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.
Employees (2024)
Turnover (2024)
Social value generated (2024)
Reduction in Scope 1 & 2 emissions against a 2019 baseline (2024)

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’.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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
Change 100 Business Functions Intern
Location: Finsbury Park
Job Type: Apprenticeships
Application Deadline: 01-05-2026
🌟 Business Functions Intern📍 Finsbury Park ¦ WPSAre you curious about how a large organisation really works behind the scenes? 👀Looking to build hands‑on experience across multiple business functions while learning from experienced professionals? This could be the perfect opportunity for you!🧩 About the RoleAs a Business Functions Intern, you’ll gain exposure to several key areas of our WPS business, developing a well‑rounded understanding of how different teams work together to support our services and projects.🚀 About the InternshipDuring your internship, you will: Rotate through key functional departments such as Mobilisations, Marketing & Communications, Finance and Working Winning, gaining valuable insight into each area 🔄 Shadow team members to observe workflows, tools, and decision‑making processes 👥 Support day‑to‑day activities within each function, adapting to different priorities and learning the fundamentals of each discipline Develop an understanding of organisational processes, compliance requirements, and role‑specific responsibilities across the business 📚✅ Key ResponsibilitiesYou’ll play an active part in the team by: Supporting short‑term project tasks through research, data gathering and preparing insights to aid decision‑making 🔍 Assisting managers and functional leads with planning, progress tracking and documentation 🗂️ Creating clear, engaging updates, reports or presentations to summarise project findings or progress 📊 Taking part in project meetings, capturing actions, risks and key discussion points 📝 Helping to coordinate activity across departments to ensure effective communication and alignment 🤝🎓 What We’re Looking ForWe’re keen to hear from individuals who are: Confident communicators, comfortable interacting in person, on the phone and in writing 💬 Able to research and summarise complex information and present it clearly using Word, Excel and PowerPoint Organised, proactive and able to manage their own time to meet changing priorities ⏱️ A strong team player with a collaborative approach 🙌 Naturally curious, eager to ask questions and learn more 🧠 Willing to get involved and learn by doing 🚀💙 Why Join WPS?At WPS, you’ll be part of a supportive and inclusive environment where learning, development and collaboration are encouraged. This internship offers a fantastic opportunity to build practical experience, develop transferable skills and gain exposure to different career paths within a large organisation.
Change 100 Commercial Intern
Location: Finsbury Park
Job Type: Commercial
Application Deadline: 01-05-2026
📊Change 100 Commercial Intern📍 Finsbury Park ¦ WPSAre you interested in the commercial side of the built environment and keen to gain hands‑on experience within a supportive team? 🧠📐Our Commercial Intern opportunity offers great exposure to real projects, data, and reporting while learning from experienced commercial professionals.🧩 About the RoleAs a Commercial Intern, you’ll support our Commercial Team with data, documentation and reporting activities that help ensure accurate records and sound decision‑making across our projects.✅ Key ResponsibilitiesIn this role, you will: Support colleagues in the Commercial Team with data and document collation, helping maintain accurate project records 📁 Assist with gathering and preparing data to support commercial reporting for specific clients or projects 📊 Help Commercial Team members produce reports linked to key project milestones 📝 Where possible, support site or project surveyors to meet contractual obligations, either on site or remotely through information support 🏗️💻🎓 What We’re Looking ForThis role would suit someone who: Is working towards a degree in a related subject, such as Quantity Surveying, or has an interest in Mathematics, Data Analysis, Finance, Accounting or Project Management 🎓 Has an understanding of commercial cost control methods 💷 Can demonstrate strong time management skills and the ability to prioritise effectively ⏱️ Enjoys working collaboratively and building positive working relationships 🤝 Is keen to learn, get involved and gain practical experience in a professional environment 🚀💙 Why Join WPS?At WPS, you’ll be part of a welcoming and inclusive business where learning and development are encouraged. This internship provides a fantastic introduction to commercial operations, helping you build valuable skills and experience to support your future career.
Change 100 Operations Intern
Location: Finsbury Park
Job Type: Trades and Labour
Application Deadline: 01-05-2026
🌟 Change 100 Operations Intern – WPS 🌟Are you curious about how large-scale operations really work? Keen to learn by doing and get hands-on experience within a major social housing business? 🏠🔧Our Change 100 Operations Internship at WPS is a fantastic opportunity to gain real insight into the operational heart of our South Repairs & Maintenance division.💼 About the InternshipDuring this work placement, you’ll gain a complete overview of operational delivery, working across key functions that keep our services running smoothly.You’ll be placed under the guidance of our Divisional Director, giving you rare exposure to senior leadership and a real understanding of how strategic and day-to-day operations come together. 👥📊🔍 What You’ll Get Involved In✅ Operations Learn how social housing repairs & maintenance are delivered end to end Get exposure to contract management, KPIs, reporting and performance management Understand health & safety compliance, quality control, customer care and complaints handling Explore risk management and the Wates Professional Standards✅ Procurement & Commercial Gain insight into client and supplier contracts Support project business plans Learn the importance of accurate record-keeping and cost control, including subcontractor and non-recoverable costs 💷✅ Work Scheduling & Customer Experience Understand system-led, customer-focused repairs scheduling Work with live daily and weekly performance dashboards 📈 Learn how scheduling impacts operative productivity and resident satisfaction Gain direct experience speaking with customers via telephony where required ☎️🎤 Final PresentationAt the end of your internship, you’ll present a summary of your experience and learning across each department to our senior leadership team – a great opportunity to showcase what you’ve achieved and built confidence along the way.🧠 What We’re Looking For Strong communication skills – comfortable speaking in person, on the phone, via Teams and in writing Ability to research, understand and summarise complex information Confident using systems and tools such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint Able to work independently, manage your time and juggle priorities A team player who enjoys working with others 🤝 Naturally curious – you enjoy asking questions and learning more Willing to get stuck in and learn by doing 💪
Account Manager
Location: Saffron Walden
Job Type: Operational
Application Deadline: 30-04-2026
Account Manager Location: Saffron Walden About the Role WPS have an exciting opportunity for a technically strong Account Manager to lead and develop our operational delivery for a key client. Based in Saffron Walden, you will provide operational leadership, technical management, commercial oversight, and exceptional service standards across a diverse environment. We’re looking for a confident leader with experience managing multidisciplinary teams, ensuring compliance, driving performance, and delivering highquality hard FM services. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a dynamic environment and wants to further their career within a supportive and ambitious organisation. Key Responsibilities As an Account Manager, you will: Lead, motivate and inspire the Wates FM team to deliver firstclass hard M&E and fabric service provision Provide visible leadership and build strong partnerships with key client stakeholders Ensure full compliance with statutory, quality, safety, environmental and Wates standards, promoting a Zero Harm culture Drive commercial best practice, managing budgets, P&L performance and ensuring contractual KPIs/SLAs are met Manage external specialists and suppliers to ensure performance, reporting accuracy and value for money Lead change management initiatives and present confidently to senior management, clients and internal teams About You We’re looking for someone who brings: Experience in a similar FM or transferable environment, ideally managing multidiverse technical teams Recognised technical qualification and IOSH (or equivalent) Strong financial and commercial acumen with proven P&L management experience Excellent interpersonal, communication and problemsolving skills Ability to build strong client relationships and lead teams through change Confidence in presenting complex information to senior stakeholders This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of a talented and supportive team that will help you grow and progress your career. What We Offer Competitive salary Travel costs covered to any Wates sites (HMRC advisory rates apply) Outstanding learning and development opportunities Industryleading family leave policies (26 weeks fully paid maternity, 8 weeks fully paid paternity) 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
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