Head of Estate Management & Strategy

Project People; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Project People is seeking a Head of Estate Management & Strategy to lead governance, performance and strategic direction of a national estate and infrastructure portfolio. You will drive operational excellence, manage transformation programmes and oversee supplier performance at an executive level.

The role requires leading multidisciplinary teams, influencing senior stakeholders across functions, and delivering value aligned with long-term growth.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading large-scale estate/infrastructure functions.
• Experience delivering transformation programs and automation.
• Strong governance, risk and regulatory knowledge.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
• Senior leadership experience with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy, governance and performance of a large estate portfolio.
• Drive operational excellence across estate management, compliance and risk activities.
• Deliver transformation initiatives focused on automation, data quality and process improvement.
• Build relationships with stakeholders, advisers and service partners for high-quality delivery.
• Oversee supplier performance, contracts and budget to maximise value.
• Act as senior escalation point for complex commercial, legal and operational issues.
• Provide executive-level insight and reporting to support strategic decisions.
• Ensure governance and compliance frameworks protect business interests.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder management

Governance & compliance

Transformation programs

Contractual & financial management

Executive reporting

Team leadership

Data driven decision making

Education

Chartered Surveyor / equivalent professional qualification

Job description

We are seeking an exceptional Head of Estate Management & Strategy to work for on of our high profile clients and will involve leading the governance, performance, transformation and strategic direction of a nationally significant property and infrastructure portfolio.

This is a high-impact leadership position with accountability for estate management, operational assurance, supplier performance, property risk, portfolio intelligence and transformation programmes. Working at executive level, you will play a pivotal role in protecting business value, driving operational excellence and ensuring the estate portfolio supports long-term organisational growth and innovation.

You will lead multidisciplinary teams and strategic delivery partners while influencing senior stakeholders across operations, finance, legal, commercial, digital and executive leadership functions.

This is a hybrid role with 3 days a week in Reading.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the strategy, governance and performance of a large and complex estate portfolio, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Drive operational excellence across estate management, compliance, assurance and risk activities.
• Develop and deliver transformation initiatives focused on automation, digital innovation, data quality and process improvement.
• Build and manage relationships with key stakeholders, professional advisers and outsourced service partners to ensure high-quality service delivery.
• Oversee supplier performance, contractual obligations and budget management to maximise value and business outcomes.
• Act as the senior escalation point for complex commercial, legal, regulatory and operational issues.
• Provide executive-level insight, reporting and assurance to support strategic decision-making.
• Ensure robust governance and compliance frameworks are in place to protect business interests and support operational continuity.
• Lead and inspire high-performing teams, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and customer focus.
• Deliver programmes that improve customer experience, operational efficiency, portfolio performance and long-term business value.

What You’ll Bring

• Significant experience leading large-scale property, infrastructure, telecoms or asset management functions.
• Proven ability to lead senior managers and multidisciplinary teams.
• Track record of delivering operational excellence, performance improvement and large-scale transformation.
• Experience managing complex outsourced delivery models and strategic supplier relationships.
• Strong commercial, contractual and financial management expertise.
• Deep understanding of governance, assurance, compliance and risk management frameworks.
• Experience presenting strategic recommendations and executive reporting at senior leadership level.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical capabilities with the ability to translate complex information into clear business decisions.
• Telecommunications, infrastructure or regulated industry experience.
• Knowledge of property legislation, landlord and tenant matters, and infrastructure estate management.
• Experience leading digital transformation, automation or AI-led programmes.
• Chartered Surveyor, Programme Management, Risk Management or equivalent professional qualification.