Repairs Manager

The Vacancy

We’re delighted to offer an exciting opportunity for a highly capable Repairs Manager to join our Wates Property Services team, supporting our Responsive Maintenance contract in Barnsley. This is a pivotal role, leading the delivery of a truly customer‑focused, safe, and efficient repairs service — including our 24/7, 365‑day emergency response operation.

At WPS, we proudly maintain over 500,000 social housing homes nationwide, making us one of the UK’s leading providers of planned and responsive maintenance services. Our continued growth and reputation are built on exceptional people, high standards, and a relentless commitment to improving the communities we serve.

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What You’ll Be Doing

As our Repairs Manager, you’ll drive operational excellence across the contract, ensuring performance, quality, and customer satisfaction remain at the heart of everything we do.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Overseeing service delivery, ensuring all works are scheduled, resourced, and completed in line with company standards, procedures, and SLAs.
• Representing Wates at client and resident performance meetings, building strong working relationships and supporting continuous improvement.
• Leading the responsive repairs operation to achieve consistent performance against contractual targets.
• Monitoring and managing material costs while ensuring teams follow proper processes and financial controls.
• Conducting regular quality inspections, analysing KPI performance, and reviewing customer satisfaction scores to drive service excellence.
• Leading, coaching, and developing your team — ensuring optimal staffing levels, strong performance, and a positive team culture.
• Carrying out audits and service testing to ensure compliance, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Reviewing operational practices to identify risks, enhance best practice, and support the development of the annual business plan.

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What We’re Looking For

We’re seeking an experienced operational leader who can bring confidence, structure, and energy to this busy and fast‑paced environment.

You will have:

• Proven experience managing teams within Repairs and Responsive Maintenance — ideally in the social housing sector.
• Previous management experience overseeing multi‑disciplinary operatives (up to 30).
• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to motivate teams and navigate competing priorities.
• A results‑driven mindset with excellent problem‑solving skills, the ability to multi‑task, and the resilience to deliver against tight deadlines.
• Experience managing contract performance, including KPIs, quality standards, and financial reporting.

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What We Offer

Joining Wates means becoming part of a supportive, ambitious organisation that invests in its people and rewards performance:

• Competitive salary with performance‑related reviews
• Clear opportunities for growth, development, and progression
• Extensive corporate benefits including a Pension and Health & Wellness programme
• A wide range of learning and development opportunities to support your long‑term career
• Industry‑leading family leave benefits, including:
  • 26 weeks fully paid maternity leave
  • Up to 12 weeks fully paid paternity leave

Given the nature of this position, you will need to undergo a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) at offer stage. Applicants with criminal convictions will be assessed individually, and we assure you that we do not discriminate based on an applicant’s criminal record or the details of any disclosed offenses. Additionally, certain roles may be subject to additional pre-employment checks.

To learn more about the checks included in this process, please click on the following link: National Security Vetting

Work for Wates

Wates is one of the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance companies.  Founded over 125 years ago, we have a proud legacy in the built environment.

We are driven by our purpose, ‘reimagining places for people to thrive’ and our three promises:

• Thriving places – working with customers, partners and communities to create places that are more sustainable, inclusive, and full of opportunity.
• Thriving planet – protecting nature and taking action on climate change by collaborating and innovating with our partners.
• Thriving people – creating opportunities and relationships so that everyone who works for and with us feels included, invested in and treated with care.

We are proud to be recognised as Gold Investors in People and as a Disability Confident employer.  We also ensure that our recruitment processes do not treat anyone less favourably due to an offending background.