Head of Technical Services

Head of Technical Services (Critical Systems)Wokingham / Reading (with future national scope)Mitie | NESO Contract
The RoleMitie is looking for a highly capable Head of Technical Services (Critical Systems) to join our NESO (National Energy System Operator) contract.
Working alongside the Head of Operations and reporting to the Account Manager, you'll act as the technical authority across the account, ensuring all engineering activity is safe, compliant, and future-focused.
This is not a purely strategic role - we're looking for someone who can combine deep technical knowledge with a proactive, hands-on approach, spotting risks before they materialise and driving improvements across critical systems.
You'll be based primarily across sites in Wokingham and Reading, with occasional travel as the contract evolves.
About the Contract
The NESO contract supports the UK's National Energy System Operator, responsible for balancing electricity supply and demand across the country.Mitie delivers a total facilities management solution across key operational sites, including critical control environments, infrastructure and associated systems. These sites operate in a highly resilient, always-on environment, where maintaining service continuity is essential.This role operates at the heart of that environment, ensuring that all critical engineering systems continue to perform to the highest standards., Technical Assurance & ComplianceLead on Safe Systems of Work, SOPs, EOPs and electrical complianceOversee the performance, maintenance and reliability of critical M&E infrastructureEnsure compliance with statutory, regulatory and client standardsConduct audits, reviews and continuous improvement of engineering processes
Engineering LeadershipAct as the SME for technical excellence across the contractProvide guidance on maintenance strategy, asset lifecycle and system optimisationIdentify risks and opportunities across plant, systems and infrastructureDrive a culture of consistency, best practice and operational excellence
Critical Systems OversightMaintain resilience of key infrastructure including:High and low voltage systemsUPS, generators and backup power systemsCooling and environmental controlsProactively identify upgrades or changes required to maintain uptime and resilience
Risk & SafetyLead on engineering risk management and mitigationSupport incident investigations and root cause analysisEnsure a strong health, safety and compliance culture across all activities
Client & Stakeholder EngagementBuild strong relationships with the NESO client teamPresent technical recommendations and challenge where requiredProvide clear, confident and evidence-based reporting on system performance and risk
Team Support & DevelopmentSupport the development, capability and compliance of engineering teamsEnsure all engineers are appropriately trained, qualified and authorisedAct as a technical mentor and escalation point for complex issues

We're looking for someone who combines technical credibility with strong presence and foresight - someone who can influence, challenge and lead from the front.
EssentialProfessionally qualified Engineer (e.g. IET, CIBSE)Strong HV/LV electrical background with Authorised Person (AP) experienceExperience working in critical environments (e.g. data centres, CNI, control rooms)Deep understanding of compliance, safety standards and engineering governanceAbility to be proactive - identifying issues before they arise and driving solutionsConfident communicator, able to engage and influence senior stakeholders
Highly DesirableExperience as or working towards Authorising Engineer (AE)Chartered Engineer (CEng) statusData centre or Uptime Institute / critical systems exposureBroader mechanical knowledge alongside electrical expertise