General Operative
Location: Thurrock
Salary: 35,385 per annum
Contract Type: Permanent, Full-Time Hours
42.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm
“A desire to make a positive difference wherever we operate has always been at the heart of our business. It was over 30 years ago when we were a small maintenance contractor with a single van; and it still is now we are a truly national company”.
About the Role
We are seeking a skilled and dependable General Operative to join our Repairs and Maintenance team. This is a hands-on role requiring a mix of practical ability, customer service, and teamwork. You’ll be responsible for a wide range of tasks that help maintain our properties to a high standard.
Role Responsibilities & Criteria:
- Carrying out work on drainage, repairs and renewals
- Assisting and managing water mains
- Supporting aids and adaptations
- Install fixtures such as curtains, blinds and door handles, drawing on basic maintenance experience and a keen eye for detail
- Carry out painting and decorating tasks, which require strong organisational skills and a sense of pride in presentation
- Fix leaking waste pipes and perform minor plumbing repairs, using practical know-how and a problem-solving mindset
- Replace light bulbs and check smoke alarms, showing a proactive approach and commitment to safety standards
- Support cleaning and waste collection duties (training provided), with flexibility and a willingness to learn new skills
- Work collaboratively within the Repairs and Maintenance team, where strong teamwork and reliability are essential
- Deliver excellent customer service across all tasks, maintaining a professional and customer-focused attitude
- Communicate effectively with colleagues and residents, using clear verbal communication and good interpersonal skills
- Make decisions and solve problems independently when needed, demonstrating confidence and initiative
- Maintain high standards of safety, quality and cost control, with a methodical and dependable approach to work
Benefits we can offer you
- 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Annual Mears Fun Day - Our annual Fun Day is organised as a massive thank you from the Executive team for all the hard work!
- Volunteering Leave - Mears supports employees to undertake paid volunteering in the community, in support of our social value commitment.
- Staff perks with Mears Rewards - discounts of up to 10% weekly groceries, holidays, eye test vouchers, Share save scheme, plus much more
- Family friendly policies
- Access to EAP Counselling sessions
All our roles require candidates to have the entitlement to work within the UK, Mears does not currently offer visa sponsorship.
To drive a Mears vehicle, you must be aged over 21 have held your licence over 3 months and have less than 9 points.
Candidates should be aware that all our roles are subject to relevant Background, Identity & Security checks before commencement of employment.
Apply below or to discuss your application further; contact:
Laura Bourne ([email protected])If you need any help with your application process, we are here to support you. We will be accessible every step of the way.
At Mears Group, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, we are a Disability Confident employer, valuing individuality and ensuring equal opportunities for all.
We proudly support the Armed Forces Covenant and are honoured to have achieved the Gold Award in the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) to coincide with this, we hold an Endorser Award for the Career Transition Partnership, recognising our commitment to veterans transitioning into civilian careers.
In our continued effort to promote social mobility, we invite applicants to voluntarily share their background information during the application stages to help us better understand the diverse experiences of our candidates. This is to ensure we are committed to improving social mobility. We use the Social Mobility Index to assess and enhance opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds. These questions are optional and will not impact your ability to apply.
Skills Required
- Entitlement to work in the UK
- Must be over 21 to drive a Mears vehicle
- Must have held a driving licence for more than 3 months to drive a Mears vehicle
- Must have fewer than 9 driving licence points to drive a Mears vehicle
- Pass relevant background, identity, and security checks
- Basic maintenance experience
- Practical ability, teamwork, reliability, customer service, communication, and problem-solving skills
Mears Group Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Mears Group and has not been reviewed or approved by Mears Group.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — 25 days’ holiday with the option to buy additional days, plus paid volunteering time, signal a comparatively generous time-off offering. Flexible working available in many roles further supports practical time-off and balance.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Retail discounts, Cycle to Work, an employee assistance line, volunteering days, and company family events add tangible non-cash value. Access to training and UK‑recognised qualifications reinforces the broader wellbeing and development offering.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — A stated commitment to pay at or above the Real Living Wage and the publication of pay-related reports indicate governance and baseline fairness focus. Independent snapshots also suggest many roles meet living‑wage thresholds.
Mears Group Insights
What We Do
Mears Group is a market-leading housing and care company that provides bespoke services to our clients. We provide and manage 11,000 homes for local and central Government and are also responsible for keeping 750,000 of all social housing in the UK in good repair. Mears has 6,500 employees and a footprint across the country
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