Location: Remote or one of Hickton Group’s Regional Offices (This may be an informal hybrid arrangement depending on individual preferences.)
Reporting too: Hickton Group Managing Directors
About the role
Qualitas Compliance is a rapidly growing Building Regulations Compliance Consultancy business.
We offer a range of professional services to assist our clients in meeting their statutory Fire Safety and Building Control obligations and reduce design and programme risk.
Our service is tailored to integrate with clients and design teams to develop project proposals through the planning stages to a state of readiness for submission for approval to the Building Control and Fire Authorities. Our involvement in projects also assists in demonstrating design team competence necessary to satisfy the Building Safety Regulator.
We offer four primary services generally following the RIBA plan of work milestones as follows:
- Fire Safety Consultant
- Site Inspection and Verification
- Acquisition Technical Due Diligence
- Building Regulation Consultant
We do not currently offer post occupation fire related services such as fire risk assessment, retrospective fire strategy, compartmentation surveys, however we may consider addition of these services in the future medium term.
The sectors we typically operate within are as follows:
- Workplace – new development and fit out (CAT A and B)
- Residential – Student accommodation, private or BTR apartments, care homes, hotels
- Education – schools and further education establishments
- Assembly
- Retail
- Industrial
- Storage and distribution
- Defence
- Custodial
You’ll lead a small but growing professional team with responsibility for delivering our core services on a variety of project work.
There will be a regular need to travel to visit our clients and their design teams, as well as projects on which we are appointed for the site inspection and verification scope. Note: However these projects will be those for which we are also appointed as fire safety consultant. There will also be a need for travel for internal meetings.
Key Responsibilities
- Responsible for the financial management and success of the business.
- Responsible for the management and mentoring of the small professional team.
- Liaison with clients and their professional teams around project scope and management of the fee proposal process.
- Reviewing scheme proposals generally from RIBA Stage 2 and providing initial comments and mark-ups with regards compliance with Building Regulations Part B.
- Meeting with clients and design teams to present and discuss our initial comments.
- Reviewing and responding to queries in relation to early-stage design development.
- Following suitable development of scheme proposals in line with our initial comments, the writing of formal fire strategy reports for key milestones (RIBA stages as well as planning and Building Control application stages).
- The development of Qualitas fire strategy reports across the various development stages.
- Interpretation of feedback from Building Control Bodies and Fire Authorities provided as part of the formal approval process. Negotiation and the formulation of appropriate responses.
- Generally assisting design teams with development of the fire strategy elements, including attendance of design team meetings as agreed with our client.
- For projects on which we are appointed for site inspection and verification, site inspections at an agreed frequency to assess construction progress in line with the recommendations within the Qualitas fire strategy report. For higher risk projects such as conversion to residential purpose groups, Qualitas insist upon a site inspection and verification scope.
- Providing pre-acquisition advice to clients in relation to fire design compliance matters.
Qualification
- Significant vocational experience and able to demonstrate requisite knowledge, judgement and skill.
- Suitably academically qualified.
- Chartered Engineer Status (CEng) through the Institute of Fire Engineers.
Technical
- An in-depth knowledge and understanding of Building Regulations Part B requirements.
- Significant practical experience in applying appropriate design guidance including Approved Document B (both volumes), BS9991 (2015), BS9991 (2017) and others including HTM and BB100 etc.
- Currency of knowledge on emerging changes to design guidance, such as BS9991 (2021) Draft.
- Currency of knowledge on changes to the regulatory regime including introduction of the Building Safety Regulator.
- In depth knowledge of construction techniques and building pathology.
Personal Requirements
- Approachable and reliable in character.
- Able to work on initiative and without supervision although willing to collaborate with colleagues.
- Diplomatic but firm in dealings with clients and design teams.
- Ongoing commitment to learning and CPD.
- Willingness to undertake research and consultation with colleagues on unusual or difficult scenarios.
Company Culture
We have multiple examples of people choosing to develop their career within Hickton Group and work hard to retain our best talent.
We are a modern organisation that believes in collaborating and developing our people, as we recognise that success comes from encouraging them to succeed and assisting them to evolve. We also understand that supporting and promoting a healthy work-life balance is valuable to the production of our work and is something which we encourage.
We promote a healthy office environment, providing support when you need it, and also arrange social and charity events too.
Why join our group
Hickton Group comprises of several businesses. Group structure continues our ambition to be a leading multi-disciplinary provider of quality inspection and consultancy services in the construction sector. Being part of the Group means that there is a coordinated approach to Commercial Business, Marketing, Resourcing, Finance, Business Support, Operations and Corporate Governance, to provide technical excellence and exceptional service to our clients. This provides greater opportunities to work for a larger Group of companies, giving you continuous growth in your own personal development plans and careers.
We employ people who embrace and deliver our core Group values: Quality, Client Focus, Honesty, Integrity, Competency, Teamwork, Development, Accountability and Exceptional Service.
As a Group, we invest in our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and encourage employees to become involved and participate in company and community activities as part of their employment with us.
If this sounds like a team that you would like to be part of, in return we will provide the following:
- Competitive salary
- Continuous professional development (CPD) opportunities
- Health cover
- Enhanced employer pension contributions
- Holiday accrual scheme
- Go 1 online training platform
- A friendly and professional working environment with an ‘open door’ ethos.
How to apply
To apply for the role or for an informal discussion in confidence, please contact us at HR@hicktongroup.co.uk.
