Site Manager

Description:

Site Manager | Freelance
Location: Near Burton-on-Trent
Start: 1st June 2026
Duration: End of July 2026 (potentially longer)
Must have: EL1 Clearance

A principal contractor (Tier 1) is looking for a Site Manager with experience in secure / institutional projects, ideally across the Ministry of Justice or Ministry of Defence estate. If not, then a reliable and local site manager with live environment experience.

This is a live, highly controlled environment - so if you enjoy a quiet life where everything goes to plan… this probably isn’t for you.

The role involves overseeing fire safety, building condition, and M&E surveys - or in simple terms, coordinating a revolving door of subcontractors, all convinced their job is the most urgent.

Key Responsibilities:
• Acting as No.1 on site - part Site Manager, part air traffic control, part professional negotiator
• Managing multiple survey teams, all arriving early, late, or at exactly the same time
• Running inductions that everyone promises to listen to (mixed success rate)
• Coordinating access/egress in a secure environment where getting in is a process… and getting back out is sometimes an even bigger one
• Keeping works moving despite restricted access windows, shifting priorities, and the classic “while we’re here…” requests
• Maintaining order, structure, and a sense of humour as the day inevitably goes slightly off-script

Requirements:
• Experience in secure / public-sector / institutional environments (you already know what you’re walking into)
• Ability to juggle people, paperwork, and patience - all at the same time
• EL1 Clearance
• SMSTS, CSCS & First Aid at Work
• Asbestos Awareness (nice to have)

The Ideal Candidate - someone who can:
• Keep track of who’s on site, who’s meant to be on site, and who definitely shouldn’t be on site
• Escort the same subcontractor back to the gate more times than they’d like to admit
• Smile politely when hearing “it’ll only take 5 minutes” for the tenth time that day
• And still somehow get everyone in, out, and productive

If you’ve ever spent half your day unlocking things, signing things in, signing things out, and explaining (again) why things can’t just be “quickly done” - you’ll feel right at home.

Feel free to get in touch if you meet the criteria, or pass on to any colleagues who do.

Spencer Wade
(phone number removed)
(url removed)