We are a small structural and civil consultancy practice established over 30 years ago. We need a chartered structural engineer based in East Kent to handle jobs local to them on a self-employed, sub-consultant basis but covered by our professional indemnity and public liability insurance. It would suit someone who has taken early retirement from full-time employment but wishes to carry on working in a more flexible rôle without having to commute.

You would be working from your own home and can choose the hours you work and how many jobs you take on. It would initially require one or two days a week on average, increasing if you wish, to three or four days depending on your location and how far you are prepared to travel. The work involves mainly inspections and reports on building defects and basic structural design of alterations and extensions, both domestic and commercial. We pay around £275 for a typical inspection and report and an hourly rate of £35 for structural design work. Travel by car is paid at 50p per mile. No formal contract is involved. We maintain a high standard of report writing so a high quality of written English is essential.

All new enquiries and invoicing are handled at head office, so you would not need to get involved in red tape. Our Head Office is in Ashford.

We would expect you to have a computer, an A3 printer and basic survey equipment. Knowledge of Autocad is preferable but not essential.

If you are interested, please see our web site: www.abbott-holliday.co.uk and write to Peter Holliday at Wissenden Oast, Bethersden, Kent, TN26 3EL or email peter@abbott-holliday.co.uk.