Maintenance Operative

This is an opportunity to join a growing children’s nursery group. You’ll take ownership of the day-to-day maintenance, presentation and safety of our seven nursery sites, managing your own workload and making decisions about how best to prioritise and complete works.

Hours: 37.5 hours per week, 7.5 hours per day Monday to Friday

Location: 7 Nursery locations in Sussex

Holiday: 28 days including 8 statutory holidays 3 days entitlement to be taken at Christmas

Salary: £28-30k per annum

Probation period: 3 months from start date

Notice period: One calendar month

Reports to: Estates Manager

About the role:

Working closely with the Estates Manager, you will be responsible for general upkeep and maintenance of all sites. Depending on experience, this could involve plumbing, basic electrical work, carpentry, painting and decorating or groundskeeping. The role also includes Health & Safety and compliance management which might include monitoring i.e. fire alarms, emergency lighting, legionella and more.

Qualifications in any of the above would be ideal, but we’re looking for the right person over the right experience, so training can be provided where necessary!

Good communication is our top priority! You will need to communicate with staff, children and parents to ensure everyone’s safety; you will communicate with Nursery Managers to understand their requirements and to properly plan how and when work will take place; and you will communicate clearly with the Estates Manager so that the whole maintenance team knows the status of ongoing work.

You’ll ideally be comfortable working independently and making your own decisions. Jobs will be assigned by the Estates Manager via the FaultFixers app, but it will be up to you to prioritise how and when tasks are completed. A basic level of IT skill is expected.

We expect a good working knowledge of Health & Safety to begin with, but a willingness to learn nursery-specific safety practices and take part in H&S courses where necessary.

We are an inclusive, welcoming and supportive employer and there will be opportunity for further professional development and to grow with the company. There is scope to take on more hours, and responsibilities as well as the possibility of working with a Maintenance Apprentice later down the line.

We will provide you with your own set of basic tools, and you will have access to a bank of other equipment as well as access to trade accounts (Screwfix, Howdens etc.) to purchase any consumables and other tools that you require. A full UK driving licence and own vehicle is absolutely essential.

Requirements:

- Full clean UK Driving Licence

- DBS checked to enhanced level and minimum of 2 satisfactory relevant references

- Knowledge of workplace health & safety policies and procedures

- Always ensuring safe nursery environments are maintained for our children and staff

- Ability to work in busy nursery environments with care, attention and discretion and caution

- Enterprise, initiative and resourcefulness – and a positive ‘can do’ attitude

- Travel in and around Brighton & Hove and Sussex areas

- Organised with time-management skills and managing workloads

- Personable and well-presented

- Strong communication skills – in person and digitally

- Minimum 2yrs experience in a similar role

- Basic ICT skills - ability to use email, internet and Microsoft Office

- Strong attention to detail

Main Duties:

- Overall estate management for 7 children’s nursery sites

- General repairs and maintenance jobs including painting & decorating

- Garden work and outdoor cleaning

- Legal compliance Health and Safety tasks such as legionella testing, emergency lighting tests etc.

- Clearing and disposal of rubbish and old equipment

- Replacement of lights (bulbs) and fittings (not electric work unless certified to do so)

- Basic plumbing (drainage, sinks, toilets, leaks etc)

- Equipment installation, maintenance and safety checks i.e. white goods, play equipment etc.

- Occasional work directly with maintenance manager and outside contractors on larger jobs and projects

- Jointly accountable for for health, safety and cleanliness across Hopscotch nurseries and grounds

- Support the roll-out, building, and maintenance of environmental sustainability initiatives across Hopscotch sites

- This list is not exhaustive

Other information

- Company credit card provided for purchases

- Basic tools provided

- Own vehicle required – mileage/fuel to be reimbursed on a monthly basis

- Occasional out-of-hours work in evenings and weekends, paid as overtime

- Company phone and laptop/tablet provided

Benefits:

- 50% Childcare Discount

- Employee Assistance Programme for Staff Mental Health Wellbeing and Support.

- Regular Socials for all Nursery Teams to foster a supportive community.

- Well-Established Career Path and Training Opportunities for professional growth.

How to Apply:

Please apply with your CV today!

Hopscotch is an equal opportunity employer, welcoming applicants from diverse backgrounds.