Head of MEP

Head of MEP

About the Business
Our client is a well-established and growing specialist contractor operating across the UK construction and building services sector. The business has built a strong reputation for delivering technically complex, high-quality projects across a range of sectors, with a particular focus on engineering excellence, reliability, commercial performance and long-term client relationships.
The organisation combines strong technical capability with a commercially focused approach to project delivery. Its success is built around experienced people, robust systems, collaborative working and a commitment to delivering projects safely, efficiently and to the highest standards.
As the business continues to grow, it is looking to appoint an experienced and commercially minded

Head of MEP to provide strategic leadership across its mechanical and electrical operations.

The Role
The Head of MEP will take overall responsibility for the leadership, development and performance of the MEP function, working closely with the wider senior leadership team to support the continued growth and development of the business.
This is a senior leadership position requiring a combination of technical expertise, commercial awareness, operational leadership and strategic thinking. The successful candidate will oversee the full MEP lifecycle, from pre-construction and design development through procurement, installation, commissioning, handover and aftercare.
The role will play a key part in ensuring that MEP delivery remains technically robust, commercially successful and aligned with the company's wider business objectives.
You will provide leadership across multiple projects and teams, ensuring that the business has the right people, processes, supply chain and technical capability to deliver consistently high-quality outcomes.

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership

• Provide overall leadership and direction for the MEP function across the business.
• Develop and implement the MEP strategy in line with wider company objectives and growth plans.
• Work closely with the senior leadership team to identify opportunities for business development, operational improvement and expansion.
• Help shape the future structure, capability and resource requirements of the MEP division.
• Establish clear standards, processes and expectations across MEP delivery.
• Act as a senior representative of the business with clients, consultants, suppliers and other key stakeholders.
• Support the development of the company's technical reputation and market position.

Operational & Project Delivery

• Provide senior oversight of MEP delivery across the company's project portfolio.
• Ensure projects are properly resourced and supported from pre-construction through to completion.
• Monitor project performance, programme, quality, safety and technical compliance.
• Provide strategic intervention and support on projects where required.
• Ensure effective coordination between design, commercial, procurement and site delivery teams.
• Drive consistent standards of project execution across the MEP function.
• Ensure commissioning, testing, certification and handover requirements are effectively managed.
• Identify potential delivery risks at an early stage and implement appropriate mitigation strategies.

Technical Leadership

• Provide senior technical guidance across mechanical and electrical building services.
• Oversee design development and ensure solutions are technically robust, buildable and commercially viable.
• Ensure MEP designs meet contractual, statutory and client requirements.
• Promote value engineering and buildability throughout the project lifecycle.
• Maintain high technical standards across design, installation, commissioning and handover.
• Support teams in resolving complex technical and coordination issues.
• Keep the business informed of emerging technologies, industry developments, regulations and best practice.
• Promote innovation and efficient MEP solutions where these provide genuine value to clients and the business.

Commercial Responsibility

• Work closely with the commercial team to protect and improve project profitability.
• Provide senior oversight of MEP budgets, forecasts and cost performance.
• Ensure commercial risks and opportunities are identified and managed effectively.
• Support procurement and supply-chain strategies to achieve competitive and reliable project outcomes.
• Review variations, changes and commercial opportunities from an MEP perspective.
• Ensure that technical decisions are made with appropriate consideration of commercial impact.
• Contribute to estimating, tender reviews and pre-construction activities where required.
• Support the business in developing commercially sustainable MEP delivery models.

Pre-Construction & Business Development

• Provide MEP leadership during tender and pre-construction stages.
• Review specifications, drawings, scopes and technical requirements.
• Identify technical, commercial and programme risks within opportunities.
• Support the development of accurate and competitive MEP proposals.
• Contribute to value engineering and alternative design solutions.
• Work with clients, consultants and project teams to develop solutions that are both technically effective and commercially viable.
• Help identify opportunities to develop existing client relationships and secure repeat business.
• Support the company's wider business development strategy through technical credibility and industry relationships.

People & Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor and develop the MEP team, creating a high-performing and accountable culture.
• Identify skills gaps and develop appropriate training and succession plans.
• Support recruitment and retention of high-calibre MEP professionals.
• Establish clear objectives and performance expectations for the MEP team.
• Encourage collaboration between engineering, commercial, procurement and operational functions.
• Develop future leaders within the MEP organisation.
• Promote a culture of ownership, professionalism, continuous improvement and technical excellence.

Supply Chain & Procurement

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key MEP subcontractors, suppliers, manufacturers and specialist consultants.
• Ensure supply-chain partners are appropriately selected, managed and performance monitored.
• Support procurement strategies that balance cost, quality, programme and technical capability.
• Ensure subcontractors and suppliers are aligned with project requirements and company standards.
• Develop a reliable and capable supply chain that can support the company's future growth.

Health, Safety, Quality & Compliance

• Promote a strong safety-first culture across all MEP activities.
• Ensure MEP delivery complies with relevant legislation, regulations, standards and contractual requirements.
• Drive quality assurance and quality-control standards across projects.
• Ensure appropriate inspection, testing and commissioning procedures are implemented.
• Support continuous improvement in safety, quality and environmental performance.
• Ensure lessons learned are captured and embedded across future projects.

Key Measures of Success
Success in the role will be measured through:

• Consistent and successful delivery of MEP projects.
• Strong project margins and commercial performance.
• Effective management of MEP risk.
• High standards of technical quality and compliance.
• Strong client satisfaction and repeat business.
• Effective programme and project delivery.
• Development and retention of a high-performing MEP team.
• Strength and reliability of the MEP supply chain.
• Improved processes, systems and operational efficiency.
• Successful growth and development of the MEP division.

Candidate Profile
The successful candidate will be an experienced senior MEP professional with a strong background in building services and a proven track record of leading MEP functions within a construction, engineering or specialist contracting environment.
You will ideally have experience progressing from a technical or project delivery background into a senior operational or divisional leadership position.

We are looking for someone who combines technical credibility with commercial understanding and strong leadership capability.
You will be comfortable operating at board and senior-management level while remaining close enough to projects and delivery teams to understand the detail and provide effective support when required.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Significant experience within mechanical and electrical building services.
• Proven experience leading MEP teams and/or an MEP division.
• Strong understanding of construction and project delivery.
• Experience managing multiple projects and competing priorities.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of project profitability.
• Experience with pre-construction, estimating and tender processes.
• Strong knowledge of MEP design, installation, commissioning and handover.
• Excellent understanding of construction programmes and project risk.
• Experience managing subcontractors, consultants and supply-chain partners.
• Strong client-facing and stakeholder-management skills.
• A proven ability to recruit, develop and retain high-performing teams.
• Strong communication, negotiation and influencing skills.
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach.
• The ability to operate strategically while maintaining a strong understanding of operational detail.

Leadership Style
The successful candidate will be a visible and credible leader who can bring together technical, commercial and operational teams around common objectives.
You will be expected to lead from the front, challenge constructively, make commercially sound decisions and create an environment where people are accountable for their performance while being supported to develop.
This is an opportunity for an ambitious MEP leader to take ownership of a significant business function and play a key role in shaping the next stage of the company's growth.

What the Opportunity Offers
This role provides the opportunity to join a progressive and ambitious business at an important stage of its development.
The successful individual will have genuine influence over the direction and performance of the MEP function, with the opportunity to shape its people, processes, supply chain and approach to project delivery.
It is a role suited to someone who wants to move beyond project-level responsibility and take full ownership of an MEP operation, combining strategic leadership with commercial and operational accountability.