About Us

Reimagining places for people to thrive.

We are Wates, the UK’s leading family-owned development, building and property maintenance company. Founded over 125 years ago, we know about the built environment. We partner with a wide range of public and private sector customers and partners to create the places, communities and businesses of tomorrow.

6,000

Employees (2024)

£2.4bn

Turnover (2024)

£395m

Social value generated (2024)

33%

Reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions against a 2019 baseline (2024)

Wates family 2022

Reimagining places for people to thrive

Now in our fourth generation of family ownership, we are committed to the long-term sustainability of the built environment and to making our industry more inclusive and representative of the communities we work in.

Our goals are to be more sustainable, trusted and progressive, and our people are driven by our behaviours of ‘we care’, ‘we are fair’, and ‘we look for a better way’.

London business school atrium

Long term financial resilience

As a multi generational, family-owned business we are not driven by short term shareholder demands, but by decisions which are in the long term interest of the business.

Our owners, the Wates Family, are committed to handing over to the next generation, an even stronger, more sustainable business. This approach drives all our investment decisions and allows us to achieve progressive earnings growth and to partner with customers to deliver products and services that offer the best value for money possible. 

Zero harm, we're safer together safety campaign

Health and safety

Our safety strategy: Zero Harm: We’re Safer Together, has produced better results every year since it was first introduced in 2016.

It is aimed at eliminating physical and psychological harm entirely from all our workplaces. In 2022, we led the industry across all key health and safety metrics, while continuing to search for new ways to make us even safer still. 

we are committed to quality and sustainability

Quality

We are committed to eliminating the practical and economic impacts of any quality failures from each of our businesses, while also achieving full compliance with all relevant regulatory and legislative standards. 

Our commitment to quality across the industry was demonstrated through our role in helping draft the Government’s Construction Playbook best practice guide in 2022.

Our industry leading women in construction recruitment programme

Inclusion and diversity

Our ambition is to have a more diverse workforce and to be recognised as a leader in promoting diversity and inclusion in our own business and in the wider industry.

We are developing a more inclusive culture by establishing clear, non-negotiable expectations about colleagues’ behaviour and language.

We have developed award-winning inclusivity programmes to help change our culture, and we are always looking to build on that work further. 

University of Portsmouth sustainability

Environment

Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to becoming a net zero carbon company and we’re working to eliminate Scope 1 and 2 carbon and waste from our business operations.

We are also collaborating with customers and suppliers to achieve reductions in Scope 3 emissions in response to rapidly developing customer demands as the net zero agenda becomes ever more important. 

Using offsite manufacturing we can improve productivity, efficiency and safety in construction

Innovation

We have always looked for new and better ways of meeting our customers’ needs and we are committed to developing and embracing the best new ideas that generate value and help us to tackle shared challenges.

Whether we’re cutting operating costs with optimised construction or saving energy with Passivhaus technology, we can connect you with the right answers.

Latest career opportunities

Account Manager

Location: Manchester

Job Type: Operational

Application Deadline: 05-05-2026

Account Manager Location: North West / MidlandsContract Type: Full-time, Permanent About the RoleWe are seeking an experienced Account Manager to join our Facilities Management team within WPS. This is an exciting opportunity to oversee a mixed portfolio of clients within the Managing Agent sector, providing exceptional service delivery while driving commercial performance and organic growth across established contracts.This role is ideal for someone who thrives on building strong client relationships, delivering operational excellence, and proactively identifying new business opportunities.Key Responsibilities Manage a varied FM client portfolio across the North West and Midlands, ensuring high-quality service delivery and contract compliance. Act as the primary point of contact for Managing Agent clients, fostering strong and trusted relationships. Drive work winning and organic growth, identifying opportunities to expand services within existing accounts. Oversee contract performance, budgets, forecasting, and KPI achievement. Collaborate with operational teams to ensure safe, efficient and customer-focused delivery. Prepare and present monthly account reviews, performance updates, and growth proposals. Lead on contract improvements, mobilisation of additional works, and continuous service enhancement.About YouWe’re looking for someone who brings: Experience working with Managing Agents (preferred but not essential). A strong track record of growing and developing FM contracts. Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills. Commercial awareness with the ability to identify and convert opportunities. Proven experience managing multi-site or mixed FM portfolios. A proactive, solutions-focused mindset and a passion for delivering outstanding customer outcomes.Why Join Us? Opportunity to shape and grow a strategic FM portfolio. Work within an established, collaborative, and respected business unit. Supportive leadership with a strong focus on career development. Competitive salary and benefits package.Given the nature of this position, you will need to undergo a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) at offer stage. Applicants with criminal convictions will be assessed individually, and we assure you that we do not discriminate based on an applicant's criminal record or the details of any disclosed offenses. Additionally, certain roles may be subject to additional pre-employment checks.

Disrepair Supervisor

Location: West Midlands

Job Type: Trades and Labour

Application Deadline: 04-05-2026

🛠️ Disrepair Supervisor📍 West Midlands 🏢 WPS Bring your people leadership and case‑management skills to our growing WPS business in the West Midlands. You’ll own the Disrepair workstream end‑to‑end, supporting the Project Lead day‑to‑day — and stepping up to lead the contract when required — ensuring services are safe, compliant and consistently delivering strong KPIs and great customer outcomes. 🚀What you’ll do Lead the Disrepair operation — optimise resources, apply robust processes and meet contract KPIs and client standards. 🔧📊 Manage the caseload — ensure work orders progress within target dates; confirm multi‑trade requirements, timeframes and pre‑inspections. ⏱️ Guide people & partners — support administrators, operatives and subcontractors to achieve targets and deliver consistently. 👥🎯 Champion quality & customer care — deliver pre‑ and post‑repair inspections, routine quality checks and proactive communication. ✅ Report & drive improvement — produce weekly updates on completed and outstanding jobs; investigate issues and follow through to resolution. 🗂️ Partner with the client — support performance reports and attend regular review meetings. 🤝 Handle variations & complaints — manage variation requests in line with client procedures and help resolve customer, client and staff queries. 🧩 Lead on safety — uphold H&S within our Operating Framework; ensure PPE, vehicles, livery and ID standards are maintained. 🦺🔒 Support commercials — monitor operating costs and productivity metrics, collaborating closely with commercial colleagues. 💷📊What you’ll bring Experience supervising within repairs & maintenance, ideally with direct disrepair responsibility. Strong leadership of teams and supply chain partners, with clear, confident communication. Demonstrable success in achieving KPI performance and driving quality. Excellent planning/scheduling capability and a calm, problem‑solving approach. Solid understanding of health & safety and stakeholder engagement. Why join us Be part of a growing West Midlands operation with real influence over how we deliver disrepair services. 🌱 Supportive team culture with regular development, feedback and progression opportunities. 🤝📈 Work that genuinely improves the lives of residents and communities. 🏘️How to applyReady to take the next step? Apply today and help us deliver a safe, efficient and customer‑first repairs service. ✉️🔗

Electrical Qualifying Supervisor

Location: West Midlands

Job Type: Trades and Labour

Application Deadline: 04-05-2026

⚡ Electrical Qualified Supervisor📍 West Midlands ¦ 🏢 WPS ¦ 🚀 Growing divisionsWe’re looking for an Electrical Qualified Supervisor to join our WPS team in the West Midlands! If you're passionate about electrical safety, quality and supporting engineers to deliver great work for our residents, this is a brilliant opportunity to make a real impact. 🙌🔧 What you’ll be doing Acting as our go‑to expert for electrical quality, safety and compliance, including NICEIC requirements. Supporting engineers and our supply chain with technical advice, checks and guidance. Making sure all electrical works are properly certified, inspected and meet our high Wates standards. Carrying out site visits, sample checks and ensuring all notifiable works are submitted correctly. Helping new starters settle in, checking competency and delivering toolbox talks. Keeping CPD records up to date and ensuring compliance across the contract. Maintaining a strong safety culture — protecting residents, colleagues and ensuring best practice at all times.🎓 What you’ll bring Level 3 Electrotechnical qualifications (NVQ / apprenticeship / mature candidate). BS 7671:2018, Initial Verification & Periodic Inspection qualifications. At least 2 years’ supervisory experience. Strong understanding of housing maintenance, SOR codes and H&S requirements. Great communication skills, confidence partnering with wider teams, and a proactive approach.🌟 Why join us A growing WPS team with real opportunity to shape how we deliver electrical compliance. Supportive environment, development pathways and a team that values your expertise. Work that genuinely improves homes and communities. 🏡📩 Apply todayIf you're ready to take the lead on electrical safety and support a great team, we’d love to hear from you! ✨

Multi Skilled Joiner

Location: Skelmersdale

Job Type: Trades and Labour

Application Deadline: 04-05-2026

We are currently seeking a skilled and reliable Multiskilled Joiner to join our responsive maintenance team working on a social housing contract in the Skelmersdale area.🔧 Key Responsibilities: Carry out responsive maintenance works including repairs, replacements, and installations across occupied and void properties. Deliver high-quality joinery work in line with health and safety standards and customer expectations. Work independently and as part of a team to complete tasks efficiently and professionally. Liaise with tenants and housing officers to ensure minimal disruption and excellent service delivery.✅ Requirements: NVQ Level 2 (or equivalent) in a relevant trade (Joinery/Carpentry). Full UK Driving Licence – essential for travel between properties. Proven experience in social housing or domestic maintenance environments. Strong communication skills and a customer-focused approach. Ability to work flexibly and respond to emergency call-outs when required.💼 What We Offer: Competitive salary and benefits package. Company vehicle and fuel card. Ongoing training and development opportunities. Supportive team environment and career progression.Given the nature of this position, you will need to undergo a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) at offer stage. Applicants with criminal convictions will be assessed individually, and we assure you that we do not discriminate based on an applicant's criminal record or the details of any disclosed offenses. Additionally, certain roles may be subject to additional pre-employment checks. To learn more about the checks included in this process, please click on the following link: National Security Vetting