Director of Estates

Director of Estates

Salary: £65-80,000 base salary

Benefits: Flexible working hours, 35 days holiday entitlement + bank holidays + 2 weeks Christmas leave, Local Government Pension plus more

Location: Birmingham/Black Country (Based on site)

Are you an estates leader who can shape strategy, drive capital projects, and deliver a safe, sustainable, high-performing estate?

This team requires a leader to bring stability, direction and lead on a handful on key projects.

A leading higher education organisation has retained me to hire their new Director of Estates following on from a contractor I had had in place.

This opportunity is to take ownership of its estate strategy, capital projects, operational delivery, compliance, and long-term development.

This is a pivotal, high-impact role at the heart of the organisation’s future.

The Role

You will lead the entire estates function — overseeing maintenance, cleaning, caretaking, security, catering, capital development, health & safety, and sustainability.

You will have 5 direct reports.

Working closely with the board, you’ll set the strategic direction for the estate, manage multi-million-pound budgets, oversee tenders and contracts, and embed a culture of safety, digital innovation, and value for money across all operations.

Key projects:

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• Look at structure of the team and evaluate strengths
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• Review current systems and processes and make recommendations for improvement
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• Getting SLA’s in place
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• Improve MI reporting
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• Disposal of £1m property
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• Manage capital projects with value of approx. £4.5m
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• Lead on Net Zero commitment by 2041
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Key Responsibilities

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• Lead the estates department and support the CFO with strategic planning
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• Develop and deliver the college’s estates strategy and ensure policy compliance
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• Manage and motivate the estates team, shaping structure, performance and development
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• Oversee all health & safety, ensuring full statutory compliance
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• Manage revenue and capital budgets, producing accurate financial and operational reporting
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• Lead tendering, procurement and contract management for estates and capital projects
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• Commission property audits, condition surveys, and space utilisation reviews
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• Provide timely insights and advice to senior leaders and governors
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• Support risk management, resource planning and sustainability initiatives
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• Represent the college with external agencies and sit on the Wider Management Team
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• Act as Duty Manager and deputise for senior leaders when required
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What You Bring

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• Experience of leading an estates team and strategy
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• Strong senior leadership in estates, facilities, or capital projects
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• Deep understanding of H&S, statutory compliance, and property management
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• Excellent strategic planning, contract management, and budget control
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• Ability to drive cultural, operational and sustainability improvements
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• Confident communicator who can influence at all levels
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Why Apply?

This is a rare opportunity to take full ownership of a large, diverse estate and lead meaningful transformation — with immediate impact.

If you can start quickly and thrive in strategic, hands-on environments…

Apply now — interviews happening immediately.