Water Services Manager
Reporting to: Account Director
Working Hours: Monday – Friday, 08:00 – 17:00, with flexibility required for critical incidents, planned shutdowns and out-of-hours escalation
Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Location: Tunbridge Wells Hospital
Role Overview
The Water Services Manager is responsible for leading the safe, compliant and efficient delivery of hospital water services, including water hygiene, plumbing, drainage, pumps, closed systems and associated statutory records. This role is essential in supporting patient safety, infection prevention and operational continuity across clinical and non-clinical areas, whilst ensuring compliance with HTM 00, HTM 04-01, ACOP L8, HSG274, BS 8580-1 and local NHS governance requirements.
Knowledge and Competency Requirements
- Comprehensive working knowledge of HTM 00, HTM 04-01 Parts A, B and C, ACOP L8, HSG274 and BS 8580-1.
- Proven experience managing water safety, Water Safety Plans, Water Safety Group actions and healthcare compliance evidence.
- Proficiency in hospital permit-to-work systems, isolations, shutdown planning, risk assessments and method statements (RAMS), infection control protocols and clinical stakeholder communication.
- Technical expertise in hot and cold water systems, thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs), storage tanks, calorifiers, pumps, drainage, closed systems and associated asset records.
- HNC/HND, NVQ Level 5 or equivalent qualification in building services/mechanical engineering, preferably within a healthcare estate environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage and coordinate plumbers, water hygiene technicians, pump engineers, drainage engineers and specialist subcontractors.
- Oversee statutory planned preventative maintenance (PPM), reactive works, audits, sampling, remedial actions and compliance evidence across the hospital estate.
- Maintain accurate computer-aided facilities management (CAFM)/computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) records, asset registers, logbooks, schematics, certificates and client-ready reports.
- Review technical reports, identify risks or non-conformances, and implement corrective actions that safeguard patient safety and ensure compliance.
- Contribute to lifecycle planning, quotations, contractor management, change management and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Water Responsible Person Appointed
Health, Safety and Infection Control
- Ensure all works comply with health and safety policy, RAMS, permit systems, infection control procedures and local hospital requirements.
- Plan works with consideration for clinical risk, vulnerable patients, access restrictions, waterborne pathogen risk and service continuity.
- Coordinate isolations, shutdowns and reinstatement procedures with estates teams, clinical staff, infection prevention and control (IPC), fire safety officers and authorised persons.
Meetings, Governance and Reporting
- Prepare updates for Water Safety Group, estates, compliance, operational and client meetings.
- Report on monitoring performance, sampling results, risks, remedial actions, non-conformances and improvement measures.
- Contribute to shutdown planning, handovers, tender processes and post-contract reviews with accurate technical and compliance evidence.
