Maintenance Coordinator

JOB TITLE: Maintenance Coordinator (self-employed)

DURATION: The contract is initially offered for 1 year, extension subject to review. Either party is required to give one month's notice if they wish to terminate the contract.

FEE: £8,400 per year paid £700 per month at the end of each month.

REPORTS TO: ABHC General Meeting; ABHC Maintenance Officers

AVAILABILITY: One day a week in the ABHC office/ on site, plus availability by telephone and email between the hours of 8.30 am and 5.00 pm on weekdays. The Maintenance Coordinator may be away for a maximum of six weeks in the year, advised with a minimum of one month's notice.

JOB PURPOSE:
In summary, the post holder will provide the following services to ABHC:
• Transparent and responsive management of planned and cyclical maintenance to a high standard;
• Transparent and responsive management of repairs undertaken to a high standard and within established time scale targets, including emergency repairs;
• The keeping and updating of maintenance plans, records, budgets and financial reports. Working in line with established ABHC policies and procedures and updating these policies and procedures as appropriate in line with current good practice.
• Production of a monthly Maintenance Report and other documentation as required to enable collective decision-making by Coop members at the General Meeting on maintenance plans and priorities.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Planned & cyclical maintenance

Ensure that the 24 properties are at all times maintained within the accepted Registered Social Housing Landlord standards re: letting. Inspect all properties at no less than three-year intervals and produce a detailed written report of defects identified to ensure smooth transition of void properties with all due attention to re-let repairs required.

Support the General Meeting to identify and prioritise maintenance projects and cyclical works. Provide an informed opinion including estimation of costs and time scales, and suggestions of possible contractors, for different jobs and projects.

Project manage up to four maintenance projects a year as identified and prioritised by ABHC members in the General Meeting. Including gathering requirements and facilitating internal decision making, producing project/ job specifications, and reporting to the General meeting on progress.

Undertake all liaison with contractors; advise, guide and support ABHC in finding new contractors, and approve all invoicing related to contract work on satisfactory completion of the job.

Keep up to date with current legislation regarding health and safety and be mindful that good practice is observed by contractors at all times in order to ensure that no one undertaking work on the ABHC premises poses a threat to either themselves or to tenants by their working practices.

Organise CP12 (gas safety) inspections and ensure all properties comply with legislation at all times.

Organise Electrical safety inspections and ensure all properties comply with legislation at all times.

Undertake a Void Inspection before a property has been vacated, in line with the ABHC Voids Policy, in order to identify maintenance work required and any damage that is the tenants responsibility.

Undertake or commission risk assessment surveys.

Attend all necessary meetings and inspections with contractors and experts (surveyors, specialists, local government personnel etc.) as deemed necessary by the Client to ensure the speedy, comprehensive, effective and lasting treatment of any outstanding ABHC maintenance problem.

• Repairs including emergency repairs

Arrange and oversee off all Co-op authorised repair work notified via Repairs Reporting forms. This includes drawing up jobs specifications required for these repairs, undertaking pre /post inspections resulting from such repairs and ensuring tenant and contractor feedback is obtained on all repairs completed.

Arrange repair work within the time scales established in the Maintenance Policy (and included at the end of this information pack).

Ensure appropriate procedures, contacts and information are readily accessible and available to all tenants in the event of a maintenance emergency. Provide a responsive service, including the flexibility and willingness to be contacted for advice and guidance “out of hours” if such arrangements prove inadequate.

Ensure that all Repairs Reporting forms, including Tenant Feedback forms, are filed in the office to be reconciled with invoices prior to payment. Approve invoices for payment where repairs have been completed satisfactorily.

• Records & policies

Maintain full up-to-date records on the ABHC office computer for all areas of maintenance. These will include: a review of the condition of all flats, the communal areas and structural/ exterior features of the building; registers of Gas and Electrical safety inspections; the ABHC Maintenance Log spreadsheet.

ABHC is planning to introduce a Housing Database system and the post holder will be responsible for keeping this system up to date (training will be provided).

Observe established Co-op standards and procedures, and improve these as they are put in practice and in line with wider sector developments.

Keep a photographic record of important elements of the building’s fabric when required by the General Meeting/ Maintenance Officers (‘before and after’ pictures for repairs/ a more general record of current appearance at various intervals/ a specific record to accompany special projects).

• Communication, reports & cooperative decision making

Respond to Coop Officers and Members regarding all maintenance and related needs on a day-to-day basis. The Coordinator should be available via mobile phone contact between the hours of 8.30 am to 5.00 pm on week days, and should respond to email communication within 24/ 48 hours.

Provide a clear, concise and comprehensive monthly narrative and financial report to the General Meeting. This report should include a section forecasting short and medium term future priorities.

Collate monthly financial reports into an annual expenditure report against budget.

Work with Coop members and staff to elaborate an annual maintenance plan and budget.

From time to time and on topics of general interest, distribute mail shots to all tenants as a means of updating them on communal and general issues in connection with the fabric of the building.

ESSENTIAL:

Experience of property management and building maintenance, and awareness of current housing legislation with respect to housing management & maintenance.

Extensive experience of contracting trades people, including drawing up works orders and overseeing delivery of works to a high standard.

Knowledge and understanding of health and safety legislation as it applies to building services and maintenance.

Knowledge and experience of risk assessment.

Good written English and demonstrable ability to produce clear and concise reports to the General Meetings.

Good computer user skills, including proficiency with MS Word, Excel, Outlook.

A positive attitude and the capacity to deal with situations where people may be upset or frustrated in a calm and professional manner.

Willingness and availability to participate in Co-op monthly General Meetings, which take place on the first Monday of the month that is not a bank holiday, starting at 7.30pm and finishing between 9pm and 10pm.

Willingness and availability to organise Maintenance Sub-Committee meetings when more discussion is required than it is possible to give time to in the General Meeting, up to a maximum of six meetings a year. The post holder will have significant influence over the need for these meetings, which will be held outside of normal working hours at days and times mutually agreed with Sub-committee members.

A commitment towards the values of cooperative and mutual organisations.

DESIRABLE

Practical skills sufficient to deal with minor maintenance works and repairs directly, without the delay or expense of contracting an external trades person.

Previous experience of managing a Victorian single-brick construction property.

An established network of reliable trades people in the local area. ABHC seeks to support women and ethnic minority trades people but does not exercise positive discrimination.

Previous experience of providing maintenance or other services to a cooperative organisation.

The Arundel Buildings Housing Cooperative (hereafter ABHC) is a local social housing group established in 1985. Our Victorian single brick construction building houses 23 single and double occupancy flats, and a small office. The Cooperative has 24 resident members who are collectively responsible for the governance of the Coop, including managing the property. There is also a small number of non-member residents.

The Coop is responsible for the exterior of the property, the main structure, and any installations in the flats supplied for heating, sanitation and supply of services, as well as for the communal areas and services. Tenants are personally responsible for taking care of their flat, keeping it decorated, and for any damage caused by themselves or visitors.

Each year, at the Annual General Meeting, members elect a Chair and Shadow Chair, Treasurer and Shadow Treasurer, Secretary and Shadow Secretary, Maintenance Officer and Shadow Maintenance Officer, Membership Officer and Shadow Membership Officer. Decisions are made at the General Meeting, which is held on the first Monday of the month at 7.30pm, unless that falls on a bank holiday in which case the meeting is held the following Monday.