appropriate experience of working in a senior estates, design and/or capital related position including line management responsibilities

Desirable:

• 📝 Experience of producing or contributing towards national estates policy

Skills & Attributes

Essential:

• 📊 Project planning and management skills
• 🤝 The ability to coordinate the activity of a team
• 💻 High levels of IT/computer skills

Desirable:

• 🎤 Experience of giving presentations on technical issues
• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 Welsh language skills (desirable) — Welsh and/or English speakers are equally welcome to apply

✈️ Visa sponsorship details

💷 Salary & benefits

🎁 What NWSSP offers you

At NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, we expect everyone to embrace our values of Listening and Learning, Working Together, Taking Responsibility and Innovating. Here’s what you’ll receive when you join the NWSSP team:

• 🏥 NHS Pension Scheme — one of the most generous pension schemes in the UK
• 🏖️ Generous annual leave — starting at 27 days plus bank holidays, increasing with service
• ✈️ Visa sponsorship — Skilled Worker or Health and Care Worker visa support
• 🏠 Agile working — flexibility to balance office, home and community working
• 📈 Learning organisation — continuous professional development and career progression
• 🌈 Inclusive workplace — committed to equality, diversity and inclusion with a focus on wellbeing and belonging
• 🩺 Occupational health services and employee wellbeing support
• 🤝 Excellent customer service culture — for both internal and external customers

📽️ Learn more about NWSSP

🎬 Watch our “Benefits” video to see what working for the NHS and NWSSP is like: youtu.be/zX3x046SDhg

💡 Watch our “Top Tips – Be Yourself” video for 8 key steps to help articulate your capabilities when applying: youtu.be/qe3ibY8b6m4

📩 How to apply