Head of Estates

British Study Centres Ltd; Greater London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

British Study Centres Ltd is seeking an experienced Head of Estates to lead the College's Estates in London. You will guide safety, compliance and service delivery across all sites, ensuring environments are safe, welcoming and fit for purpose for learners and staff.

You will manage budgets, staff development, and external partners while driving continuous improvement in facilities, sustainability and critical estate services in a London-weighted role.

Qualifications

• Strategic and operational leadership across Estates services.
• Ensure statutory compliance, building safety and risk management.
• Develop and lead Estates staff with clear direction and support.
• Oversee maintenance, security, cleaning, waste and facilities services.
• Develop estates and asset management strategies aligned with priorities.
• Lead small capital projects from feasibility to delivery.
• Manage budgets with strong financial control and value for money.
• Oversee procurement, contractors and performance against KPIs.
• Develop estates reporting systems using data to improve efficiency.
• Drive sustainability initiatives to reduce energy and emissions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Estates service across all College sites, ensuring safe, compliant, well-maintained environments.
• Oversee budgets, procurement, and contractor performance with strict governance.
• Develop and implement estates strategies and asset management aligned with priorities.
• Lead capital projects from feasibility through procurement to delivery.
• Provide regular reporting on compliance, risks, budgets and performance.

Job description

The Role

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Head of Estates to join our Estates department, providing leadership across the College's buildings, facilities and estate services.

This is a key leadership role with responsibility for ensuring that our estate is safe, compliant, well maintained, sustainable and fit for purpose. Working closely with the Director of Estates & Infrastructure, you will lead the effective delivery of estates services across all College sites, overseeing maintenance, security, cleaning, waste, statutory compliance, building safety and estate improvement programmes.

The successful candidate will be a confident and collaborative leader who can build effective relationships with senior stakeholders, staff, contractors and external partners, while ensuring that the College provides safe, welcoming and high-quality environments for learners, staff and visitors.

The ideal candidate will:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across the College's Estates service and ensure consistently high standards of service delivery.
• Lead the management of statutory compliance, building safety, planned maintenance and estates-related risks across all College sites.
• Manage and develop Estates staff, providing clear direction, accountability and support to deliver effective services.
• Oversee maintenance, security, cleaning, waste and other facilities services, ensuring they are responsive, efficient and aligned with College requirements.
• Develop and implement estates, asset management and planned maintenance strategies informed by building condition, compliance requirements and organisational priorities.
• Lead small capital projects, refurbishment and estate improvement works from feasibility and procurement through to delivery and completion.
• Manage estates budgets effectively, ensuring strong financial control, value for money and compliance with College financial regulations.
• Oversee contractors and external service providers, monitoring performance against contracts, service standards and key performance indicators.
• Lead procurement and tendering activity for estates services and works where required.
• Develop effective estates systems, processes and performance reporting, using technology and data to improve efficiency, consistency and service quality.
• Develop and deliver sustainability initiatives to reduce energy and water consumption, carbon emissions, waste and operating costs.
• Provide clear and regular reporting on estates performance, compliance, risks, budgets, projects and contractor performance.
• Build strong relationships with senior leaders, staff, learners, contractors, service providers and external partners to ensure estates services remain coordinated and responsive.
• Lead the Estates contribution to business continuity, emergency planning and the effective response to significant incidents or service disruptions.
• Promote a culture of health, safety, sustainability, accountability and continuous improvement across the Estates function.
• Support the College's mission by ensuring our buildings and facilities provide safe, inclusive and high-quality environments that enable learners and staff to thrive.

Safeguarding of Children and Vulnerable Adults

In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education All employment offers are subject employment checks. These include (some of which are dependent on the role and the individual): Enhanced DBS including Children's Barred List check, DfE teaching/management Barred List check, on-line searches, overseas criminal record check, evidence of identity and Right to Work in the UK, satisfactory references, confirmation of medical fitness, evidence of relevant qualifications and a check of previous employment history.

The College is committed to safeguarding and promotes the welfare of all learners and expects its staff to share this commitment. You will be required to become familiar with the College's policies, and comply with the requirements to safeguard and protect the welfare of children and young people and vulnerable adults. All staff are asked to complete mandatory training in relation to KCSIE and other key areas, and to read the relevant policies.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The College has a strong commitment to working towards the implementation of equality of opportunity in both service delivery and employment. The College's mission and strategic objectives directly support this aim. All employees are required to actively support the development, dissemination and implementation of this aim and related policies and programmes.

The salary for this position is inclusive of London weighting. Please note that we advertise our salaries on a range to indicate the trajectory of progression that can be made. Appointments are usually made at the start of the salary range.

We may close this vacancy early if we receive enough applications, so we encourage you to submit yours promptly. If you don't hear from us within 2-3 weeks after the closing date, please know that, unfortunately, you have not been shortlisted this time. We truly appreciate your interest and hope you'll consider applying for future opportunities with us.