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
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.
Financial Systems Projects Manager
Location: Leatherhead
Job Type: Financial
Application Deadline: 16-05-2024
Are you a dynamic and experienced finance professional ready to take on a pivotal role? We are on the lookout for a Finance Systems Projects Manager to spearhead the implementation of innovative Enterprise Performance Management (EPM) software. Join us and become the driving force behind revolutionising our financial systems on an 18 – month contract.KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: EPM Software Implementation: Lead the charge in implementing a new EPM system across Wates. Collaborate with finance colleagues to ensure seamless alignment with reporting requirements. Customisation and Configuration: Tailor the EPM software to meet our specific business needs. Optimise financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting processes. Finance SME for ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Implementation: Dive into the heart of our finance systems. From understanding existing processes to guiding the selection and implementation of a new ERP, your expertise will be instrumental. Training and Support: Be the go-to expert for troubleshooting and support. Provide continuous assistance to users and drive improvements.You will be a strong communicator, you will consult with business units and stakeholders to explain the functionality of existing and new platforms effectively, and, while not solely responsible for budgets, you will play a vital role in providing business cases and ROI analysis for new projects.To succeed you will have a Deep understanding of financial systems implementation and technical accounting, with construction accounting knowledge being a bonus, coupled with proven experience in implementing financial systems, preferably EPM and ERP, with a knack for configuring modules and customising functionalities. You will also be a fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA).Ready to embark on this exciting journey with us? Apply now and be part of our team revolutionizing finance systems for a brighter future!WHAT WE OFFER Competitive salary & bonus Flexible working - this role will be based in the Leatherhead office two days a week. 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 + 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/
Multi Trade Operative (Damp & Mould)
Location: Derby
Job Type: Trades and Labour
Application Deadline: 16-05-2024
Here at Wates, we have an opportunity for a Damp & Mould Specialist /Multi trade Operative to join our Living Space team in the Redditch area. As a Damp & Mould Operative you will be working on our responsive maintenance contracts for one of our existing social housing providers. The primary focus of this role will be to focus on damp & mould build-up within the properties and take the appropriate measures to ensure re-occurrent issues are avoided. Key Accountabilities will include: Undertaking repair/renewal works across several trades identifying the need for other trades to undertake the repair/renewal Advising Supervisor in a timely manner where other trades are required Working in partnership with other operatives to complete projects Completing daily work sheets detailing work undertaken and materials used after each job undertaken Working in a timely and productive manner to complete project Affording excellent customer service to client representatives At all times, work to Wates Health & Safety Professional Standards, including commitment to and understanding of the company’s safeguarding policy towards children and vulnerable adults We are looking for a qualified Damp & Mould Operative who has experience gained from working in a similar industry and environment providing them with the skills to fulfil the above role requirements. To be successful in the role you will be an excellent communicator with the ability to problem solve, multitask and work to tight deadlines.
Senior Land & Planning Manager
Location: Leatherhead
Job Type: Land Management / Acquisition
Application Deadline: 16-05-2024
Wates Developments holds a large and growing portfolio of potential residential development land and our Projects team focuses on securing valuable planning consents in sustainable locations, throughout Southern England. We currently have an exciting opportunity for a new Senior Land & Planning Manager to join our Wates Developments team in Leatherhead, working within the Projects team to secure planning consents on our ever-growing land portfolio.As our Senior Land & Planning Manager you will: Implement strategies to safeguard the interests of the company & ensure deliverability of planning consents with the aim of maximising returns on capital & profitability. Promote land for allocation or consent adding value to the companies’ existing land/property portfolio. Prepare, submit reports, forecasting & updated valuations of the portfolio to support the growth of the business. Identify opportunities to advance planning strategies or maximise return on sites wherever possible Liaise with key stakeholders, landowners & agents whilst upholding the Wates Guiding Framework values to promote trust & build relations to deliver planning consents.We are looking for an experienced land and development professional with experience in; the UK planning system, legal land contracts, development solutions, appraisals, land transactions and politics. This individual must understand how to act within parameters of legal terms and have detailed experience in land management and the valuation of residential land whilst maintaining budgets for promotion and planning applications.WHAT WE OFFER Competitive salary & profit share scheme Flexible working Car Allowance / Company Car 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 + bank holidays and much more… One of the best learning and development programmes which is customizable to support your career progression goals. (c.7000 training sessions delivered year to date across the WATES Group) 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/
Design Manager
Location: Thetford
Job Type: Design
Application Deadline: 15-05-2024
Wates Construction are looking for a Design Manager to join our Northern Home Counties Region focussing on high profile, technically complex projects across multiple sectors. If you are passionate about design, working within a team environment and with proven technical skills looking for an opportunity to challenge the norm, bring fresh new ideas and elevate yourself within the industry then join us and help to create tomorrow together. This is a great opportunity to progress your career as part of a talented, diverse, and supportive team. ABOUT THE ROLE Our Design Managers are a valuable part of our business, driving quality outcomes, enhancing buildability and fostering innovation. Design Managers work collaboratively with our industry specialists and in-house technical experts to ensure that the design develops in accordance with the brief with a firm focus on added value, compliance, commercial viability, and best practice. As our Design Manager you will: Work with all relevant parties, to produce and manage a realistic design programme and information required schedule to facilitate design, procurement and construction activities Support the implementation of Continuous Improvement initiatives and innovation Ensure the design has been reviewed and verified to achieve compliance and mitigate Health and Safety, design and buildability issues prior to construction and identify key risks and opportunities at each stage of the design and delivery process. WHAT WE OFFER Competitive salary & profit share scheme Flexible working Car Allowance / Company Car (subject to Role/Grade) 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 + bank holidays and much more… One of the best learning and development programmes which is customizable to support your career progression goals. (c.7000 training sessions delivered year to date across the WATES Group) 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/
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.