Building Surveyor in Holkham

Job description

BUILDING SURVEYOR

REPORTING TO: General Manager – Land and Property

SHAPE OF ROLE: Full-time, Permanent

LOCATION: Holkham, Norfolk

The Holkham Estate

Our vision is to be the UK’s most pioneering and sustainable rural estate.

The first of the Holkham Estate’s five strategic ambitions is: “We are custodians of important historic buildings and collections which we will treasure, enhance and revitalize before we hand these over to the next generation”.

The Holkham Estate extends over 25,000 acres. The land and property-based activities include residential and commercial lettings, property development, arable and vegetable farming, forestry, country sports, a hotel & restaurant, 7 holiday parks, beaches, car parks, cafes, shops, education programme, festivals and events.

The commercial operations of the Estate are successful enough to provide substantial funds for the upkeep of the historic buildings.

Land and Property

The Land and Property department includes management of 270+ residential homes, 50+ commercial tenants, 14 tenanted farms and their associated buildings as well as the Grade I listed Holkham Hall and a range of other listed buildings, scheduled monuments and structures of historical importance.

Overall job purpose

The Building Surveyor is responsible for managing a variety of building projects, from start to finish, effectively balancing sympathetic upkeep/restoration with budget. You will have a true passion for heritage buildings, whilst also having a commercial and pragmatic outlook.

The surveyor is responsible for the appointment and management of contractors and professional advisors, as well as guidance on other projects for the in-hand building team and the Estate’s other businesses.

Job description

Specific duties will include:

• Advisor for Holkham Hall and other heritage buildings. You will have a detailed knowledge and understanding of the building pathology and needs based on taking a hands-on/present approach and the skills to select and instruct experts where specialist skillsets need to be brought in.
• Principal contact for statutory bodies, including Historic England, local authorities – including Planning, Conservation and Building Control.
• Working closely with the Buildings Manager, you will identify which projects can be completed in-house and which will need your expertise in identifying the correct solution and tendering out to contractors.
• End-to-end project management of a range of works, varying in scope and scale. This will include:
• Preparation of specifications, schedules of work and plans.
• Management of the tender process
• Appointment of contractors and consultants.
• Supervision of works and final handover.
• Setting of budgets, monitoring budget and budget reporting.

• Management of contractors and professional advisors:
• Manage the selection of contractors, prepare and agree documentation, fees, tenders and framework contracts.
• Ensure contractors compliance with Health and Safety.
• Ensure value for money through regular reviews and benchmarking.
• Ensure quality compliance through robust management and monitoring of work.

• Management:
• To report on project progress, identifying and managing risks.
• To identify appropriate KPIs for building works within your remit.
• To fully utilize Landmark (or equivalent), identifying efficiencies in process.

• Planning and Budgeting
• To take the lead role in preparing a programme of works for annual budgeting and for rolling or periodic planning of projects
• Assist in the process of triaging work between that which is best handled, at least initially, by the Building Surveyor and that which is best directed to the Building Manager and his team.

• Heritage management plan
• To follow a programme of works as set out in Holkham Heritage Management Plan.
• To report on progress against the plan and contribute to the annual Heritage Management Plan meeting.

• Energy Efficiency and Sustainability
• To provide strategic oversight of the adoption of energy performance features.
• To advise on appropriate sustainable building methods.

You will from time to time be required to undertake other activities of a similar nature that fall within your capabilities.

Essential skills and experience

• A Chartered Building Surveyor, or demonstrable equivalent skillset acquired by experience.
• Experience of working with a wide variety of buildings.
• A strong technical understanding and experience of the design and construction of heritage/listed buildings.
• Experience of managing multiple projects at one time.
• Experience of managing a range of contractors – from tendering, negotiation and appointment through to ensuring works are finished to specification.
• Excellent written communication skills.
• IT proficient.

Shape of the Role

• The role of Building Surveyor is envisaged as a full-time, permanent role. This role is not envisaged as hybrid and working-from-home, when agreed with the General Manager, will be occasional and irregular.
• The Land & Property team strive to provide a responsive service to tenants and contractors. Face-to-face interaction, a strong supportive team culture, office teams being available to talk informally or spontaneously with field-based teams are all important.

Personal qualities

• An effective communicator, adept at stakeholder management.
• A confident and credible expert in your field.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, effective at minimizing disruptions and inefficiencies.
• Keen eye for detail, with a thorough and diligent approach to ensuring high quality delivery.
• Driven to ‘get things done’, whilst balancing the need for thoroughness.
• Leadership skills to manage contractors and consultants to meet deadlines.

The appointment will be subject to satisfactory references. You must have the right to live and work in the United Kingdom and hold a valid driving license.

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

Holkham

Type of Contract

Part-time jobs

Published at

01-09-2025

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English