Location: Southampton / Hampshire & South Coast
Company: Fair Oak Air Conditioning Ltd
Salary: £55,000 – £65,000+ depending on experience and capability
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
This Isn't Just Another Electrician Job
Fair Oak Air Conditioning is growing, and we're looking for an exceptionally experienced electrician to join us at an important stage in that growth.
We're not simply looking for another electrician to add to a team.
We're looking for someone who could eventually build and lead our electrical division.
Initially, you'll remain very much hands-on. You'll take the lead on our installation projects, carry out the electrical works, take responsibility for the site and lead the junior engineers working alongside you.
At the same time, we'll invest in developing you into the HVAC industry.
We'll fund your F-Gas qualification, manufacturer training and practical air conditioning development, with the aim of turning an already exceptional electrician into a genuinely capable dual-trade Electrical & HVAC Engineer and Foreman.
As the business grows, so will the position.
Our longer-term intention is for the right person to help establish and grow the electrical side of the Fair Oak group, recruit and develop electricians underneath them and progressively move from hands-on engineering into project, department and business management.
For the exceptional person who proves they can help us build it, there is a genuine pathway towards senior leadership and ultimately directorship within the group.
This isn't a title we're looking to fill.
We're looking for the person we can build the position around.
Who We're Looking For
We're looking for a genuinely accomplished electrician with ideally 15+ years of broad electrical experience.
You should be the kind of electrician who has encountered most things the industry can throw at you.
One day that might mean adding a socket or modifying a circuit in someone's home.
Another could involve installing an FCU and associated electrical supply for a smaller air conditioning system, or running a new dedicated armoured supply for a larger A/C system.
The next could mean replacing a consumer unit, fault-finding an existing installation, installing a new three-phase distribution board or taking responsibility for the electrical installation on a substantial commercial project.
We want someone who's genuinely comfortable across the spectrum — from the smaller domestic jobs through to larger, more complex commercial electrical installations.
We're not looking for someone whose experience has been limited to one narrow area of the trade.
We want a proper electrical all-rounder.
Someone technically excellent, practical, commercially aware and confident making decisions.
Someone junior engineers can learn from.
And ideally, you're already the person other electricians call when they don't know what to do.
The Role Initially
This is not an office management position.
You'll initially be predominantly on the tools and leading from the front.
FOAC carries out high-quality residential and commercial air conditioning installations across Hampshire and the South Coast.
You'll take responsibility for projects on site, complete and oversee the electrical works required for our installations and lead the A/C engineers working alongside you.
You'll be responsible for helping make sure the whole project gets delivered properly, not simply completing the electrical element and walking away.
That means:
- Taking ownership of projects on site
- Leading junior engineers and installation teams
- Completing all associated electrical installation works
- Planning electrical requirements before projects begin
- Domestic electrical alterations and additions
- Consumer unit and distribution board works
- New circuits and supplies
- Single-phase and three-phase installations
- Commercial electrical installations
- Containment and cable management
- Inspection, testing and certification
- Electrical fault finding
- Identifying problems before they become problems
- Making practical decisions on site
- Maintaining exceptional workmanship standards
- Coordinating with customers, contractors and the FOAC office
- Managing materials and project requirements
- Helping junior engineers understand electrical best practice
- Taking responsibility for the finished project
You won't need someone constantly telling you what needs doing next.
We'll give you responsibility and expect you to take ownership of the outcome.
You'll Also Become a Dual-Trade Engineer
You do not need previous air conditioning experience.
In fact, we're specifically interested in finding an exceptional electrician first.
We'll teach you the HVAC side.
FOAC will invest in your development through:
- Fully funded F-Gas qualification
- Air conditioning installation training
- Manufacturer technical training
- Refrigeration and HVAC development
- Practical experience alongside our existing engineers
- Commissioning experience
- Split and multi-split systems
- Commercial air conditioning
- Exposure to increasingly complex HVAC projects
You'll initially lead projects through your existing electrical and site experience while developing your refrigeration knowledge alongside the team.
The objective is to create something relatively unusual within the industry:
A highly experienced electrician who is also a qualified and capable HVAC engineer, project lead and team leader.
Leading the Next Generation
A major part of this position is leadership.
We have younger engineers developing within FOAC, and we want someone they can learn from.
Not someone standing on the sidelines telling everyone else what to do.
Someone who earns their respect because they've spent years doing the job themselves.
You'll help teach them how a professional tradesperson approaches a project.
Planning ahead.
Looking after customers' properties.
Taking pride in containment and presentation.
Testing their work.
Thinking before acting.
Solving problems properly rather than hiding them.
Understanding why something is being done rather than simply following instructions.
And, most importantly, taking responsibility for their work.
You'll gradually help develop the engineers around you into highly capable tradespeople.
Building FOAC Electrical
This is where the position becomes different from a conventional senior electrician role.
Our intention is to develop a dedicated electrical division within the growing Fair Oak group.
We're still at the beginning of that journey.
We don't want to pretend you're walking into a fully established electrical department with ten electricians underneath you.
You're joining early enough to help build it.
Initially, much of your electrical work will be integrated with FOAC's existing air conditioning projects.
As our electrical capability develops, we intend to undertake increasingly substantial standalone electrical work across residential and commercial environments.
The successful person could ultimately help us:
- Develop the electrical division
- Establish electrical standards and processes
- Help develop estimating and project delivery
- Recruit additional electricians
- Recruit and develop apprentices
- Train and mentor electrical engineers
- Oversee multiple electrical projects
- Manage electrical compliance and quality
- Allocate labour and resources
- Develop relationships with commercial clients
- Identify new opportunities for the division
- Work alongside management on the commercial performance of the department
- Build a team capable of operating without you having to physically complete every installation yourself
The opportunity is to eventually be able to look at a successful electrical department and know:
you helped build it.
The Longer-Term Position
We don't believe in promising someone a management title simply because they've completed a certain number of months with the company.
Progression will be based on capability, performance and the growth of the business.
Initially, expect to be hands-on.
As the electrical division develops and additional electricians join the business, we'd expect your role to progressively change.
Less time physically installing.
More time overseeing projects.
More responsibility for engineers.
More planning.
More training.
More involvement in estimating, standards and commercial decisions.
More responsibility across the wider business.
The ultimate objective is to develop the right person into a hybrid technical and management role, overseeing electrical and HVAC engineering operations rather than spending their entire career on the tools.
And for the exceptional person who demonstrates the technical ability, leadership, commercial understanding and commitment to help us build the business, there is a genuine opportunity to progress towards director-level responsibility within the Fair Oak group.
What We're Looking For
Ideally, you'll bring:
- 15+ years' broad electrical industry experience
- Extensive domestic electrical experience
- Strong commercial electrical experience
- Excellent fault-finding ability
- Consumer unit and distribution board experience
- Single-phase and three-phase experience
- Strong inspection and testing knowledge
- Experience delivering projects independently
- Experience leading jobs, electricians or other trades
- Excellent electrical workmanship
- Strong understanding of electrical regulations
- Ability to read drawings and specifications
- Ability to plan labour, materials and project requirements
- Confidence making technical decisions
- Strong customer communication
- Commercial awareness
- Full UK driving licence
You'll need appropriate recognised electrical qualifications, including:
- NVQ Level 3 Electrical Installation or recognised equivalent
- 18th Edition Wiring Regulations
- Inspection & Testing qualification such as 2391 or equivalent
- Appropriate practical assessment/AM2 or equivalent route to qualified status
Previous NICEIC/NAPIT Qualified Supervisor experience would be highly advantageous.
Air conditioning or refrigeration experience would be useful but is not required.
We'll provide that training.
Just as Important as Your Qualifications
We're interested in how you operate.
We're looking for someone who sees something that needs doing and deals with it.
Someone who thinks ahead rather than waiting for instructions.
Someone who understands that being the most senior person on a project means taking responsibility when something goes wrong.
Someone who can speak professionally with a homeowner in the morning and then confidently deal with a contractor on a commercial project that afternoon.
Someone who understands labour, materials, variations and project costs.
Someone who takes genuine pride in leaving behind an installation that another tradesperson would look at and appreciate.
And someone who can pass that mentality onto the next generation of engineers.
This Probably Isn't the Role for You If...
You want a supervisor title because you're tired of being on the tools.
You need every day and every task planned for you.
Your experience is limited to one narrow area of electrical work.
You don't enjoy teaching less experienced engineers.
You see planning, materials, customers or project profitability as "someone else's problem."
Or you're simply looking for the highest-paying electrician vacancy before moving onto the next one.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a conventional electrician position.
This just isn't one.
We're looking for someone who wants responsibility, autonomy and the opportunity to build something.
A Different Working Culture
FOAC is an ambitious, growing engineering business.
We've built our reputation around high standards, clean installations and taking genuine pride in the finished job.
We also want people to enjoy being part of the company.
We're outcome-focused rather than interested in clock-watching for the sake of it.
There will be days when everyone needs to push to get a project completed properly.
Equally, we believe that commitment should be returned with flexibility, trust and respect.
As your responsibility grows, so will your autonomy.
We don't want a senior person who needs managing every hour of the day.
We want to be able to hand you responsibility and trust you to get the right outcome.
What We Offer
- £55,000 – £65,000+ per year, depending on experience and capability
- Company van
- Company fuel/credit card
- Company pension
- Private medical insurance
- Daily lunch allowance
- 28 days holiday including bank holidays
- Paid Christmas shutdown
- Performance-related reward opportunities
- Fully funded F-Gas qualification
- Fully funded HVAC development
- Manufacturer training
- Genuine dual-trade development
- Varied residential and commercial projects
- Significant autonomy and responsibility
- Opportunity to help establish FOAC's electrical division
- Opportunity to recruit and develop your future team
- Progressive movement towards management as the division grows
- Genuine senior leadership opportunity
- Potential progression towards directorship within the Fair Oak group
The Person We're Trying to Find
You may already be a senior electrician, electrical supervisor, contracts engineer, Qualified Supervisor, electrical foreman or simply an exceptionally experienced electrician who has never cared much about titles.
Perhaps you've spent 15, 20 or 25 years mastering your trade and have reached the point where you're asking:
What's next?
You don't necessarily want to put the tools down tomorrow.
But you also don't want the next 15 years of your career to look exactly like the last 15.
You want to use the experience you've accumulated.
You want to develop people.
You want more responsibility.
You want to learn something new.
And you'd like the opportunity to help build something rather than simply becoming another employee in an already established department.
If that sounds familiar, we'd genuinely like to hear from you.
This could be the last electrician job you apply for — because the intention is to build what comes next together.
Location: Mobile role across Hampshire & the South Coast, travelling directly to site.
Job Type: Full-time, Permanent
Salary: £55,000 – £65,000+ per year depending on experience and capability
Work Location: In person
Pay: £55,000.00-£65,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company car
- Company events
- Company pension
- Gym membership
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Life insurance
- Private medical insurance
Application question(s):
- Do you hold a recognised Level 3 electrical qualification (or equivalent) and current 18th Edition Wiring Regulations qualification?
Experience:
- Electrical: 10 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work Location: In person
