Do you know your way around a buildings portfolio, and enjoy the days where nothing goes to plan?

This is an operational Head of Estates role with a large education provider in Northumberland, covering three campuses including a recently opened, brand new site. It's a soft services focused position within a wider estates function, and it's the kind of job where roughly 70% of what lands on your desk is reactive. If you like making decisions, troubleshooting on your feet and getting a first-time fix before a contractor is anywhere near the building, you'll enjoy it here.

You'll lead a team of two Team Leaders and six Estates Technicians, and report into the Director-level estates lead. You'll own the contracts, the compliance, the budget and the people, and you'll work closely with the campus leaders on each site, walking the estate with them and keeping everything available, safe and running.

The Role

You'll take day-to-day operational ownership of the estate across your sites, leading in-house and contract staff to deliver a high quality, value for money service that keeps the campuses open and safe for students and staff.

• Manage the full soft services contract portfolio, including security (manned guarding, CCTV and alarm monitoring), cleaning, janitorial, grounds maintenance, waste management, pest control, automatic doors and fire extinguisher maintenance
• Scope, tender and set up new contracts, then manage supplier performance, KPIs and relationships once they're in place, working with Finance and Procurement to secure quality and best value
• Own the estates budget for your sites, taking a risk-based approach to prioritising repairs and maintenance
• Coordinate activity to achieve and evidence statutory compliance across areas such as asbestos, legionella, fire alarms, lifts, emergency lighting, intruder systems, drainage and plant room checks, working alongside the Head of Technical Maintenance
• Ensure all contractors meet the required standards for health and safety, insurance, safe systems of work and safeguarding before they set foot on site
• Lead, develop and support two Team Leaders and six Estates Technicians, with regular one-to-ones and structured team meetings
• Manage service desk activity and performance against internal SLAs
• Work with campus leaders and other business areas to understand their priorities, carry out site walk-arounds and resolve issues before they escalate
• Deliver estates projects and improvement initiatives, and champion the green agenda around energy consumption, decarbonisation and sustainability
• Respond to emergency situations outside normal hours when the estate needs you

You'll need a good awareness of hard services and the confidence to talk the language of buildings maintenance and repair, but you won't be expected to be the technical expert. That sits elsewhere in the team.

About You

You'll be a credible, hands-on estates or facilities manager who is comfortable making the call. You'll be a strong communicator who can talk to a Principal, a Team Leader and a contractor on the same day and get the right outcome from all three.

• Experience of Facilities Management soft services and managing contracts and contractors
• Experience managing a team
• Coordination of activities to achieve statutory compliance
• A good understanding of workplace health and safety, and of the legislation around soft services provision (security, cleaning, waste management)
• Relevant management training, qualification or equivalent experience
• Level 2 Maths and English
• Competent IT skills, including Microsoft Office
• A valid driving licence and the ability to travel independently across the North East
• Prepared to respond to issues out of hours

Desirable, but not essential:

• Previous experience within estates or facilities management
• NEBOSH or IOSH health and safety qualification
• An asbestos qualification
• Knowledge of Building Management Systems
• Experience delivering projects and action plans

You don't need to have come from education. Anywhere with a buildings portfolio counts, so commercial property, student accommodation, property management, lettings, social housing and holiday parks are all relevant. It's the transferable estates and contract management skills that matter.

Package

• £44,699 – £47,421
• Full time, 37 hours per week, permanent
• Hybrid working — typically 1 to 2 days from home once you're settled in, with a strong presence expected on site
• 35 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• MyLifestyle benefits platform with discounts across a wide range of retailers
• Optional buy-ins including dental, eye care, a health cash plan and the NHS fleet service
• Free parking across all campuses
• A supportive, flexible employer

Safeguarding

This employer is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and expects all staff to share that commitment. This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check, and the successful candidate will be expected to take appropriate responsibility for safeguarding, PREVENT and the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.

Compliance

Foxgroves Recruitment acts as an employment agency for vacancies on behalf of clients, following fair and inclusive recruitment practices in line with the Equality Act 2010. All appointments are subject to pre-employment screening, including right to work checks, reference checks, and qualification verification and in some situations an enhanced DBS check. Reasonable adjustments are available for individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment process.