G7 Construction Quality Manager in Health, Safety, Quality, Workmanship Team – Remote Worker

Job summary

The role is based within a small team - The Health, Safety, Quality & Workmanship Team within Construction and External Technical Services DfE Education Estates Directorate (EED).The G7 Construction Quality Manager Role, will undertake assurance quality (on-site) inspections, to ensure the Construction Quality Monitoring Team role (CQM) undertaken by our 3rd party Technical Advisory Team, is effective. This will give DfE assurance that school buildings are delivered to a safe quality standard and ensuring that design non-compliance/risks are effectively reported for mitigation and resolution. The role is also responsible for ensuring EED compliance with the Building Safety Act (BSA), undertaking competency checks of Principal Designers for building regulations and Construction Design Management regulations, ensuring DfE fulfil legal obligations. The successful post holder will also be point of contact for BSA queries and training

Job description

We deliver new schools, rebuilds and refurbishments of existing schools and works to improve the condition of the whole school estate. We help provide high quality school places where they are needed and set standards for school buildings across the country. We also provide capital funding to schools and colleges so children can learn in good quality, safe buildings.

You will be responsible for assurance inspections to ensure that the role of the CQM Team is effective and that the CQM lead is carrying out their duties effectively. This will ensure that our construction activity across England meets legal, technical and quality standards for our new school buildings. You will lead on ensuring that Education Estates Directorate is compliant with the Building Safety Act and that we are fulfilling our client duty holder role.

Alongside this you will provide professional construction advice, training and support to the project, design and technical teams across our construction programmes.

Key responsibilities of the role will be to:

• Craft relationships with our contractors and across our construction programmes.
• Provide support, guidance and professional expertise to our Health, Safety and Quality Managers and project teams to improve CDM, quality and workmanship compliance.
• Develop and implement our strategies to improve site management and reduce incidents and failures associated with design, quality and workmanship weaknesses.
• Inspect construction sites to monitor and improve compliance.
• Lead and support project teams in the investigation of quality and workmanship failures.
• Develop and deliver internal quality and workmanship training.
• Ensuring Building Safety Act Compliance.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

We are looking for someone to show they have experience of:

• Representing the client’s interest on capital construction programmes.
• Inspecting and auditing of construction sites to improve quality, workmanship, design and safety standards.
• Utilising excellent communication skills.
• Providing support and guidance to project teams on standards and requirements such as; Building Regulations, Construction (Design and Management) Regulations, Building Safety Act, client specifications and standards.
• Developing and implementing practices/strategies to reduce defects and snags.

Desirable Criteria:

• Knowledge and experience of mechanical and electrical engineering as applied to the construction of new buildings.
• Driving License

Desirable criteria will only be assessed at interview, in the event of a tie break situation, to make an informed decision.

Qualifications

A relevant professional or technical construction qualification to degree or post graduate level (e.g. Building Surveying, Architecture, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, Construction, or Quantity Surveying etc).

Memberships

Chartered membership of a professional construction body or Graduate membership with clear recent evidence of planned and organised progression towards the grade of Chartered Member. This membership should be of a professional body such as Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), Institute of Clerk of Works and Construction Inspectorate of GB (ICWCI) or equivalent.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £58,185, Department for Education contributes £16,856 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Applicants currently holding a permanent post in the Civil Service should note that, if successful, their salary on appointment would be determined by the Department’s transfer / promotion policies.

As a member of the DfE, you will be entitled to join the highly competitive Civil Service Pension Scheme, which many experts agree is one of the most generous in the UK.

You will have 25 days leave, increasing by 1 day every year to a maximum of 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, all staff receive the King’s Birthday privilege holiday and 8 days’ bank and public holidays.

We offer flexible working arrangements, such as flexi-time and compressed hours.

As an organisation, which exists to support education and lifelong learning, we offer our staff excellent professional development opportunities.

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 Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

Step 1: Application

At sift stage, you will be assessed on your Experience in line with the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job advert.

To apply for this role, please provide:

1. A ShortCV setting out your career history, highlighting specific responsibilities and achievements that are relevant for this role.
2. A Statement of Suitability(no more than 1000 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the job advert.
3. A 250 word example of the Managing a Quality Service behaviour

The CV and Statement of Suitability will be assessed against the essential criteria detailed in the advert. We will sift using your CV, Statement and Behavioural example.

Those successful at sift will be invited to attend an interview

Step 2: Interview

The interview will consist of a 45-minute blended interview where you will be asked Experience based questions to demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job advert, questions around the listed Behaviours and we will also ask you some Strengths based questions.

Interviews will be held over video conferencing using MS Teams. If you are invited to interview, please ensure that you have access to this software and that you have your video turned on. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We receive many applications, and unfortunately, we’re not able to provide feedback for candidates who aren’t shortlisted. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Interview will take place within 2-3 weeks of sift.

Other Information

Interviews may be via Microsoft teams or face to face; the vacancy manager will confirm prior to the Interview.

In your application, please don’t include personal information that identifies you.

This means we can recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - it's called name blind recruitment (opens in a new window).

Please ensure that you remove from your application, all references to your:

• name/title
• educational institutions
• age
• gender
• email address
• postal address
• phone number
• nationality/immigration status

We reserve the right to raise the minimum pass mark in the event of a high volume or strong field of candidates.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK from the location options provided and not from overseas.

The government is committed to supporting apprenticeships, enabling people to learn and progress in a role whilst earning. We want to monitor the number of people who have completed apprenticeships who are now applying to progress further in their career and are asking this question to all candidates, on all vacancies. You will be asked a question as part of the application process about any previous apprenticeships you have completed. Your response to this question will not affect your application and it is not a requirement of the role to have completed a previous apprenticeship.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check maybe carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstance some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Department of Education of your intention by emailing Pre-Employment.Checks.DFE@education.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Department for Education do not cover the cost of travel to your interview/assessment unless otherwise stated.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Candidates will be posted in merit order based upon location preference. Where more than one location is advertised you will be asked to state your preferred location.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

Terms and conditions of candidates transferring from ALBs and NDPBs

Bodies that are not accredited by the Civil Service Commission and are not able to advertise at Across Government on Civil Service jobs will be treated as external new starters and will come into DfE on modernised terms and conditions with a salary at the band minimum.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission but do not have civil service status will be offered modernised terms and will not have continuous service recognised for leave or sickness benefits. Salaries should be offered at band minimum, but there is some flexibility where this would cause a detriment to the individual.

Bodies that are accredited by the Civil Service Commission and do have Civil Service status will be treated as OGD transfers. Staff appointed on lateral transfer will move on to pre-modernised DfE terms (unless they were on modernised terms in their previous organisation). Staff appointed on promotion will move on to modernised DfE terms. Staff will transfer over on their existing salary (on lateral transfer) and any pay above the DfE pay band maximum will be paid as a mark time allowance. Staff moving on promotion will have their salaries calculated using the principles set out in the attached OGD transfer supplementary information.

Reasonable adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Department of Education via centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Assistance required” 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.

Please refer to the attached ‘Reasonable Adjustments Guide 05_2025 – accessible version’ at the bottom of the advert, for further information.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to Department for Education (DfE) will mean you will no longer be able to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Jan Baker - Head of Health, Safety, Quality and Workmanship (HSQW)
• Email : Janet.baker@education.gov.uk
• Telephone : 07772 523390

Recruitment team

• Email : Centralrecruitment.operations@education.gov.uk

Further information

The Department for Education’s recruitment processes are underpinned by the Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Principles, which outlines that selection for appointment is made on merit based on fair and open competition. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned via CentralRecruitment.Operations@education.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages

Attachments

DFE Terms & Conditions - accessible version Opens in new window (pdf, 215kB)OGD Transfer Supplementary information - accessible version Opens in new window (pdf, 327kB)Reasonable Adjustments guide 05_2025 - accessible version Opens in new window (pdf, 723kB)