Apprentice Building Surveyor (including MSc Building Surveying)

What is a Building Surveyor with Workman LLP?

As a Building Surveyor you'll provide specialist advice on property construction and alteration projects for a variety of commercial properties ranging from multi-million-pound structures to smaller repairs and adaptations.

You will complete detailed and accurate reports where you will identify defects in the property's construction, advise on necessary repairs, ensure sustainability and Health & Safety principles are followed, instruct suitable contractors to carry out the works, and manage the entire project from instruction to completion.

As your career develops you may become involved in large Project Management instructions.

What are the main duties and responsibilities?

• Ensure projects are completed on budget and on schedule. Regularly update Clients and our Property Managers on the progress of the project and manage expectations when required
• Offer clear and detailed advice to Clients on the necessary alterations required in a confident manner
• Produce accurate reports to send to Clients
• Determine the condition of existing buildings, identify and analyse defects including proposals for repair
• Negotiate dilapidations (when there is a legal liability for a property's state of disrepair)
• Organise tender documents and appoint relevant designers and contractors to carry out the required work
• Advise on energy efficiency, sustainable construction and possible environmental impacts
• Consider all necessary health and safety measures required throughout the project
• Oversee planning applications and provide accurate advice on relevant property legislations

Typical work and projects with Workman LLP?

• Our clients are principally large institutional firms (pension funds, insurance companies etc.) and property companies. Our main clients currently include Threadneedle, BlackRock, CBRE Global Investors, Goodman, Hansteen, Hammerson, Hermes, Intu, and Land Securities
• Instructions are typically split about 50:50 between professional work and contract work. Nearly all work is in relation to existing buildings often with a landlord/tenant aspect
• Professional work will include Schedules of Dilapidations (usually acting for the landlord), pre-acquisition surveys, party wall awards, defect diagnosis, planned preventative maintenance reports, reinstatement cost assessments, and retail delivery schedules of condition
• Contract work can typically range from £10k to £2.5million where we can be performing in the role of designer, contract administrator, project manager or a hybrid of all three. In addition, we perform the role of project manager of multi-discipline teams for instructions typically ranging from £2.5million to £20million
• Work is typically split about 50:50 between work from the property management portfolio and work with clients where we do not have a management brief
• We have an internal CAD team who do the majority of our drawing work but that apart we try to give all building surveyors a mixture of work - our experience is that the best surveyors are those who are the most rounded

Requirements and prospects

Desired skills

• Good IT skills to include Word, Excel and Outlook
• Accurate typing skills
• Good communication skills
• Good timekeeping skills

Personal qualities

Enthusiastic, eager and willing to learn, able to use initiative, reliable, and personable.

Desired qualifications

For standard entry applicants, must have a Bachelor's degree with honours at lower second standard (2:2) (or equivalent)

Or,

A Bachelor's degree (or equivalent)plus experience in a relevant field

Or

A level 5 qualification as defined by the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications for England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ) plus five years' relevant experience(or equivalent)

Or

A professional qualification plus five years' relevant experience(or equivalent)

And,

Have GCSEs at grades C/4 or above (or equivalent) in maths and English or an equivalentLevel 2 qualification in English and maths as defined by the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) in England.

*Recognised qualifications having an equivalent level of attainment as those recognised by UCAS include: Higher National Certificate (HNC), Higher National Diploma (HND), professional qualifications from recognised institutions, certain armed forces qualifications and partially completed degrees.

Future prospects

Apprenticeswho demonstrate excellent potential will be offered permanent roles.

Things to consider

The role is a combination of computer based office work and travel. Travel will include site visits and travelling to other Workman offices when required.

This is a client facing role which is challenging and demanding but worthwhile.

The starting salary is £18,000, rising to £26,700 (£29,700 for London) by the end of the 5 year apprenticeship.