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

Resident Liaison Officer

Location: Carlisle

Job Type: Customer Service

Application Deadline: 08-01-2026

🏘️ Resident Liaison Officer – Retrofit Projects (Carlisle)📍 Location: Carlisle🏢 Business Unit: WPS📄 Contract Type: Full-time, PermanentAre you passionate about making a difference in people’s lives and communities? Do you thrive on building trust, solving problems, and ensuring smooth communication between residents and project teams? If so, we want you on our team!WPS is delivering a series of exciting retrofit projects across Carlisle, and we’re looking for a dedicated Resident Liaison Officer to be the friendly face and reliable point of contact for tenants throughout the works. Your role will be key in ensuring tenants are informed, supported, and satisfied throughout the delivery of these improvements.👥 What You’ll Be Doing Liaising daily with residents and leaseholders to arrange access, surveys, and appointments Acting as the first point of contact for tenant queries, concerns, and complaints Ensuring all communications are honest, clear, and empathetic Supporting site teams with Health & Safety checks and compliance Maintaining accurate records of inspections, complaints, and meeting actions Collaborating with subcontractors, surveyors, project managers, and clients to ensure works meet specifications and resident expectations Helping resolve disputes and damage claims professionally Carrying out audits and site safety checks Ensuring the business remains compliant with OF and Health & Safety regulations🧠 What You’ll Bring Strong communication and listening skills Confidence dealing with complaints and resolving issues A proactive, supportive, and organised approach Cultural awareness and empathy for diverse tenant needs IT proficiency (Excel, Word, Outlook) Asbestos Awareness (desirable) Full UK Driving Licence (essential) Bilingual skills (a bonus!)🚀 Why Join WPS?At WPS, we’re committed to improving homes and lives through sustainable retrofit solutions. You’ll be part of a supportive team that values your contribution and offers opportunities for growth and development.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 If successful one of the Recruitment Team will then be in contact to discuss the role in more detail and advise of next steps.

Resident Liaison Officer/Customer Complaints Officer

Location: Skelmersdale

Job Type: Customer Service

Application Deadline: 19-01-2026

WPS are seeking a Resident Liaison Officer/Customer Complaints Officer to join our Responsive Maintenance Team in the West Lancashire area. With offices in Skelmersdale you will ideally be living within commuting distance as this role will be office based. The key focus for this role will be to liaise with tenants and the Client, to ensure that the complaint gets resolved as quickly as possible, To do this you will need to take full responsibility of the complaint from when receiving it to the end, this will involve booking works into diaries and making sure the works are carried out on the appointment date given to the tenant, also keeping tenants fully updated by phone or may require a site visit with the progress of works. Key Accountabilities will include:   Take full control of the complaint from receiving to the completion. Booking works that are part of the complaint into the Opp’s / contractor diary. Chase contractors for completions Liaise with Tenants and the Client. Attend Client meetings. Work alongside Contract manager to highlight any trends. Carry out site visit when required to discuss complaint with tenant. 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

Scheduler

Location: Skelmersdale

Job Type: Clerical & Administration

Application Deadline: 19-01-2026

🔧 About the Role:We are looking for a highly organised and proactive Scheduler to join our responsive repairs and social housing works team. Based in our Skelmersdale office, you’ll be responsible for coordinating repair appointments, ensuring efficient service delivery, and supporting our commitment to excellent customer care.This is a full-time, office-based role working Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.💼 Key Responsibilities: Schedule and allocate repair jobs to operatives based on availability and location Liaise with tenants, contractors, and internal teams to confirm appointments Monitor job progress and update systems accordingly Handle queries and resolve scheduling conflicts efficiently Maintain accurate records and support reporting requirements🎯 What We’re Looking For: Experience in scheduling, ideally within social housing or property maintenance Excellent organisational and communication skills Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and manage competing priorities Proficiency in scheduling software and Microsoft Office A customer-focused approach with a commitment to service excellence🌟 Benefits: Competitive salary Pension scheme Opportunities for training and development Supportive and collaborative team environmentGiven 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

Building Services Manager MEP

Location: Guildford

Job Type: Operational

Application Deadline: 07-01-2026

Wates Group is seeking an MEP Manager in Guildford. You’ll play a key role on a major residential schemes, delivering high-quality new homes to local communities.This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to projects that make a real difference, while supporting excellence in mechanical and electrical (M&E) services delivery.ABOUT THE ROLEAs an MEP Manager, you will support the operations team by ensuring first-class sustainable M&E performance, while complying with Wates Group’s Operating Framework and corporate policies. Your focus will be on leadership, value creation, and delivering best-in-class building services.As our MEP Manager, you will: Manage the engineering workforce delivering hard M&E services, compliance, and Operating Framework (OF) delivery. Support the planning and delivery of extra works and M&E/fabric-related projects. Monitor the M&E programme alignment with the Wates Residential construction schedule. Organise and lead M&E progress meetings; liaise with operational site teams and external stakeholders. Lead mobilisation of new buildings across a dynamic property portfolio, including due diligence, risk assessments, and dilapidation surveys. Ensure company policies and procedures are consistently applied across the region. We are looking for an experienced and driven professional with proven experience managing MEP projects valued at £15m or more. Strong leadership skills and the ability to motivate technical teams. Expertise in building services compliance and health & safety regulations. A proactive approach to problem-solving and stakeholder communication and knowledge of M&E systems in residential construction.WHAT WE OFFER Competitive salary & profit share scheme Flexible working Car Allowance / Company Car Travel covered to any of our sites (subject to HMRC advisory rates) Extensive corporate benefits including, Private Medical, Pension 8% employers’ contribution, Health and Wellness programme, 26 days holidays + bank holidays and much more… One of the best learning and development programmes which is customizable to support your career progression goals. (c.7000 training sessions delivered year to date across the WATES Group) Industry leading family leave benefits to included 26 weeks fully paid maternity, 12 weeks fully paid paternity.To find out more about LIFE AT WATES please click on the following link https://www.wates.co.uk/careers/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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