Mechanical Engineer

Temporary to Permanent Opportunity! 

Location: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, hospitals

Gap Personnel are proud to be recruiting for a Mechanical Engineer / Estates Technician (Band 5 equivalent) on behalf of West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

This is an exciting temporary to permanent opportunity for an experienced engineer looking to develop their career within a busy NHS Estates environment. Working across hospital and healthcare facilities, you will play a key role in ensuring critical engineering systems remain safe, compliant, and operational, directly supporting the delivery of high-quality patient care.

This is a varied, hands-on role suited to a skilled engineer who enjoys fault finding, repair work, maintenance projects, and working within a highly regulated environment.

The Role

As an Estates Technician, you will be responsible for maintaining and repairing a wide range of mechanical and electrical building services and equipment across Trust sites.

Key responsibilities include:

• Carrying out planned preventative maintenance and reactive repairs on engineering plant and equipment.
• Diagnosing and rectifying complex mechanical and electrical faults.
• Supporting engineering projects, plant replacement programmes, shutdowns, and new works.
• Providing technical assistance and guidance to maintenance staff, contractors, and colleagues.
• Undertaking maintenance, testing, inspections, and monitoring of decontamination equipment, including washer disinfectors and sterilisers.
• Supporting statutory compliance inspection programmes for pressure vessels and lifting equipment.
• Interpreting engineering drawings, specifications, and technical documentation.
• Liaising with manufacturers, suppliers, and specialist contractors regarding equipment and service requirements.
• Issuing permits to work and supporting risk assessment processes.
• Assisting in emergency response situations and participating in on-call and out-of-hours activities when required.
• Acting as an Authorised Person (AP) or Competent Person (CP) following appropriate training and appointment.
• Deputising for Team Leaders when required.

What We're Looking For

Essential

• Recognised engineering apprenticeship or equivalent qualification.
• Level 3 qualification in Mechanical Engineering, Building Services Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Experience maintaining mechanical building services and engineering systems.
• Strong fault-finding and diagnostic abilities.
• Ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and technical specifications.
• Good understanding of health and safety legislation and safe working practices.
• Strong communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Desirable

• Previous NHS, healthcare, facilities management, or highly regulated industry experience.
• Knowledge of decontamination equipment and associated compliance standards.
• Authorised Person (AP) or Competent Person (CP) experience.
• Experience with permit-to-work systems.
• Understanding of low-voltage electrical systems and critical engineering infrastructure.

Working Hours

• Full-time position
• Flexible approach required to meet operational demands
• Participation in overtime and out-of-hours duties when necessary
• One weekend day worked per month, with a day off in lieu during the following week