Estates Associate Director

UKRI; Swindon; On-site; GBP 68,000 - 79,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization is seeking an Estates Associate Director to drive excellence in their national research estate. This senior leadership role involves strategic oversight of health, safety, and sustainability initiatives, ensuring compliance and enabling groundbreaking science. The successful candidate will engage with senior stakeholders and manage risks while overseeing the estates budget and long-term strategies for building maintenance. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate leader committed to innovation and sustainability.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension scheme

Employee shopping/travel discounts

Salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Extensive experience managing scientific research estates.
• Strong understanding of regulatory and statutory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of the MRC Estates Plan 2025–2030.
• Oversee health and safety, physical security, and business continuity.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project Management

Financial Management

Education

Formal project management qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Medical Research Council (MRC)

Estates Associate Director

Salary: £68,525 per annum
Band: UKRI G
Hours: Full time
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Closing Date: 28/05/25

Shape the future of world-leading science

We are seeking an exceptional senior leader to join the Medical Research Council (MRC) as Associate Director, Estate Operations. In this pivotal role, you will drive excellence across our national research estate, lead sustainability initiatives, and ensure our world-class facilities continue to enable groundbreaking science. If you are passionate about strategic leadership, innovation, and building resilient, sustainable environments, we would love to hear from you.

About the Role

This is a senior leadership opportunity to shape the future of MRC’s research estate. The Associate Director, MRC Estate will play a pivotal role within the senior management team, providing strategic leadership and assurance that MRC facilities are compliant, safe, secure, and capable of enabling world-leading research.

You will act as deputy to the Director of Capital and Estate, overseeing cross-functional workstreams, and contributing to UKRI-wide estates initiatives. You will be responsible for health and safety, business continuity, physical security, and environmental sustainability across the MRC estate. You will work closely with Institute Directors, COOs, and other stakeholders to drive continuous improvement, manage risk, and deliver on strategic goals.

This role involves regular interaction with senior stakeholders across MRC and UKRI and requires occasional UK and international travel.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of the MRC Estates Plan 2025–2030, ensuring alignment with organisational priorities.
• Provide strategic direction to workstream leads, identifying and overcoming challenges and managing risks proactively.
• Oversee health and safety, physical security, and business continuity across all MRC-owned facilities, working closely with COOs and reporting quarterly to MRC SET and UKRI Health, Safety and Mitigation Committee.
• Act as Deputy for the Director of Capital and Estate at internal and external meetings and on the MRC Estates Oversight Board.
• Manage the MRC Estates risk register, ensuring timely updates, effective mitigation plans, and escalation of significant risks.
• Oversee the estates budget in partnership with MRC finance teams, ensuring robust financial management and reporting.
• Develop and implement long-term strategies for building maintenance and improvement.
• Oversee budgeting and financial planning for building projects and maintenace activities.
• Lead and develop assurance processes to ensure compliance and continuous improvement across the estate.
• Collaborate with the MRC Programme Director for Environmental Sustainability to integrate Net Zero goals into estates planning and operations.
• Engage with internal and external partners to deliver infrastructure projects and influence policy development at UKRI level.
• Support investment panels by providing assessments of operational and environmental impacts.
• Champion an inclusive, safe, and sustainable research environment.

Person Specification

The below criteria will be assessed at Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I)

Essential:

• Demonstrable personal integrity and ability to achieve security vetting at DV level. (S)
• Extensive experience managing scientific research estates, particularly in health and safety, security, and business continuity (S).
• Strong understanding of regulatory and statutory requirements affecting life sciences facilities (S).
• Proven project and programme management skills with the ability to manage multiple high-level initiatives (I).
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence internal and external stakeholders (I).
• Excellent communication and reporting skills, with a focus on transparency and clarity (S).
• In-depth knowledge of UK health and safety law and estates-related compliance requirements (S).
• Practical knowledge of relevant standards and landlord obligations (I).
• Experience in financial management, including estates budgets (I).
• Commitment to ongoing professional development for self and team members (I).
• High IT literacy, with proficiency in Microsoft Office and SHE reporting systems (S).
• Flexible and proactive approach, with willingness to travel as required (I).

Desirable: (optional)

• Formal project management qualification (Prince 2, Agile, etc.) (S)
• Technical qualifications relevant to this role (S)
• Experience of working in the research & innovation sector (S)

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact [e-mail]

How to apply:

Please submit an application including your CV and a Cover Letter that showcases how your skills and experience align to the requirements of the role.

A well thought through application providing evidence and examples of how you meet the advertised essential and desirable criteria for the post will be considered far more favourably than a generic covering letter and CV.

About the Medical Research Council (MRC)

Within UKRI, the MRC seeks to improve human health through world-class research. With an annual budget of over £800 m, MRC provides support both to individuals, through fellowships and grants, and to institutions, such as the MRC Laboratory for Molecular Biology and the Francis Crick Institute. The outcomes of our research span discovery science, improvements in public health and the development of new treatments for common diseases.

For more information about MRC, please visit https://mrc.ukri.org

About UK Research Innovation (UKRI)

UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world’s most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org.

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit ‘How we support EDI in the workforce’.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy/ies. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered. Assessment will only be based upon the content of your submitted covering letter and CV and not the ‘experience’ section of the application.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion – a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.