Aftercare Manager

Grays, Essex
1st Step

1st Step Solutions are supporting a building services engineering company who have an opportunity for an Aftercare Manager based in Grays, Essex (with occasional site visits)

Our client delivers Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing solutions across commercial, industrial and residential sectors.

Role overview

The Aftercare Manager is responsible for the management, development and operational delivery of the Clients Aftercare and Customer Care function.

The role acts as the central point of contact for all aftercare related matters across our clients projects following practical completion and throughout the Defects Liability Period (DLP). The Aftercare Manager is responsible for managing client enquiries, defect reporting, resident communication and the coordination of operative attendance to ensure defects are resolved efficiently, professionally and within agreed response timeframes.

Working closely with the Operations Team, Project Teams, Temporary Works Division, Commercial Team and Clients, the Aftercare Manager will implement and maintain a robust end-to-end aftercare process covering defect filtration, logging, categorisation, scheduling, rectification and reporting.

The role plays a key part in maintaining our clients reputation for quality, responsiveness and client satisfaction once projects transition from construction to occupied environments.

In addition to managing defects during the Defects Liability Period, the Aftercare Manager will also support the development of additional servicing and maintenance offerings, including FM and maintenance proposals where requested by clients.

Key responsibilities

Responsibilities include:

• Developing and implementing a robust aftercare Procedure covering the full lifecycle of defect management.
• Establishing a structured defect filtration and enquiry handling process to manage incoming calls and enquiries from clients, building managers and occupiers.
• Ensuring all enquiries are assessed to determine whether they represent a genuine defect or operational issue.
• Developing clear response procedures for both normal working hours and out-of-hours emergency calls.
• Creating and maintaining a centralised defect logging and tracking system for all aftercare enquiries.
• Ensuring procedures are clearly documented and aligned with our clients operational standards.
• Driving continuous improvement in aftercare systems, procedures and service delivery.
• Receiving and logging defect reports from:
• Clients
• Building management teams
• Residents / occupiers
• Main contractors
• Assessing each enquiry to determine whether the issue represents a genuine defect related to our clients scope of works.
• Filtering out non-defect or user-operation related enquiries where appropriate.
• Recording all defects within the companies defect tracking system including:
• Nature of issue
• Urgency classification
• Client / resident contact details
• Location
• Ensuring clear and professional communication with residents and clients throughout the enquiry process.
• Classifying defects into the following categories:
• Emergency Repair – Defects posing immediate safety risks or critical system failures.
• Urgent Repair – Defects causing significant inconvenience or service disruption.
• Standard Repair – General defects requiring timely rectification.
• General Repair – Minor defects or routine snagging issues.
• Ensuring that response times align with contractual obligations and client expectations.
• Coordinating appropriate response procedures for emergency call-outs outside of normal working hours.
• Ensuring emergency defects are escalated and attended within the required response timeframe.
• Contacting residents to arrange appointments suitable to the urgency of the repair.
• Providing clear communication regarding:
• Attendance times
• Expected repair duration
• Operative access requirements
• Maintaining professional communication standards when dealing with residents in occupied residential environments.
• Providing regular updates to clients and building management regarding:
• Defect status
• Repair progress
• Completion confirmations
• Ensuring all communication is logged and traceable.
• Maintaining strong relationships with clients, ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and service delivery.
• Managing diaries and scheduling for the electrical and plumbing aftercare operatives.
• Arranging operative attendance based on defect urgency and resident availability.
• Recording whether call-outs occur:
• During normal working hours
• Outside of normal working hours (emergency response)
• Coordinating resources in collaboration with the companies Temporary Works Division where required.
• Ensuring operatives attend with appropriate materials, tools and access information.
• Managing operative workloads to ensure efficient resource utilisation and response times.
• Monitoring completion of works and ensuring defects are rectified to the required standard.
• Tracking all open defects until successful completion.
• Ensuring operatives provide clear feedback and completion reports following attendance.
• Confirming with residents or clients that defects have been satisfactorily resolved.
• Updating the defect tracking system with completion details and closure confirmation.
• Ensuring that recurring defects or systemic issues are escalated to the relevant project teams.
• Supporting root cause analysis where repeat defects arise.
• Maintaining accurate records of all defects reported and rectified.
• Producing periodic aftercare reports for management and clients detailing:
• Defect volumes
• Response times
• Completion times
• Outstanding issues
• Providing clear visibility of aftercare performance across projects.
• Supporting project teams in managing defects during the Defects Liability Period.
• Acting as a key liaison between our clients delivery teams and clients.
• Identifying and implementing app-based defect management and scheduling systems.
• Improving efficiency of defect logging, scheduling and reporting processes.
• Exploring digital tools for:
• Resident booking systems
• Operative scheduling
• Live defect tracking
• Supporting the integration of aftercare systems with internal operational systems.
• Driving innovation to improve service delivery and operational efficiency.
• Responding to client requests for servicing and maintenance proposals following project completion.
• Working with the Commercial and Operations Teams to develop costed maintenance proposals.
• Identifying opportunities for our client to provide ongoing services including:
• MEP servicing contracts
• Preventative maintenance
• Reactive maintenance services
• Supporting the development of our clients post-handover service offering.
• Helping to generate additional revenue streams through long-term client relationships.
• Identifying recurring issues arising from project delivery and feeding lessons learned back to project teams.
• Supporting improvements in installation quality and commissioning processes.
• Helping to reduce defect volumes through improved feedback loops.
• Supporting the development of standards, procedures and best practice.
• Promoting a culture of customer service, responsiveness and professionalism within the aftercare function.

On Offer:
Career progression opportunities
Support with training and professional development
Friendly and supportive team environment
Pension scheme
Holiday entitlement
Private Health Care