Estate Manager

National Trust; Royal Tunbridge Wells; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Free entry to National Trust places

Rental deposit loan

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Perks at work discounts

Holiday entitlement 32 days + purchase

Flexible working

Employee assistance programme

Free parking

Job summary

National Trust is seeking an experienced Estate Manager to lead a diverse portfolio across Sussex and Kent. The role combines commercial estate management with conservation, property negotiations and stakeholder collaboration, with a hybrid working pattern.

MRICS (Rural Pathway) is mandatory; you will contribute to nature recovery, biodiversity and sustainable income while guiding the estate team and working across multiple sites in the region.

Qualifications

• MRICS qualified (Rural Pathway) – mandatory requirement.
• Experience in rural estate management.
• Knowledge of rural property, landlord and tenant matters, agriculture and land use.
• Experience managing estate management issues, including rent reviews, lease renewals and negotiations.
• Commercial awareness and ability to identify opportunities to improve estate performance.
• Experience working with tenants, stakeholders, partners and professional advisers.
• Ability to analyse information, apply professional judgement and provide practical solutions.

Responsibilities

• Combine commercial estate management with conservation across agricultural, residential and commercial property.
• Lead on landlord and tenant matters, including negotiating leases, licences and other property agreements.
• Negotiate significant improvements that benefit nature recovery, biodiversity and wildlife.
• Collaborate with a multi-disciplinary team to deliver estate management objectives.
• Support long-term planning for this portfolio across Sussex and Kent.

Skills

Rural estate management

Lease negotiations

Landlord and tenant matters

Rent reviews

Agriculture and land use

Commercial awareness

Stakeholders collaboration

Analytical thinking

Education

MRICS Rural Pathway

Job description

Summary

We’re looking for an experienced Estate Manager to join our Estates team and manage a diverse and significant rural property portfolio across Sussex and Kent. You will help to deliver the Trust’s ambitions for nature, climate, heritage conservation and public benefit while maximising sustainable income from our estates

To be considered for this role you must hold full MRICS membership through the Rural Pathway. Applications from candidates who do not hold this qualification cannot be considered.

This is a fixed term contract due to end when the previous employee returns from maternity leave. At this point we cannot confirm exactly how long this contract will last, but it is unlikely to be more than 12 months. Applications for part-time working will be considered.

What It's Like To Work Here

This is a great opportunity to manage a diverse portfolio of let estates across Sussex and Kent. Working across farmland, countryside estates, heritage sites and environmental assets, you'll enjoy a varied and rewarding role with real impact. As part of a collaborative team of estate, conservation and rural specialists, you'll help shape the long-term future of these places.

As this role covers the Sussex and Kent region, your contractual place of work will be our Scotney Castle office. Our hybrid working policy means you can balance office and home working with site visits and meetings at other National Trust places. We’ll talk about this in more detail at interview, but you should expect to be at a National Trust site for 40–60% of your working week.

What You'll Be Doing

You’ll combine commercial estate management with conservation, working across agricultural, residential and commercial property. You’ll lead on landlord and tenant matters, including negotiating leases, licences and other property agreements. In particular, you’ll be focused on negotiating significant improvements that benefit nature recovery, biodiversity and wildlife.

Working within a multi-disciplinary team including Building Surveyors and Estate Management and Lettings Officers, agriculture and nature specialists, property teams and farm tenants, you will deliver ambitious estate management objectives.

You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all of the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what’s possible in this role.

Who We're Looking For

• MRICS qualified (Rural Pathway) - mandatory requirement.
• Experience in rural estate management.
• Knowledge of rural property, landlord and tenant matters, agriculture and land use.
• Experience managing estate management issues, including rent reviews, lease renewals and negotiations.
• Commercial awareness and ability to identify opportunities to improve estate performance.
• Experience working with tenants, stakeholders, partners and professional advisers.
• Ability to analyse information, apply professional judgement and provide practical solutions.

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme (for roles that meet the salary criteria)
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places

Click here to find out more about the benefits we offer to support you.

National Trust place

Scotney Castle (AO), Lamberhurst, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 8JN

Documents

Estate Manager - Grade 5.pdf

Requirements

Compliance.Eligibility to Work in the UK

Closing Date

04 October 2026

Equal Opportunities Statement

The National Trust celebrates diversity and is committed to creating a fair and equal society, free from discrimination. You can read more about our commitment to inclusion and diversity here.

Safeguarding Statement

The National Trust is committed to a safe recruitment processes to help the organisation attract and appoint the right staff/volunteer for the role and responsibilities as set out in the vacancy advert. We will not accept applicants who are not suitable to work with children, young people or adults at risk. If you have any questions around your suitability for this vacancy, please contact the people service centre.