Job Title: Authorising Engineer (Water Hygiene/Mechanical Systems) Healthcare
Business Area/Function: Sustainable FM – South
Date Produced / Last Updated: 20 April 2026
Reports To: Regional Technical Director
Location: Local Equans Office / England , but primarily home based (Will involve Southern travel)
Reference: NA
General Overview:
This is a regional senior role within the Sustainable Facilities Management Division, primarily dedicated to healthcare. The role reports directly into the Regional Technical Director for senior support although the day-to-day activities are coordinated through the Head of Technical post.
Equans delivers services to around 20 hospitals and smaller Healthcare Facilities in the South (London & South East and Central and South West Regions). They range in size from the QEH (Birmingham) and North Middlesex University Hospital, down to much smaller Lift projects, supporting local Healthcare settings.
The successful candidate will lead Southern Region and provide expert support in Water Hygiene management specialising in healthcare facilities, although they will be expected to work on other (non-healthcare) sites as priorities dictate. The key responsibilities of this post include –
• Undertaking annual AE (Water) audits at each site.
• Assisting those teams in closing down any identified improvement actions.
• Providing SME support to our operational teams.
• Working with operational teams to address any identified water quality issues.
• Engage with our senior stakeholders as required.
• Work to, and clearly demonstrate, the highest professional standards.
• Being present on those sites that most need the support
• Representing Equans in client and enforcement authority meetings.
We are seeking a highly skilled and knowledgeable specialist in Water Hygiene, with a particular focus on healthcare environments. As part of our dynamic and expanding central engineering function, you will have the responsibility and autonomy to shape and enhance the support we provide to the EQUANS business.
Training and development opportunities are available to facilitate our goal to deliver comprehensive support to our operational colleagues. The post holder is expected to maintain a high degree of professional competence by engaging with other industry professionals, keeping up to date with changes in regulations or guidance, attending appropriate conferences etc. The post holder is encouraged to present at these events to disseminate best practice and to enhance Equans reputation.
The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding and proficiency in Water Hygiene including compliance with S/HTM 04-01 and regulations such as L8, and ACOP HSG274 . Previous experience of this in a healthcare environment is highly advantageous.
Purpose of the Role:
The primary purpose of this role is to ensure the effective management and adherence to appropriate Water Hygiene standards by our operational teams. The candidate will be responsible for delivering technical training, conducting audits, undertaking assessments of RPs, and appointing RPs and CPs as dictated by the EQUANS safety rules, (S)HTM, 04-01 and L8.
Drawing on significant expertise in the management of water quality in a healthcare environment, as well as a working understanding of general mechanical systems, the successful candidate will play a vital role in assuring, and where appropriate raising, standards across the Technical Services Division. Collaborating with the wider Technical Team, the candidate will contribute to defining, implementing, monitoring, and auditing our Safe Systems of Work, ensuring compliance across the various disciplines and regulations.
Furthermore, the role will provide Subject Matter Expertise (SME) support in other Mechanical Disciplines, as an Authorising Engineer and/or Technical Advisor (as applicable), across the business, including participation in bids, projects, new opportunities, and day-to-day operational support. This involves offering advice and guidance on best practice standards, system improvements, and operational asset performance enhancements.
Compliance assurance is a key aspect of the role, requiring the post holder to conduct multi-site Technical and Authorising Engineer audits, work autonomously, draw on experience and guidance from colleagues, and actively contribute to accident or operational incident investigations. The role also involves representing EQUANS at seminars, trade events, and other industry gatherings to promote the company’s reputation and capabilities.
The post holder must be proficient in drafting technical reports, possess the ability to lead accident or operational incident investigations that may impact personnel safety or customer operations, and support in-house training initiatives to enhance the technical knowledge of our contract resources.
Impact:
• All sites compliant with the requirements to have APs/ CPs and RPs, Controlling Managers in post and managing the services in accordance with the relevant standards.
• In conjunction with the Lead AE of the relevant discipline, clearly define policy and procedures to assure compliance with a range of engineering standards including Legislation, ACOP, (S)HTMs, British, European and International Standards
• In conjunction with the wider stakeholder group, develop a suitable process to assure that the standards set in EQUANS policies are being delivered upon by the individual contracts and the supporting supply chain (sellers, manufacturers, designers and service agents).
• To manage 3rd party AE organisations as they interface with the relevant region or location.
• To work closely with operational and other business teams to put in place the appropriate standards, systems, processes and ways of working to deliver excellence in engineering and allied technical disciplines, including the mobilisation of contracts.
• Consider the use of technology/innovation to improve efficiency whilst maintaining standards in engineering service delivery.
• In conjunction with the Lead AE, lead on policy development and the definition, adoption and sharing of best practice in engineering and allied technical disciplines.
• To keep up to date with the latest innovations and developments in engineering as they apply to the built environment and consider opportunities to implement within EQUANS.
Complexity:
The majority of our healthcare contracts are PFI, and this can be a challenging environment to work in. Our clients often employ their own AEs to oversee our service delivery, and this can occasionally lead to disagreement. The post holder will need to demonstrate the highest professional standards when working with our clients and their appointed experts in order to influence and maintain good relationships and achieve successful outcomes.
Equans seeks to operate to the highest technical standards. As part of this we have developed our own water management “rules” to supplement the other applicable standards. These rules are predicated on a hierarchy of control that starts with a Technical Governance Committee who in turn appoint Lead Authorising Engineers, who in turn appoint AEs, and the post holder will be part of this hierarchy. Whilst the post holder will be expected to show demonstrable thought leadership in the subject of healthcare water hygiene, they will sometimes be required to use influencing skills in order to take colleagues with them as they will not have an ability to always dictate policy.
The AE(W) should be aware that our operational teams often have to balance competing operational pressures and so the post holder will sometimes need to use influence, as well as escalation, in order to achieve the desired outcome, and, in some instances, may be asked to support directly in operational delivery of Water Hygiene for a short period.
The post holder will need to be able to work closely with the operational delivery teams whilst at the same time retaining sufficient independence to be able to fulfil the duties of an AE.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
• Educated to degree level in engineering or equivalent through experience.
• Preferably member of relevant Professional Institute(s) e.g. CIBSE, IHEEM.
• Professionally registered as an IEng or CEng desirable
• Registered IHEEM Water AE desirable
• Expert understanding of L8 and S/HTM and expertise in implementation.
• Significant experience of Engineering Management in a related Services environment
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office packages (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio etc.)
Desirable Qualifications and Experience
• Authorising Engineer Qualification via recognised training body.
• Previous experience as acting as a RP.
• Auditing Training or previous experience.
• Accident and Incident investigation training or experience including report writing.
• Healthcare experience.
Competencies:
Communicating – Leads Managers
Delivering – Leads Managers
Developing – Leads Managers
Influencing – Leads Managers
Leading – Leads Managers
Planning – Leads Managers
