Employer heading
Specialist Craftsperson (Mechanical)
Band 5
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job Overview
The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has a fantastic opportunity for aspiring, customer focused, mechanical maintenance professionals to be based at the Freeman Hospital. Working within a small multi-disciplinary team, the chosen applicant will help maintain the building services infrastructure at one of the Top 10 Hospital Trusts in the U.K.
On Offer Is
- An attractive salary of up to £37,796 (dependant on previous experience) with enhancements available for shift working.
- Inclusion in one of the most generous pension schemes in the country with employer contributions of 9.3%.
- Clear career progression routes.
- Regular professional training with access to development training.
- A regular, consistent, working pattern
- Interview Date: 8th December 2025
- 37 hours 30 minutes/week
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
NO AGENCIES PLEASE
Main duties of the job
- Installation, Maintenance & Repair:
- Install, maintain, service, and repair a wide range of plumbing and heating systems, including domestic hot and cold water systems, heating plant, pipework, sanitary ware, and associated infrastructure across the hospital estate.
- Technical Support & Compliance:
- Provide technical advice and support to estates maintenance staff and contractors to ensure all plumbing and heating works comply with current safety standards, regulations, and best practices.
- Surveys & Inspections:
- Undertake condition surveys of plumbing and heating systems.
- Evaluate inspection reports and contribute to planned preventative maintenance schedules and remedial works.
- Competent/Responsible Person Duties:
- Act as a Competent Person/Responsible Person (as defined by Health Technical Memoranda) in at least two of the following areas:
- Water Safety (e.g., Legionella control)
- Pressure Systems
- Confined Spaces
- Decontamination
- Specialist Ventilation (where applicable)
- Candidate Requirements:
- Completion of a recognised plumbing and/or heating engineering apprenticeship.
- Demonstrable experience in plumbing and heating maintenance, ideally within a healthcare or large commercial environment.
- Strong understanding of water hygiene, heating systems, and relevant building services regulations.
- Self-motivated, with a proactive approach to learning and development.
- Flexible and responsive to the needs of a large, complex hospital estate.
Working for our organisation
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:
- Freeman Hospital
- Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
- Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)
- Newcastle Dental Hospital
- Newcastle Fertility Centre
- Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
- Northern Genetics Service
- Cramlington Manor Walks
These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities
To install, maintain, service and repair the full range of estates specialist equipment, plant and infrastructure.Provides technical advice to other estates maintenance staff and contractors to ensure compliance with safety standards and procedures.Act in the role of Competent Person/Responsible Person, as defined by Health Technical Memorandum, for at least two of the following areas:
- Water Safety
- Lifting Equipment
- Pressure Systems
- Medical Gasses.
- Specialist Ventilation
- Decontamination.
- Confined Spaces
- Undertakes condition surveys, evaluates inspection reports.
Person specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria
- BTEC, HNC/HND or Approved Apprenticeship, City and Guilds or NVQ 3 Technicians Certificate or equivalent qualifications in relevant topics plus significant technical experience
- Comprehensive post apprenticeship experience in hospital maintenance environment.
Desirable criteria
- Qualification and experience mechanical / motor con BTEC or City and Guilds in Medical Gas Pipeline and Vacuum Systems and BTEC or City & Guilds in Decontamination Equipment and Sterilisation.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
- Expertise and a full understanding of complex mechanical healthcare related infrastructure.
- Thorough working knowledge of Building Management Systems
- Have a detailed working knowledge of the following: o Ventilation and cooling systems. o Steam generation and distribution. o MTHW & LTHW generation and distribution. o DHW & DCW generation and distribution. o BMS control systems. o Pneumatic systems.
- An understanding of key legislation relating to the maintenance of facilities.
- Experience of working in an industrial environment.
- Electrical/mechanical services systems maintenance.
Desirable criteria
- Mechanical testing and inspection
- Knowledge of Healthcare Technical Guidance
- Hospital experience.
- Working with natural gas systems
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
- Able to make workload assessments and allocation.
- Ability to evaluate and solve problems in situ.
- Ability to communicate verbally by phone and in writing to Senior Management and clinical users throughout the Trust.
- PC and IT literate. Ability to use tools and test equipment.
- Fit and mobile.
Desirable criteria
- Pipe welding, steriliser maintenance
Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form
All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
- Specialist Craftsperson (Mechanical) (PDF, 263.6KB)
- Newcastle Staff Benefits (PDF, 274.4KB)
- Behaviour and Civility Charter (PDF, 93.8KB)
Apply online now
Further details / informal visits contact
Name Lyndon Nelson Job title Specialist Engineering Manager (Mechanical) Email address
[email protected] Telephone number 0191 2877190
