Deputy Head of Estates

Sodexo Group; Aylesbury; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Sodexo Group is seeking a Deputy Head of Estates at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury. You will lead Hard FM and Estates services, oversee maintenance and compliance, and manage a multi‑disciplinary team to ensure safe, reliable hospital infrastructure.

The role prioritises compliance, efficiency and continuous improvement within a complex healthcare environment. You’ll work with the Head of Estates to drive performance, manage budgets, support lifecycle projects and uphold standards across

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership in Estates or facilities management within complex environments.
• Experience in healthcare Estates, preferable in hospitals or acute settings.
• Strong knowledge of building services, statutory compliance, and Health & Safety requirements.
• Proven ability to lead teams, contractors and suppliers to deliver compliant services.
• Experience managing KPIs, SLAs, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Excellent communication with clinical teams, clients and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day Hard FM and Estates services across the hospital.
• Direct engineers, contractors and specialist teams to deliver safe, compliant maintenance.
• Oversee planned and reactive maintenance, statutory compliance and operations.
• Maintain HTMs/HBNs alignment and healthcare requirements.
• Monitor facility performance, identify risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Support lifecycle projects, upgrades and service improvements.
• Provide technical advice on complex Estates matters and incident responses.
• Promote health, safety, quality and customer service culture.
• Assist audits, risk assessments and business continuity planning.
• Manage delegated budgets, resources and contractor relationships.
• Deputise for Head of Estates and participate in on-call arrangements.

Skills

Leadership

Estates leadership

Healthcare estates

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Communication

Tools

Maximo

BMS

Job description

Deputy Head of Estates

Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Aylesbury, HP21 8AL

Job Description

• £55,000 per annum plus 10% Bonus and Sodexo Benefits
• 40 hours per week
• Shift Pattern: Monday to Friday with occasional on call responsibilities when required

Job Introduction

Are you an experienced Estates professional ready to take the next step in your leadership career? Sodexo Health & Care is looking for a Deputy Head of Estates to join our Hard FM Estates leadership team at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Working closely with the Head of Estates, you’ll play a key role in leading the day‑day delivery of safe, efficient and compliant Estates and Engineering services across the Hospital. You’ll lead and support a multi‑disciplinary team, oversee planned and reactive maintenance, and help ensure critical hospital infrastructure, plant and engineering systems remain safe, reliable and fit for purpose.

This is an opportunity to make a real impact in a complex healthcare environment, driving high standards of compliance, performance and continuous improvement while supporting the delivery of excellent patient care.

What You’ll Do:

• Support the Head of Estates in the day-to‑day leadership and management of Hard FM and Estates services across the hospital.
• Lead and support engineers, contractors and specialist teams to deliver a safe, compliant, high-quality and responsive maintenance service.
• Oversee planned preventative maintenance (PPM), reactive maintenance, statutory compliance and engineering operations, ensuring services meet agreed KPIs and SLAs.
• Take a lead role in maintaining compliance with healthcare legislation, HTMs/HBNs, Health & Safety requirements and other relevant standards.
• Monitor the condition and performance of hospital buildings, plant and engineering systems, identifying risks and opportunities for improvement.
• Support the delivery of lifecycle, small works, projects, service improvements and modernisation initiatives.
• Provide professional and technical advice on complex engineering and Estates matters, including supporting the response to plant, equipment and system failures.
• Promote a strong culture of health, safety, quality, continuous improvement and customer service.
• Support audits, investigations, risk assessments, business continuity and emergency response arrangements.
• Manage delegated budgets, resources and contractors, ensuring value for money and effective use of resources.
• Deputise for the Head of Estates when required and participate in the Estates on-call and escalation arrangements.

What You Bring:

• Extensive experience in Estates, Facilities Management, Building Services or Engineering, ideally within a complex operational environment.
• Healthcare/hospital Estates experience is preferred, particularly experience within an acute hospital or similarly complex environment.
• Strong knowledge of building services, engineering maintenance, statutory compliance and Health & Safety.
• Working knowledge of relevant Healthcare Technical Memoranda (HTMs), Health Building Notes (HBNs) and associated healthcare requirements.
• Proven experience of leading, managing and developing engineering or Estates teams, including contractors and specialist suppliers.
• Experience managing PPM, reactive maintenance, KPIs, SLAs, compliance and performance improvement.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills, with the ability to remain calm and effective in a busy, complex and sometimes pressured environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work with clinical teams, clients, contractors and senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing change, resources and budgets, with a focus on efficiency, value for money and continuous improvement.
• A proactive and collaborative approach, with the ability to identify risks, find practical solutions and improve the way services are delivered.
• Good IT skills, ideally including experience with CAFM systems such as Maximo and BMS.
• Flexibility to work Monday to Friday, with participation in the on-call arrangements when required.

What we offer:

Working with Sodexo is more than a job; it’s a chance tobe part of something greater. You’ll belong in a company and team that values you foryou;you’ll act with purpose and have an impact through your everyday actions; and you’ll be able to thrive in your own way. In addition, we also offer a range of resources, rewards and benefits for our colleagues and their families:

• Unlimited access to an online platform offering mental health and wellbeing support.
• Employee Assistance Programme to help with everyday issues or larger problems where you may need additional support, including legal and financial advice, support with work related issues or personal issues such as bereavement.
• Access to a free health and wellbeing app that provides rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and includes access to a 24hr virtual GP and various other services.
• The Sodexo Discounts Scheme, offering great deals 24/7 (also open to friends and family) and/or the prepayment cashback card.
• Money Insights and financial benefits via the Salary Finance Platform.
• Save for your future by becoming a member of the Sodexo Retirement Plan
• A Death-in-Service benefit for colleagues who pass away whilst employed by Sodexo
• Opportunities to enable colleagues to grow and succeed throughout their career at Sodexo, including a variety of learning and development tools.
• Cycle to Work Scheme to help colleagues to do their bit for the environment whilst keeping fit.
• Volunteering Opportunities to enable all colleagues to help support worthwhile causes in our communities.
• Flexible and dynamic work environment
• Competitive compensation
• Full training and full protective uniform supplied.

About Sodexo

At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better every day for everyone to build a better life for all. As the global leader in services that improve the Quality of Life, we operate in 55 countries, serving over 100 million consumers each day through our unique combination of On‑Site Food and FM Services, Benefits & Rewards Services and Personal & Home Services.

We are committed tobeingan inclusive employer. We are a forces friendly employer. We welcome and encourage applications from people with a diverse variety of experiences, backgrounds, and identities. We encourage our employees to get involved with our Employee Networks such as Pride, Sodexo Parents & Carers, Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.

We’re a Disability Confident Leader employer. We’re committed to changing attitudes towards disability, and making sure disabled people have the chance to fulfil their aspirations. We run a Disability Confident interview scheme for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria for the job.

Sodexo Disability, Ability network, So Together, Generations and Origins.