Campus Operations Director

University of Reading; Reading; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Reading seeks a Campus Operations Director to lead outstanding campus and facilities services. This role involves managing a diverse estate portfolio and ensuring service delivery aligns with operational efficiency and compliance. Candidates need significant leadership experience and a collaborative attitude to drive campus operations successfully.

Benefits

Generous annual leave (40 days including university closure days and public holidays)

USS pension

Commitment to employee health and wellbeing

Qualifications

• Demonstrable experience in estate leadership roles.
• Managing large-scale operational property portfolios.
• Experience in 24/7 operational settings.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of campus operations services across the university.
• Accountable for the Maintenance Plan and reducing backlog maintenance.
• Foster teamwork and instill collaboration across the Directorate.

Skills

Leadership

Teamwork

Stakeholder Management

Budget Management

Education

Degree in Management or related field

Job description

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Appointing senior leaders in higher education, life sciences and schools.

The University of Reading is seeking to appoint a Campus Operations Director to lead the delivery of outstanding campus and facilities services across the University’s diverse estate portfolio.

The University of Reading has been at the forefront of UK Higher Education for nearly a Century. We are a global university that enjoys a world-class reputation for teaching, research and enterprise. Key to the University’s success is its estate portfolio - the campuses in Reading and Henley have regularly been voted one of the best university green space in the UK serving over 19,000 students and nearly 4,000 staff.

Occupying three beautiful campuses ranging from the urban utopia of London Road, the peaceful parkland of Whiteknights to the riverside retreat of Greenlands, the unique “University in a Park” setting of the University of Reading is an inspiring place to come to work.

The University has a significant operational estate portfolio consists of more than 200 buildings and over 250,000m2 of space, spanning academic, research, enterprise, sport, recreation and residential buildings and facilities. It also has an investment portfolio comprises an incredibly diverse variety of land and property including commercial, residential, innovation & enterprise, research & development, industrial, retail and rural space. We have over 500 tenants ranging from multi-national corporations to individual partners.

A rare opportunity has arisen to shape the future of Campus Operations provision at the University. Reporting to the Director of Estates, the Campus Operations Director leads a department spanning Hard FM (Planned Maintenance, Reactive Maintenance, and Gardens & Grounds) and Soft FM (Security, Cleaning, Post, Portering, and Building Support) across the campus and estate portfolio.

Leading the department involves fostering teamwork and instilling the ‘One Estates’ ethos, emphasising collaboration across the Directorate. The Director of Campus Operations is accountable for ensuring FM services are fit for purpose, customer-focused, innovative, compliant with legislation, and promote best practice. Delivering the Maintenance Plan on time and within budget, reducing backlog maintenance, aligning maintenance activities with the Decarbonisation Plan and improving HESA condition ratings are key objectives.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrable experience in estate leadership roles, managing large-scale operational property portfolios with budgets exceeding £10 million. They will possess a specific track record in leading performance improvements across estates operations functions, as well as the ability to oversee a portfolio of soft FM services. Experience in environments with comparable characteristics to those found at the University, including 24/7 operational settings, diverse property and facility types, and complex processes, is essential.

We are seeking an individual that has senior-level leadership experience within complex organisations, with a proven ability to inspire and lead a substantial in-house staff cohort, ranging from senior managers to operational professionals. They will possess excellent interpersonal, communication and stakeholder management skills, coupled with a dynamic yet collaborative disposition.

The University of Reading offers a compelling benefits package including the exceptional USS pension (www.uss.co.uk), generous annual leave (40 days including university closure days and public holidays), a strong commitment to employee health and wellbeing and access to various optional benefits. Further information can be viewed at https://www.reading.ac.uk/human-resources/working-at-reading

The candidate brochure can be viewed here.

For a confidential briefing discussion please contact our advisor Michael Hewlett ([e-mail]) of MRG.

Applications should consist of a comprehensive CV and supporting statement and should be sent to [e-mail]

The closing date for applications is Sunday 22nd June 2025.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Management

• Industries

  Higher Education and Facilities Services

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