Area Facilities Manager (Estates Partner)

The Howard Partnership Trust; Leatherhead, Effingham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The Howard Partnership Trust is seeking an Area Facilities Manager (Estates Partner) to oversee the estates across several schools, ensuring safe, well‑maintained and compliant buildings that support teaching and learning.

You will lead site teams, manage planned and reactive maintenance, coordinate inspections and drive sustainability and energy‑reduction initiatives while working with Principals and senior leaders and travelling between sites.

Qualifications

• Experience in estates, facilities or building services.
• Knowledge of compliance, health and safety, maintenance planning and contractor management.
• IOSH Managing Safely (or willingness to complete); NEBOSH desirable.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operational performance and statutory compliance across school estates.
• Lead site teams and manage planned and reactive maintenance.
• Support delivery of capital and lifecycle projects and advise Principals and senior leaders.
• Use data to inform decisions and identify risks and opportunities.
• Promote sustainability and energy-reduction initiatives.

Skills

Estates experience

Facilities management

Health & safety

Contractor management

Communication

Job description

Join our team and help shape safe, efficient and inspiring learning environments across our Trust.

We are seeking a proactive, skilled Area Facilities Manager (Estates Partner) to oversee the operational performance, statutory compliance, maintenance and sustainability of our school estates. This role is key to ensuring our buildings remain safe, warm, compliant and fully supportive of high‑quality teaching and learning.

As an Area Facilities Manager (Estates Partner), you will work across several schools, leading site teams, managing planned and reactive maintenance, overseeing statutory inspections, and supporting the delivery of capital and lifecycle projects. You’ll use data to inform decisions, identify risks and opportunities, and provide clear, professional advice to Principals and senior leaders. You’ll also play an important role in our sustainability and energy‑reduction ambitions.

This is a Trust‑wide role, working alongside a team of Estates Partners, with an expectation of regular travel between our schools. As regular travel between sites is essential to the role, a full driving licence is desirable. Your base can be based at either Oxted School, Thomas Knyvett College, Three Rivers Academy or Howard of Effingham School.

We’re looking for someone with strong estates, facilities or building‑services experience, excellent organisational skills, and a confident, solutions‑focused approach. You’ll bring solid knowledge of compliance, health and safety, maintenance planning and contractor management, along with the ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non‑technical colleagues. IOSH Managing Safely (or willingness to complete) is essential, with additional estates‑related qualifications or NEBOSH highly desirable.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact - improving the estate, supporting staff and students, and helping shape a safe, efficient and future‑focused learning environment.

No Agencies please

All adults employed by the Trust have a responsibility for data protection and have a duty to observe and follow the principles of the GDPR Regulations.

The Howard Partnership Trust welcomes applications from all, irrespective of gender, marital status, disability, race, age or sexual orientation.

All applicants must be able to provide evidence of their Right to Work in the UK prior to commencement of employment. As part of our need to comply with UK immigration rules, you will be required to provide Home Office stipulated documentation prior to interview.

As well as verification of identity, we ask all successful candidates to undertake an enhanced DBS disclosure. In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance, we may also conduct an online search about any shortlisted candidates as part of our due diligence to identify any matters that might relate directly to our legal duty to meet safeguarding duties, in accordance with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).

SAFEGUARDING AND FURTHER INFORMATION

The successful candidate will be subject to a satisfactory enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

The Howard Partnership Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment

Due to the nature of this role, it will be necessary for the appropriate level of criminal record disclosure to be undertaken. In making your application, it is essential you disclose whether you have any pending charges, convictions, bind-overs or cautions and, if so, for which offences. This post will be exempt from the provisions of Section 4 (2) of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Therefore, applicants are not entitled to withhold information about convictions which for other purposes are ‘spent’ under the provision of the Act, and, in the event of the employment being taken up; any failure to disclose such convictions will result in dismissal or disciplinary action. The fact that a pending charge, conviction, bind-over or caution has been recorded against you will not necessarily debar you from consideration for this appointment.