Head of Engineering – Pall Mall & Epsom

Royal Automobile Club
Head of Engineering – Pall Mall & Epsom

Location: Dual Located

The Royal Automobile Club is an exclusive world-class private members

The Royal Automobile Club is a prestigious world-class private members’ Club, featuring two beautiful clubhouses in London and Epsom.

We are looking for an inspiring leader with the strategic acumen and operational expertise to drive a complex, dual-site operation steeped in tradition. This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of our engineering services, driving innovation and excellence across all aspects of infrastructure, building systems, and technical operations. You’ll be entrusted with safeguarding the integrity and performance of our facilities while championing a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement, embodying our values and leadership behaviours.

Purpose:

Reporting to the Chief Executive, with a dotted line to the Director of Operations, the Head of Engineering is a member of the Club Management Committee (CMC), responsible for the strategic management of all engineering services to ensure the Club’s infrastructure, building systems, and technical operations run efficiently, prioritising member comfort, safety, and regulatory compliance.

This role will manage budgets, contracts, and external suppliers for maximum efficiency while leading and inspiring the maintenance team. The Head of Engineering will also drive sustainability initiatives, improve energy efficiency, and oversee predictive, preventive and reactive maintenance, engineering project management, and crisis response, ensuring smooth operations and continuous upgrades to the Club’s facilities.

Main responsibilities:

• To develop and implement a comprehensive preventive maintenance programme, ensuring building fabric, external areas, mechanical, electrical and drainage is on a well-monitored, fully documented and scheduled maintenance programme. Ensuring a Plant Planned Maintenance system is in place which is fit for purpose, adhered to and correctly documented to ensure full compliance with all Club and legislative requirements.
• Oversee the development of the annual maintenance budget for Pall Mall and Woodcote Park in order to achieve the Club’s financial objectives through effective forecasting and robust cost management.
• The Head of Engineering will play a key role in the Club’s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy across all areas. Working closely with the Chief Executive and Director of Operations, they will ensure the seamless integration of sustainability initiatives to control and monitor closely all utility consumption, and to ensure optimum energy usage across the Club.
• Set and monitor, departmental goals and objectives with the Maintenance Manager and, where appropriate, with the wider team.
• Collaborate with other CMC members and in particular, ensure a close partnership with Capital Projects and Operations.
• Maintain overall responsibility for the day-to-day management and operations of maintenance for both clubhouses.
• Assess requirements and appointments of external suppliers, including in the implementation and management of framework agreements. Oversee appointments and manage external suppliers for maximum efficiencies.
• Keep Clubhouse Committees well informed of any maintenance issues impacting operations and of action being taken to address concerns.
• Oversee the management and implementation of Health & Safety of the buildings and plant at the Club and ensure that targets set by the CEO are being adhered to. Provide effective leadership throughout the department, nurturing a strong team culture and ethos through effective communication and knowledge sharing.
• To be fully conversant with all risk assessments for the department, COSHH regulations, fire & bomb procedures and ensure Heads of Department are fully up to date.
• To ensure compliance with UK legislation throughout the buildings and estate including Building Regulations, British Standards, Fire Legislation and Club policies.
• Manage the implementation of small-scale maintenance project works – circa £30k.
• Manage the implementation of major Capital projects related to infrastructure and collaborate with Head of Capital Projects on refurbishment/new projects.
• Review and implement upgrade works to the Building Management Systems at both Clubhouses to provide operating saving and efficiencies.
• Review and implement Maintenance works to the boundary of the Estate including maintenance and management of the Land Terrier, Estates covenants and neighbour liaisons relating to the wall.
• Assess market and technological developments that can be introduced to the Club to improve efficiencies to the buildings and the estates.
• Assist the Chief Executive with the review and delivery of the new 6th Floor project and assess the upgrade and alteration works required to the existing central plant.
• Attendance at key meetings including, where required, Club Working Groups/Parties, providing information and input on future works, risk and opportunities.
• Organise and maintain records and files related to the existing Buildings and Estate.
• Assess life cycle costings, investment opportunities and possible returns for undertaking maintenance works in order to maximise efficiencies at both Clubhouses.

Person Specification:

• Have a proven experience managing maintenance teams ideally within a hospitality business.
• Have a UK recognised Engineering Qualification
• Be an energetic people-manager with proven leadership skills and sensitivity to the challenges of managing a diverse team.
• Lead by example in developing high quality relationships manage member communications in a timely, diplomatic and effective manner.
• Have excellent communication skills.
• Have strong financial acumen.
• Have strong technical knowledge of building legalisation, building technologies, construction and maintenance procedure and processes.
• Good working knowledge of project management concepts, tools and techniques.
• Knowledge of Procurement Strategies. Preparing and managing Consultant/Contractor Tenders. Good understanding of Contract Management.

Benefits:

• Private Medical Insurance
• Annual bonus
• Travel allowance
• Free meals on duty
• Paid birthday day off
• Perkbox discount scheme
• European RAC cover
• Generous pension
• Employer-paid health cash plan
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
• Free onsite parking in Woodcote Park

Values:

We are one club, with one team, seeking to achieve one standard of excellence across two clubhouses. All this passion can be summed up in the word HEARTS, which stands for Heritage, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, Trust and Sustainability. These are the values that flow through our veins. More importantly, they are the values we will expect you to live by.

• Heritage – Our rich motoring, social, sporting and architectural heritage runs through the fabric and the nature of the Club. It is what makes us different. Whatever our role at the Club, we all play our part in respecting and nurturing this heritage, now and for the future.

• Excellence – Excellence is not an achievement; it is something we strive for every day. Excellence is the courtesy of your undivided attention. Moment by moment, our commitment to excellence makes all the difference and creates memories which last a lifetime.

• Accountability – We take ownership of our work, meeting our own high standards, honouring our commitments and acting with professionalism. We are honest at all times, creating a culture of trust, and working together to exceed members’ expectations.

• Respect – We always show consideration and understanding to our members and colleagues and work as a team player. We listen to others and are open to and respect their opinions. We are tolerant and treat others with courtesy.

• Trust – Trust is hard earned but easily lost. Earning and maintaining it requires us to act with fairness, honesty and integrity. We proactively do the right thing, regardless of whether anyone will know we did it or not.

• Sustainability – Acting with sustainability in mind helps to reduce the Club’s environmental impact, improves our efficiency and builds our reputation. We can all, in small ways or large, whatever our role, contribute to improving the Club’s sustainability.

Leadership Behaviours:

For those in leadership roles, modelling the behaviour you would like your team to exhibit is of great importance. Effective leaders make their values clear to all who follow them by living those values each day. By observing your conduct, others will follow suit. Here are the six key leadership behaviours to model in the workplace.

• Be Empowering – Believe in your team and help them excel. We empower our team members when we give them the encouragement, tools and autonomy to carry out their work effectively. Trust them to do a great job. Your team will be happier and more productive knowing that you are on hand to offer support without micromanaging them.

• Be Brave – Doing what you know is right is not always the easiest option, but putting the good of the Club, of its members and of your colleagues first is a sign of strength of character, determination . click apply for full job details