Deputy Legionella & Water Hygiene Subject Matter Expert

Job summary

For jobs located in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is one of the government’s largest public service departments with a sizeable annual budget, serving over 20 million citizens.

The estate spans 1.4 million square metres across 800+ sites and supports around 78,000 colleagues.

Our vision includes DWP colleagues, supply chain, partners and, most fundamentally, the customers the Department exists to serve. They are the reason for our existence.​

We are responsible for the day-to-day operation of our vast Estate by managing a private sector supply chain that delivers essential services such as Security Guarding, Maintenance, Property and Leasehold Management, Construction, Cleaning and Facilities Management.

DWP Estates is not just about maintaining buildings - it’s about transformation. Our strategic goals include:

• Transitioning to a smaller, more affordable, and adaptable estate to meet future needs
• Investing in infrastructure through planned replacement works
• Embedding sustainability in line with Government Greening Commitments (GGCs)
• Delivering cost-effective services while maintaining high standards
• Creating a professional, best-in-class working culture across the Government Property profession

Our Estates strategy ambitions have been refreshed to take us through to 2030:

• OPTIMISE: Continue to transition to a more affordable and adaptable DWP estate that creates productive environments

• INVEST: Investment in an improved environment that better meets the needs of customers and colleagues and minimises service disruption

• SUPPORT the drive for sustainability throughout DWP

• DELIVER: Expertly deliver improving, cost-effective services for DWP

• THRIVE: Continue to develop a working culture for DWP Estates that is best in class across government

There is no better time to join the award winning DWP Estates team.

Job description

** Location – While a Corporate Hub in the locations specified is preferred other locations nationally can be considered **

Government Property Profession Career Framework (Link)

This role sits within the following:

• Job Family – Strategic Asset Management
• Core Role – Property Data Management
• Level – Practitioner

Job Summary

DWP Estates is expanding its national water safety function and is seeking an additional Legionella & Water Hygiene Subject Matter Expert (SME) to work collaboratively across a complex UK-wide estate.

The post holder will work alongside a fellow Water Hygiene SME as part of an integrated national technical function. Both SMEs will operate at the same technical level, with equivalent professional standing, competence, authority and accountability across DWP's water safety arrangements.

Together, the Water Hygiene SMEs will provide national technical leadership, oversight, assurance and challenge across Business As Usual (BAU) water hygiene activity, Water Risk Assessments (WRAs), Written Schemes of Control, planned preventative maintenance (PPM), remedial activity, water sampling, projects, asset information, investigations, compliance evidence, contractor performance and governance.

Both SMEs will work collaboratively across the full water safety portfolio to ensure that risks identified through WRAs, BAU activity, operational data, projects, incidents and technical investigations are collectively understood and translated into proportionate, coordinated and effective controls. This approach will strengthen assurance, support efficient use of technical resource, reduce duplication and ensure attention is focused on the areas of greatest risk and operational priority.

The post holder will act as a DWP Estates Responsible Person for Water Safety, with responsibilities exercised in accordance with the DWP Water Safety Plan and established governance arrangements.

DWP retains duty-holder responsibility for the effective management of water safety. While services are delivered through the FM contractor, specialist water hygiene providers and other delivery partners, accountability for effective control cannot be contracted out. The Water Hygiene SMEs provide the competent technical oversight, assurance and challenge necessary to support DWP in demonstrating that appropriate controls are established, implemented and effective.

The role is central to maintaining effective water safety arrangements across diverse building types, system configurations and operational environments and contributes directly to reducing risk, improving operational effectiveness and protecting people, assets and organisational reputation.

What we are looking for

If you’re someone who can use your technical expertise to strengthen Legionella risk control and provide clear, evidence-based assurance at a national level, we want to hear from you. Most importantly, we are looking for individuals who are motivated by delivering effective, proportionate and sustainable water safety management that protects people, assets and organisational reputation.

Drawing upon your mechanical engineering knowledge and Legionella risk management experience, you will play a key role in supporting the National Water Hygiene SME by leading Business As Usual (BAU) technical activity. You will provide day-to-day oversight of Legionella control arrangements, ensuring risks are identified early, control failures are understood, and corrective actions are progressed through the appropriate governance and operational routes.

Working across a complex, multi-site estate, you will engage routinely with operational stakeholders, providing clear technical direction, assurance and challenge to support compliant outcomes. You will review and quality assure Water Risk Assessments (WRAs), written schemes of control and CAFM-based compliance evidence, ensuring that Legionella control measures are technically correct, practical and aligned with ACOP L8 and HSG274.

The role requires strong analytical and communication skills, translating operational performance data into clear national risk narratives, reports and governance packs. Through structured BAU reporting, weekly operational engagement and targeted escalation, you will support informed decision-making, prioritisation of risk and continual improvement in Legionella control.

This role is not a contract or commercial management position; instead, it provides independent technical assurance and risk-based recommendations that enable delivery teams to act with confidence. Your work will have a direct and tangible impact on national water safety assurance, helping to maintain safe environments and demonstrate robust statutory compliance.

Duties and Responsibilities

• the role holder will play a key part in national water hygiene risk management and assurance, working collaboratively with the other Water Hygiene SME, operational stakeholders, contractors and assurance functions to:
• act as a DWP Estates Responsible Person for Water Safety and Water Hygiene Subject Matter Expert;
• maintain an effective, relevant and compliant water management system across the estate;
• maintain effective oversight of water hygiene and Legionella risk across a complex, multi-site portfolio;
• ensure risks are identified, assessed, controlled, monitored, rectified and escalated appropriately;
• provide independent, evidence-based technical advice, assurance and engineering challenge;
• assure that contractor delivery and supporting evidence demonstrate effective implementation of required controls;
• maintain an accurate and evidence-based understanding of national water hygiene risk, assets, compliance and performance;
• provide technical leadership on repairs, maintenance, projects, asset changes and investment; an
• support governance through clear reporting, escalation and proportionate risk-based recommendations.

Key responsibilities

• Act as a DWP Estates Responsible Person for Water Safety, exercising the responsibilities and technical authority assigned through the DWP Water Safety Plan, policies and governance arrangements.
• Maintain a detailed understanding of water hygiene and Legionella risk management requirements, ensuring arrangements remain aligned with applicable legislation, ACOP L8, HSG274, BS 8580-1, relevant technical standards, DWP requirements and good practice.
• Ensure DWP maintains an effective and usable water management system, including appropriate plans, asset registers, schematics, surveys, Water Risk Assessments, Written Schemes of Control, logbooks, compliance information and risk records
• Provide national technical oversight of water hygiene controls, reviewing compliance evidence, validating control delivery and identifying emerging, recurring or sustained ris
• Lead collaborative working with specialist water hygiene providers, WRA providers and the FM contractor in developing, operating and improving the performance and assurance arrangements used to demonstrate effective delivery of statutory and risk-based water hygiene maintenance.
• Manage, control and assure the implementation of Water Risk Assessments, associated treatment or action plans and the escalation of non-conforming water systems through appropriate operational, Asset Management, Compliance and governance route
• Review and quality assure WRAs, Written Schemes of Control, schematics and associated action plans, ensuring they are technically accurate, proportionate and reflective of actual system configuration and identified ris
• Review survey and assessment documentation produced by specialist providers, the FM contractor and their supply chain, ensuring findings and actions are appropriately documented, tracked and supported by satisfactory evidence before closure.
• Identify and challenge discrepancies between WRAs, Written Schemes, asset information, PPM requirements and operational delivery, ensuring site-specific controls are correctly translated into maintenance and monitoring arrangements.
• Use CAFM and associated compliance information to interrogate PPM delivery, identify missed, overdue, incorrectly scoped or inadequately evidenced activity and ensure corrective actions are appropriately prioritised, owned and tracked to verified closure
• Review water hygiene monitoring and sampling information, including adverse or out-of-parameter results, and determine proportionate technical requirements for investigation, immediate controls, corrective action and escalation
• Provide technical oversight of hot and cold water services and other relevant systems including water features, cooling towers and swimming pools, applying appropriate engineering and water hygiene principles to the assessment and control of risk.
• Lead the technical assessment of proposed repairs, improvements, maintenance changes, remedial works and modifications to water assets and systems, ensuring identified risks and root causes are appropriately addressed.
• Assess, authorise and sign off requests to delay, defer or vary water hygiene maintenance and repairs where this responsibility is assigned, ensuring decisions are supported by an appropriate and evidenced risk position and are escalated where acceptable control cannot be demonstrated.
• Determine whether evidence submitted in support of corrective, maintenance or remedial activity is sufficient to demonstrate satisfactory completion and effective risk control, challenging or rejecting inadequate evidence where necessary.
• Lead or support site investigations, audits and technical deep dives to verify system condition, completed works, compliance arrangements, asset information and supporting documentation and to identify root causes, assurance gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Lead or support investigations into control failures, adverse trends, repeated non-compliance or suspected water-related incidents, applying root-cause analysis and defining effective corrective and preventative action
• Lead the capture and interpretation of accurate and relevant water asset, condition, maintenance and compliance data to ensure appropriate maintenance, remedial works, lifecycle interventions and investment are identified.
• Use asset, condition, compliance and risk information to make evidence-based recommendations for future works, improvements, maintenance and investment, balancing water safety, compliance, whole-life performance and value for money.
• Provide Water Hygiene SME input across the project and asset lifecycle, including acquisition, design, specification, refurbishment, system modification, commissioning, handover, occupation change and decommissioning.
• Ensure appropriate cleaning, disinfection, flushing, sampling, commissioning evidence, schematics, asset information, maintenance requirements, risk assessments, Written Schemes and other relevant water safety documentation are established before new or modified systems are accepted into BAU.
• Collate, interrogate and present water hygiene risk and performance information, identifying trends, hotspots, recurring site or asset issues, contractor performance concerns, data-quality problems and systemic weaknesses.
• Provide constructive technical challenge to the FM contractor, specialist water hygiene providers, consultants and project teams, including assurance of contractor competence, technical methods, proposed solutions and supporting evidence where required
• Maintain and support accurate water asset and system information throughout the asset lifecycle and ensure incomplete or inaccurate information that could compromise safe management is identified and corrected.
• Perform risk-based audits and checks of water hygiene data, maintenance activity, compliance practices and evidence to understand root causes, close assurance gaps and improve performance
• Work collaboratively with the other Water Hygiene SME across the full water safety portfolio, combining technical expertise and professional judgement to improve consistency, strengthen assurance, reduce risk and improve efficiency
• Collaborate with Asset Management, Asset Intelligence, Compliance, operational teams and supply-chain partners to support legal and contractual compliance, appropriate asset management, best practice and value for money
• Contribute to the development, review and implementation of DWP water safety strategies, policies, procedures, technical standards, assurance arrangements and the Water Safety Plan.
• Apply appropriate asset-management principles, including relevant principles of the ISO 55000 series, to support effective management of water assets throughout their lifecycle
• Support DWP's estate objectives by ensuring water safety decisions appropriately consider compliance, risk, lifecycle value, efficiency and the principles of a smaller, greener, more affordable and adaptable estate.
• Drive continual improvement and practical innovation in water safety management, using evidence from WRAs, BAU performance, incidents, audits, projects and technical investigations.
• Represent the Water Hygiene SME function in appropriate operational, technical and governance meetings, providing a clear technical position and ensuring risks and actions are appropriately understood, owned and progressed.
• Recognise when operational issues represent wider systemic or strategic risk and escalate appropriately, ensuring material issues maintain a clear audit trail of risk, action, owner, target, evidence, verification and closure.

Person specification

Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Technical ownership of water hygiene and Legionella risk across complex water systems

• Substantial demonstrable experience applying and independently managing water hygiene and Legionella risk across complex or multi-site estates, with a clear understanding of how risk assessments, technical standards and control measures are translated into operational delivery, governance and assurance. (Lead Criterion)

Responsible Person and Water Safety Governance

• Demonstrable competence to operate as a Responsible Person for Water Safety, including the ability to exercise professional judgement, provide authoritative technical advice, assess and escalate risk and ensure appropriate water safety arrangements are implemented and assured.

Water Risk Assessment, Written Scheme and Compliance Assurance

• Proven experience reviewing, implementing and assuring Water Risk Assessments, Written Schemes of Control, schematics, treatment or action plans and associated compliance arrangements, with the ability to identify unsupported conclusions, technical gaps and proportionate corrective actions.

Contractor Oversight and Technical Challenge

• Demonstrable experience providing credible technical assurance and challenge to FM contractors, specialist providers, consultants and other delivery partners, including challenging inadequate evidence, technical solutions, non-conformance and reported completion.

Applying Technical and Engineering Principles to Water Hygiene

• A strong practical understanding of mechanical engineering and the design, operation and maintenance of commercial water systems, including hot and cold water services, water storage and distribution systems, water features, cooling towers and swimming pools. Candidates must be able to demonstrate how system design, configuration, materials, operating conditions, maintenance, temperature control, water treatment, stagnation and asset condition can influence Legionella and wider water quality risk, and apply appropriate technical and engineering principles to identify deficiencies, assess risk and determine proportionate control measures.

Data, Asset and Evidence-Based Assurance

• Strong analytical capability, with experience interrogating CAFM, asset, maintenance, monitoring and compliance information to establish the actual risk and compliance position, identify trends, repeat failures, systemic issues and data-quality problems and determine whether available evidence supports action closure.

Projects, Asset Lifecycle and Handover

• Experience providing water hygiene technical input across projects, acquisitions, refurbishment, system change and commissioning, including the technical information and assurance required for safe handover into operational use.

Governance, Escalation and Technical Influence

• Experience communicating and defending clear technical positions, influencing stakeholders through evidence and professional competence and escalating unresolved risk through appropriate governance arrangements.

Essential Qualifications/professional memberships

• Candidates must have served a recognised apprenticeship in a mechanical discipline, preferably within a commercial or complex mechanical engineering environment, and hold a minimum of an HNC in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline
• Candidates must also hold a Responsible Person (Water) qualification or equivalent recognised water hygiene competence appropriate to the role and demonstrate a clear commitment to continuing professional development.

Qualifications

•Candidates must have served a recognised apprenticeship in a mechanical discipline, preferably within a commercial or complex mechanical engineering environment, and hold a minimum of an HNC in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related discipline
•Candidates must also hold a Responsible Person (Water) qualification or equivalent recognised water hygiene competence appropriate to the role and demonstrate a clear commitment to continuing professional development.

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Water Hygiene, Legionella Risk Management and Responsible Person Competence
• Water Risk Assessments, Written Schemes and Control Measure Assurance
• Mechanical Engineering and Water Systems Expertise
• BAU, PPM and Compliance Evidence Assurance
• Sampling, Investigation and Risk Response
• Contractor Oversight and Technical Challenge
• Projects, Asset Management, Commissioning and Handover
• Technical Reporting, Governance and Decision Making

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,447, Department for Work and Pensions contributes £12,876 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave – at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (pro–rata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 year’s continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Women’s Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT

As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a Personal Statement of no more than 1000 words against the essential criteria as outlined above.

You will also be asked to provide a short CV.

Your CV should be fairly short and just evidence very brief details of your work history and Qualifications.

While your CV is not formally scored it will be used to validate the evidence of your Personal Statement.

Please do not submit a speculative application where you do not meet at least 50% of the essential criteria as these applications will be unsuccessful. Do not include Behaviour examples within your application as these will not be assessed in the sift and will only be used at interview stage.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

If we receive a large number of applications we will conduct an initial sift on the Lead Criteria only.

If you pass the initial sift you will be progressed to full sift or directly to interview.

There will be an initial sift of applications based on the Personal Statement only, so please ensure you evidence how you meet the Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience requirement contained in the vacancy in this section. This will form a short list for interview.

STAGE 2 - INTERVIEW

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will undertake a single virtual video interview.

This role will be recruited through a technical interview, reflecting its specialist assurance and decision-making remit.

While leadership attributes are an essential requirement of the post, they will be assessed through the candidate’s technical responses, professional judgement, and approach to risk-based decision-making rather than through standalone behavioural questions.

Candidates will be expected to demonstrate leadership through the delivery of high-quality technical outcomes, ownership of decisions, constructive challenge, and the ability to provide clear technical direction within Legionella risk management and compliance scenarios.

Presentation

If invited to interview you will be required to do a 10 minute presentation at the start of your interview. Details of the presentation and what is required will be supplied as part of the invite to interview.

Currently the sift is scheduled to take place w/c 9th November 2026 and interview dates w/c 23rd November 2026 . Interviews are scheduled to take place virtually and dates are subject to change.

Important Information – Visa Sponsorship

For these vacancies, we strongly recommend that applicants consult with an immigration specialist or qualified advisor to assess their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship before deciding to apply. Please note that while we consider sponsorship requests in accordance with current DWP guidance and Home Office policy, sponsorship cannot be guaranteed.

Hybrid Working

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.

If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office.

If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Successful candidates will be posted in merit order based on your location preferences and the geographical requirements of the business

Location

Applicants should apply for suitable posts where they can travel to and from their home office location daily within a reasonable time.

Further Information

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Disability Confident Scheme

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

Reasonable Adjustments

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Integrity, plagiarism, Civil Service Principles and t