Head of Building Services - Education (MEP)

The Head of Building Services - Education is the senior technical authority responsible for defining, governing, and assuring the MEP strategy across all Education sector projects, including the DfE Framework, Higher Education, Further Education, SEND, and specialist refurbishment programmes. The role provides leadership across preconstruction and pre-contract phases, ensuring compliance, value for money, and performance certainty, before handing over delivery accountability to regional teams at contract award, while retaining strategic oversight, governance control, and escalation authority., Sector-Wide MEP Strategy & Technical Standards · Define and maintain the MEP strategy for all Education projects, ensuring consistent, efficient, and compliant solutions across frameworks and bespoke opportunities. · Develop sector-wide standards, system strategies, and performance criteria aligned to DfE Output Specifications, HE/FE requirements, and statutory obligations. · Ensure that DfE Framework standards are embedded within the wider Education MEP strategy, allowing consistency while accommodating project-specific needs. · Own and approve departures from strategy, including derogations on DfE-aligned schemes and bespoke client requirements. Pre-Contract Design Leadership & Assurance · Act as the lead MEP authority during feasibility, concept, and pre-contract design stages across all Education sector bids. · Lead optioneering, technical reviews, and coordinated design assurance prior to contract award. · Ensure design compliance against DfE Output Specifications, client technical standards, and statutory requirements. · Confirm readiness for procurement and construction from an MEP perspective. Bid Development & Technical Authoring (Sector-Wide) · Lead and coordinate the MEP technical content of all Education sector bid submissions, including DfE, FE, HE, and refurbishment frameworks. · Produce or oversee high-quality technical narratives, tender responses, and clarifications, ensuring proposals are compliant, deliverable, and aligned to sector strategy. · Work collaboratively with Preconstruction, Work Winning, Estimating, Design, and Digital teams to develop robust, competitive, and technically assured tenders. · Identify and communicate technical risks, opportunities, and value propositions as part of the bid strategy. Risk, Cost & Value Management · Own Education-wide MEP risks at pre-contract stage, ensuring consistent identification, mitigation, and reporting. · Develop and maintain MEP cost benchmarks across the sector (DfE, FE, HE, refurbishments). · Ensure that MEP decisions support cost certainly without compromising performance, compliance, or sustainability outcomes. · Provide senior technical input into supply chain strategy, early engagement activities, and specialist selection. Governance, Framework Compliance & Contract Award Handover · Ensure rigorous governance and compliance across all Education projects, with specific regard to DfE Framework assurance processes. · At contract award, deliver structured and auditable handover of MEP responsibility to the Regional Building Services Manager. · Prepare a complete MEP handover pack including risks, assumptions, constraints, and design status. · Brief regional teams and define clear reporting and escalation routes. · Post-award: Delivery accountability transfers to the regional team while the Head of Building Services retains strategic oversight and escalation responsibility. Delivery Oversight, Performance & Escalation · Provide senior oversight across live Education projects, supporting regional teams where complex or high-risk MEP issues arise. · Participate in key gateways, assurance reviews, and high-risk project interventions as required. · Maintain visibility of DfE-specific compliance risks, ensuring framework obligations continue to be met without duplicating regional delivery roles. Commissioning, Performance & Continuous Improvement · Define commissioning and Soft Landings requirements across all Education schemes, aligned with DfE and sector best practice. · Review early-life performance, defects trends, and lessons learned across regions and frameworks. · Update sector MEP strategy and standards based on data and performance insights. · Ensure learning from the DfE Framework informs wider Education projects, and vice versa. Key Measures of Success · High levels of technical compliance across DfE, HE/FE, and other Education projects · Reduced MEP-related change post-contract award · Consistent application of MEP strategy across regions and frameworks · Predictable cost, programme, and performance outcomes · Positive commissioning results and strong early-life performance Our Commitment: At GRAHAM, we are proud to say that we are a committed Equal Opportunities Employer and we aim to be the first choice for people from all backgrounds. We seek to promote respect for the individual and equality of opportunities. We believe that everyone should be treated solely on the basis of personal merit and contribution throughout their GRAHAM career journey and not on the value of artificial barriers, prejudices, or preferences. If you require any adjustments or accommodations during the application or interview process, please let us know. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds. 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