CREATING YOUR TOMORROW.

We’re a great place to work. Brilliant benefits, clear career progression, flexible working, competitive salaries and the best culture in the business.

Why wait? Join Wates.

Scroll down

There’s a huge variety of career opportunities with us, working on a wide range of challenging and exciting projects.

We hire talented people from all backgrounds, reflecting society and the communities in which we work.

From employee discount schemes to flexible working, we offer a range of benefits aimed to boost productivity and promote mental wellbeing. Combined with generous salaries, stimulating work, and unrivalled opportunities to generate value in our communities, it’s what makes Wates such an attractive place to be.

Reward and benefits

We value our people and the work they do, and we reward them for it. We recognise that great pay and benefits are key to retaining and attracting the best people in our industry.

Career development

We provide clear routes for career progression – and a great selection of opportunities for training, development and upskilling to help people get to the next level.

An inclusive culture

As a family business that has stood the test of time for more than 125 years, we are proud of the culture that we have built, of the work that we do, and of the teams that deliver it.

CREATING TOMORROW TOGETHER

Your future with us

At Wates we focus on the key things that matter to our people:  an inclusive culture, commitment to social value, great reward and benefits, flexibility and hybrid working and career progression. We know these things make a real difference to people’s lives.

We are proud of what we offer, and Wates is an incredible place to work regardless of what stage you are at in your career journey, from new entrant to long serving colleague.

And once you’ve joined us, we’ll make sure you’ll want to stay.

Our culture

Our culture – outlined in our Guiding Framework – influences everything we do and how we do it, from our core purpose of creating tomorrow together, to the atmosphere we create across our sites and offices. As a family-owned business, we’re passionate about our people and creating a culture where everyone can be themselves, enjoy their working lives and thrive in the career they choose.

We are a fair place to work. To ensure everyone has opportunity to thrive, our culture is founded on the following principles:

  • TREAT FAIRLY: Everyone is treated with fairness and respect. When someone finds themselves not being treated fairly, they feel able to speak up, are listened to and any appropriate action is taken
  • PAY AND PROGRESS FAIRLY: Everyone has fair access to development and progression opportunities to build a meaningful career of choice. There is equity in pay.
  • HIRE FAIRLY: We hire the best person for the job from a diverse pool of candidates. We actively challenge and ultimately eliminate perceptions that prevent anyone from joining the sector.

Our family-first culture has been recognised at the Working Families Awards, where we won in the ‘Best for Fathers’ and ‘Best for All Families’ categories. We are among the Times Top 50 Employers for Gender Equality, have been awarded gold accreditation from Investors in People. We won the Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award at the Construction News Awards where the judges found us “head and shoulders above our contemporaries.”

We are a Disability Confident employer, committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are inclusive and accessible and that existing colleagues who have or acquire a disability are supported in their career at Wates.

We have some of the best family leave policies in our industry. This includes a 52 week paid maternity leave and eight weeks of fully paid paternity/partner leave. Our shared parental leave and adoption leave are enhanced and matched with maternity leave. We offer four weeks of unpaid carers leave. This includes our site-based employees.

We believe that business done well can be a force for good and so we take our role in society very seriously. We believe in helping to shape communities through our projects and social value commitments. As a Wates employee you could also be involved in a range of activities from community engagement with schools through to social enterprise mentoring and volunteering in the communities we work in.

We also help to challenge inequality by championing the real Living Wage, working closely with the Living Wage Foundation to achieve this.

We’re committed to making our industry more sustainable through the way we build, the materials we use and the way we engage with suppliers, and have committed to Science Based Targets that will see us becoming a net zero company by 2045. Our zero carbon sites programme, our transition towards electric plant and equipment and our use of lower carbon alternative materials will help us get there.

We are also committed to having a positive impact on nature from our operations. This will be achieved through supporting local community projects and making biodiversity improvements to our projects.

Your career

We focus on helping our people to thrive and on offering great career development opportunities, so you never stand still. And if you want a change – even a completely different role – we encourage internal mobility throughout our businesses, giving you a range of different environments in which to gain experience.

Our wide range of learning and development activities builds the knowledge, skills and behaviours you’ll need to perform at your best and progress your career.

Our focus on diversity encourages those who are furthest from the workforce to come back into the workplace if they have been away for a while.

26 days

holiday a year

2 days

off for volunteering

Benefits

health, leisure, financial

Reward and benefits

As well as competitive salaries, we have some brilliant benefits – it’s our way of recognising the hard work you do.

We understand that this is about more than money.  We also run a flexible benefits scheme where you select the benefits that are important to you, from pension top-ups to health care and restaurant discount cards.

We offer 26 days of holiday a year that includes additional volunteering days for a good cause of your choice.

Our award winning, industry-leading family leave policy offers full paid maternity leave as well as eight weeks paid partner / paternity leave. We also offer enhanced shared parental and adoption leave including matched maternity pay as well as two weeks bereavement leave and flexible carers’ leave.

Learning and development at Wates

Learning and Development

We empower our colleagues to excel and thrive through comprehensive learning and development opportunities aligned with our values and performance priorities.

We offer diverse development programmes covering areas like safety, technical skills, behaviour and leadership. We empower our employees to take charge of their growth with self-driven learning options, including e-learning, and we provide support when they need it.

We foster a culture of continuous learning and empowerment, equipping our colleagues with the tools so they can progress their career and contribute to the success of our organisation.

BEGIN YOUR CAREER WITH US

Early careers programmes

Our early careers programmes are targeted at undergraduates, graduates, school and college leavers and trade professionals. The programmes are designed to be accessible and flexible to suit you.

Whatever your interests, we’ll help you find the right career path. One where you can explore, grow and thrive.

JUST STARTING OUT?

Work experience

Join us on a work experience position and discover how great working in the built environment can be.

Our opportunities are open to everyone and will help you gain experience that can kick-start your career as well as contributing to our exciting client projects. You could even go on to secure a place on one of our apprenticeships or graduate programmes.

JOB VACANCIES

Why wait? Join Wates.

Search our latest vacancies to find the perfect role for you.

Board Administrator

Location: London NW1

Job Type: Clerical & Administration

Application Deadline: 30-04-2024

Wates are looking for a Board Assistant to join our Construction Group.Reporting into the Managing Director, you will be responsible for overseeing the Board of Directors delivering all required business secretarial services, co-ordinating activities among Board members and ensuring the business complies with its statutory obligations.As our Board Assistant, some of your key responsibilities will include: Oversee compliance with statutory requirements and maintain statutory registers to ensure legal obligations are met. Update and manage the company secretarial database (Diligent Blueprint), guaranteeing the accuracy and timeliness of business information. Prepare and distribute board documentation for Board and Committee meetings using Diligent, including critical business data and reports, and ensure corporate governance updates are communicated effectively. Organise and facilitate Board and Committee meetings, including agenda setting, note-taking, and action item follow-up, while coordinating information flow from various departments.The ideal candidate brings a comprehensive background marked by proven expertise in the UK Companies Act, corporate governance standards, and a wide range of regulatory frameworks, showcasing a deep grasp of corporate legislation and best practices. This experience is complemented by a solid history in company secretarial roles, reflecting the capability to navigate the role's responsibilities and complexities effectively. Additionally, familiarity with secretarial software, particularly Diligent Blueprint, and a proficiency in digital platforms for Board documentation management are essential, highlighting a blend of legal acumen and technical skill.We are seeking a candidate who is highly proficient in Microsoft Office, showcasing expertise in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, and who has a proven track record of effectively minuting meetings, ensuring accurate documentation of discussions and resolutions. The ideal candidate should excel in communicating across all levels of the business, as well as with external advisors and agencies, fostering clear and productive interactions. They must be a highly skilled multitasker, capable of prioritising tasks and working efficiently within tight deadlines. Critical thinking, the ability to work independently, and strategic problem-solving skills are essential, as is the ability to tackle challenges and devise effective solutions. Additionally, we value confident interpersonal skills and the ability to lead with honesty and integrity.WHAT WE OFFER Competitive salary & Profit Share Flexible working Travel covered to any of our sites (subject to HMRC advisory rates) Extensive corporate benefits including, Private Medical, Pension 8% employers’ contribution, Health and Wellness programme, 26 days holidays + your Birthday off + bank holidays and much more… Excellent range of learning and development activity to support your career progression. Industry leading family leave benefits to included 26 weeks fully paid maternity, 8 weeks fully paid paternity. To find out more about LIFE AT WATES please click on the following link https://www.wates.co.uk/careers/We are always looking for a variety of new talent to join our teams, to help us grow and innovate as a business. Although you may not have all of the skills listed, many of them may be transferable to other roles within the WATES Group.If you would like clarity on any of our vacancies, discuss career opportunities in strict confidence or need anything to make our recruitment process easier, please contact our In-House Recruitment Team directly or via recruitment@wates.co.uk and one of us will get in touch as soon as possible.As a responsible and inclusive employer, we are committed to equality and are proud to have been recognised for this through a range of accolades including gold accreditation with Investors in People, we are also a Disability Confident employer. Being a family owned, business means we understand and value long term relationships.

Groundworker/Bricklayer

Location: Redditch

Job Type: Trades and Labour

Application Deadline: 18-04-2024

Here at Wates, we have an opportunity for a Groundworker/Bricklayer to join us in our Wates Living Space Responsive Maintenance Team in the Redditch area. You will be asked to undertake all supporting tasks with a high standard of workmanship which will ensure an excellent customer service every time. We are particularly keen to speak to candidates who have experience within the following scope of works: Brickwork Fencing Flagging Pointing Tarmacking Key Accountabilities will include: Loading and Unloading of Vehicle Distribution of materials General brickwork, fencing, typical hard landscaping duties as the project requires. General clearing and cleaning of site areas to appropriate waste disposal methods We are looking for you to already have the relevant skills as a Hard Landscaper and experience to fulfil the above role requirements. NVQ Level 2 in a trade discipline is required, along with a full clean driving license. To be successful in the role you also be an excellent communicator with the ability to problem solve, multitask and work to tight deadlines.

Mobile Engineer

Location: Edinburgh

Job Type: Engineering

Application Deadline: 18-04-2024

Here at Wates, we have a fantastic opportunity for a Mobile Engineer to join our Facilities Management mobile team supporting our clients based in Scotland. The patch itself consists of Dundee, Perth & Edinburgh so we are ideally looking for someone residing in the Edinburgh area. The main objective is for you to carry out Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) to HVAC plant, including Reactive Maintenance and extra works/emergencies in accordance with the contract requirements on Mechanical Services. Due to the nature of the works, we are exceptionally keen to speak to candidates with a strong background with a strong electrical bias. ABOUT YOU To be successful in this role, you will ideally have the following: Knowledge of Heating & Air Conditioning Systems Strong Electrical & HVAC Experience Have previously worked as a mobile engineer 18th Edition C&G 2367 or 2357 (Electrical Installation) and NVQ level 3 in Electrical Installations or equivalent qualifications C&G 2391 (Test & Inspection cert preferred) What is important to us is your natural communication skills to deliver high levels of customer service at all times, your ability to effectively multi-task, work to tight deadlines and problem solve on the job; whilst always promoting health & safety excellence. ABOUT THE ROLE Key Accountabilities will include: Ensure all works are delivered in guidance of the legislation and contractual obligations Utilise CAFM/PDA technology for real time job updates, and provide detailed/comprehensive reports on works delivered To respond in a prompt and effective manner to all reactive maintenance issues and help desk requests associated with the heating and ventilation systems, pumps, water tanks, valves, pipe work and associated mechanical systems or items To respond to call outs and cover breakdowns and emergencies associated with the mechanical services aspects of the contract as required. In return, we offer a competitive salary, additional pay when on call, along with 22 days holiday, Pension benefits, life Insurance, and a flexible benefits scheme that you can tailor to suit your lifestyle.

Plasterer

Location: Dunstable

Job Type: Trades and Labour

Application Deadline: 18-04-2024

Wates have an opportunity for a Plasterer to join our Wates team within our Responsive Maintenance division. You will be working out of our Dunstable office on one of our social housing contracts, delivering reactive maintenance to our residents.Key Accountabilities will include: Undertaking repair/renewal works Advising Supervisor in a timely manner where other trades are required Working solely on certain tasks Working in partnership with other operatives to complete certain tasks Completing daily work sheets detailing work undertaken and materials used after each job undertaken Working in a timely and productive manner to complete programme tasksYou must have a full UK driving licence.To be successful in the role you will be an excellent communicator with the ability to problem solve, multi task, work to tight deadlines, have high standard of workmanship, productivity levels and ability to provide excellent customer service at all times is essential.


Fraudulent recruitment offers

It has come to our attention that various individuals and organisations are contacting people offering false employment opportunities.  Very often these offers carry a company logo and the details of a company employee. These are very easily found online and should not be accepted as proof of authenticity. Please be advised, Wates will never make unsolicited offers of employment, ask for money from job applicants or require bank details from candidates before a formal offer of employment has been agreed.

Get in touch

To get in touch with us, simply fill in the form below and we’ll get right back to you.