Technical Services Director

Chessington World of Adventures Resort Full-time | Senior Leadership | Competitive Salary + Benefits Are you ready to shape the future of one of the UK’s most iconic resorts? Chessington World of Adventures is undergoing the biggest investment in its history, with the opening of a brand-new Paw Patrol land in 2026 and an additional land currently under construction, set to open in 2027. We are now searching for an exceptional Technical Services Director to lead the engineering, maintenance, facilities, compliance and infrastructure operations that power our theme park, hotel and zoo at Chessington World of Adventures. This is a rare opportunity to join the Resort Senior Leadership Team and play a critical role in delivering world-class guest experiences, ensuring the safety and performance of our assets and driving long-term strategic transformation across a unique and diverse estate. About The Role As Technical Services Director, you will provide strategic leadership and governance across all technical functions, ensuring the safety, reliability and resilience of rides, attractions, hotel facilities, water systems, landscaped grounds and technical infrastructure. You’ll guide multi-year engineering and asset strategies, oversee major investment decisions, embed best-in-class safety and compliance standards and lead our external facilities and services partners to deliver exceptional results aligned with Merlin brand standards. This role is central to the long-term sustainability, innovation and operational excellence of the Resort. Key Responsibilities People & Culture Lead and inspire a high-performing technical services organisation. Build a strong leadership pipeline, foster a safety-first culture and champion DE&I initiatives. Role-model Merlin values as a visible, engaged member of the SLT. Strategic Leadership & Governance Develop and deliver a long-term engineering and infrastructure strategy that drives asset resilience, guest satisfaction and animal welfare. Provide assurance to Resort and Merlin Global Engineering on safety, governance, ADIPS compliance and HSG175 policy. Act as the senior technical representative to regulators, auditors and external authorities. Play an active role on the Senior Leadership Team, including Incident Management and senior engineering rota responsibilities. Engineering, Facilities & Asset Management Lead all engineering, facilities and infrastructure functions across the Resort. Oversee capital planning, lifecycle asset management, infrastructure upgrades and innovation initiatives. Manage Repairs & Maintenance and CapEx budgets, ensuring efficient spend, forecasting and stock management. Drive continuous improvement, introducing digital monitoring, condition-based maintenance and emerging technologies. Contract & Partner Management Provide strategic oversight of facilities services partners (maintenance, landscaping, security, cleaning, waste). Ensure suppliers are integrated, high-performing and aligned to sustainability and brand standards. Maximise value and performance through effective governance frameworks and relationship management. Guest Experience & Presentation Ensure technical services directly enhance guest satisfaction from cleanliness to ride reliability. Support seasonal events and ensure technical readiness throughout the year. Sustainability & Resilience Lead programmes focused on energy efficiency, water usage, waste reduction, and biodiversity. Strengthen business resilience through robust contingency planning for critical operations. Qualifications & Experience What We’re Looking For Essential Experience Senior leadership experience in engineering, technical services or facilities in a large, complex, high-footfall environment (e.g., theme parks, airports, hospitals, stadiums, resorts). Degree in Engineering or related technical discipline. Proven performance in contract and supplier management across facilities, cleaning, landscaping, or waste. Deep understanding of H&S legislation and engineering compliance: LOLER, PUWER, PSSR and statutory testing. Strong background in asset management, capital planning and technical innovation. Exceptional communication, stakeholder influence and leadership skills. Desirable Chartered Engineer (or working towards). Experience within Merlin Entertainments or similar regulated leisure/entertainment environments. Established track record in sustainability initiatives. Leadership Behaviours At Merlin, Our Leaders Are Soulfully Curious Open-minded, inquisitive and passionate about learning and continuous improvement. Results Focused Accountable, driven and committed to achieving outstanding outcomes. Extraordinary Teammates Collaborative, communicative and champions of team success across the enterprise. Developers of People Coaches, mentors and champions for talent growth and personal development. Additional Information This role includes office and on-site work across the Resort. Participation in the Incident Management Team and 24/7 emergency response is required. Ready to Create Unforgettable Experiences? Join us at Chessington World of Adventures and play a defining role in keeping our Resort safe, innovative, sustainable and unforgettable for millions of guests every year. Apply now to lead the future of Technical Services at Chessington World of Adventures.