Head of Estates

Fletchers Solicitors; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic law firm in Manchester is seeking a Head of Estates to manage multiple office locations, ensuring compliance and facilities are maintained. This role offers the opportunity to enhance work environments while leading a dedicated support team. Ideal candidates will have experience in facilities management and strong leadership skills, contributing to a supportive and collaborative work culture.

Benefits

35 days holiday including bank holidays

Bonus scheme

Pension scheme with salary sacrifice option

Life Assurance Policy

Flexible working environment

Ongoing professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience in managing a nationwide multi-site estate.
• Strong knowledge of facilities management and logistics.
• In-depth knowledge of H&S legislation and compliance systems.

Responsibilities

• Manage an expanding nationwide estate of offices.
• Oversee office management and logistics.
• Implement H&S and compliance systems across the estate.

Skills

Facilities management

Health and Safety compliance

Budget management

Team leadership

Project management

Logistics coordination

Job description

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Head of Estates

Location: Manchester, Liverpool, Bolton, Southport, Newcastle

Hybrid working available - with the flexibility to work from home and collaborate in-office when needed. We believe we offer our colleagues the best hybrid and flexible working practices, balancing working from home with time collaborating and socialising with colleagues in our modern offices.

We're hiring a Head of Estates

At Fletchers Group, we're proud of our supportive culture, collaborative teams, and commitment to creating an environment where people thrive. We're now looking for a dynamic Head of Estates to lead the way in shaping and maintaining our offices and support functions.

This pivotal role will oversee office management, logistics, and health & safety compliance across our estate, ensuring every colleague has access to inspirational, productive, and safe workspaces. With the backing of a dedicated support team and a business that truly invests in its people, you'll play a vital part in delivering highly effective operations that help our colleagues do their best work.

In return, we offer great benefits, professional growth opportunities, and the chance to make a real impact within a values-driven organisation that puts people first.

In return Fletchers offers:

• 35 hours working week
• Bonus scheme (subject to targets being met)
• 35 days holiday a year including bank holidays and Christmas Closure, you also have an option to purchase up to 3 extra days' holiday per year, until you long service award the 3 days after your 5th, 7th, and 9th full year of employment
• Pension scheme with tax-efficient salary sacrifice option
• Life Assurance Policy
• Medicash policy to cover some dental, optical and other medical expenses
• Company sick pay
• Enhanced Maternity, Paternity and IVF schemes
• Flexible, agile working environment with a positive work-life balance
• Varied calendar of funded company social events (check out Fletchers Group on LinkedIn)
• Monthly voucher awardsfor winning nominees

• A genuinely supportive and friendly culture
• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities

Main Responsibilities:

Estate & Facilities Maintenance - Successfully manage an expanding nationwide estate of offices reporting to the Director of Technology (including supporting the Director of Integration with the seamless integration of new offices into the estate), managing the Facilities and Maintenance team and acting as the key co-ordinator for all Logistics, H&S, FM, and Office related requirements for the Fletchers Group, and leading a highly effective Support function across Facilities and Maintenance, Front of House and Post teams to include (but not exhaustively):

• Budget Control - oversight and management of Fletchers Facilities supply chain to maximise value of bought services and products and ensure spend is kept within agreed budgets, and all services supplied are appropriate to the requirement and of a high standard.
• FM/Logistics - implement seamless logistical support across the estate with full provision of products and services required at all offices to support FSG colleagues to deliver their operational and strategic objectives.
• H&S - implement a full H&S and DSE/FA/FM/PPM system across the Estate to achieve full compliance with all regulatory requirements and ensure the safety and wellbeing of all colleagues and visitors to the Fletchers Group offices.
• DR & BC - working with the DR/BC Project Manager to implement full Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity plan and processes to ensure a seamless provision of workspaces across the estate in the event that any of our offices are rendered inoperable.
• Scalability - implement scalable processes and plans to meet all FM, Logistics, H&S requirements for an expanding estate.

Front of House - Implement and manage a highly effective Front of House team to deliver class leading colleague support and visitor experience across the Estate.

• Ensure harmonisation of working practices between Front of House and the Executive Business Support Team on shared FoH duties across the estate beyond the dedicated team in Southport.
• Work with ExCo and Director of Integration to plan future FoH requirements for scalability of the FoH service as the Estate expands.

Post Function - implement and manage a highly effective Post function to include incoming/outgoing correspondence, document storage and destruction and support to Legal teams around court bundling and other support duties as and when required.

People Management

• Lead the Facilities, Front of House and Post Function teams, directly managing theEstates Manager and Front of House Supervisor
• Develop forward planning for any Support team growth requirements as the Estate expands working with Finance Budget team to ensure headcount spend is proportionate.
• Be an effective liaison for all Colleague Office, Facilities and Logistics related issues across the Fletchers Group
• Coach, develop and support managers and Supervisors to achieve excellent people leadership practice within the department
• Model Fletchers Values
• Role-model highest standards of professional conduct

  Technical

• Provide effective management of and high-level advice and guidance on all H&S, FM, Office and Logistical issues
• Ensure that Fletchers' offices and facilities are well-managed and safe for all visitors and colleagues.

Essential Skills and Experience:

Estates & Facilities Management

• Proven experience in managing a nationwide multi-site estate, with strong knowledge of facilities management, office services, logistics, and H&S compliance.
• Demonstrable success in integrating new offices into an existing estate with minimal disruption.
• Strong background in supply chain and budget management, with the ability to maximise value, negotiate effectively, and ensure high service standards.

Health & Safety & Compliance

• In-depth knowledge of H&S legislation, compliance systems, and risk management (DSE, Fire, First Aid, PPM, etc.).
• Experience implementing and maintaining robust compliance frameworks across multiple sites.
• Ability to lead on Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity planning, ensuring operational resilience.

Operational Excellence

• Track record in implementing scalable processes to support organisational growth.
• Expertise in coordinating logistics and FM services, ensuring smooth and effective operational support.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to deliver seamless estates and facilities operations.

Leadership & People Management

• Experienced in leading and developing multi-disciplinary support teams (Facilities, Front of House, Post).
• Skilled in coaching and mentoring managers and supervisors, driving performance and professional development.
• A strong role model who embeds values, professionalism, and collaboration across teams.

Front of House & Colleague Experience

• Proven ability to deliver a first-class colleague and visitor experience through effective Front of House leadership.
• Experience aligning Front of House services with executive support teams to deliver consistent service across sites.

Technical Expertise

• Ability to provide high-level advice and guidance on estates, facilities, logistics, and H&S matters.
• Strong problem-solving skills, with a proactive and pragmatic approach to operational challenges.
• Comfortable acting as the go-to estates and facilities expert for colleagues at all levels, including senior leadership.

Personal Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong attention to detail and forward planning skills.
• Excellent communicator with the ability to influence and build relationships at all levels.
• Resilient, adaptable, and confident in managing change across a fast-growing organisation.

We reserve the right to close this role before the date specified depending on the calibre and volume of candidates.

About Fletchers Group

Fletchers is a fast-growing, dynamic law firm specialising in personal injury and clinical negligence law, with outstanding rankings in both The Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. Following several strategic acquisitions, we've evolved into the Fletchers Group, with ambitious plans for continued growth and innovation.

We work across England, with offices currently in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Bolton, Southport, Newcastle, Reading, Birmingham, Northampton and Cambridge. We believe we offer our colleagues the best hybrid and flexible working practices, balancing working from home with time collaborating and socialising with colleagues in our modern offices.

We aspire to be the best place to work in the legal sector.

Our workplace culture is inclusive, informal, and supportive, with a strong focus on colleague wellbeing and happiness. We are proud to offer some of the best hybrid and flexible working arrangements in the industry - because we understand that balance drives performance.

At Fletchers, we also value connection and collaboration. We create exciting opportunities for teams to come together and thrive. Whether you're starting your career or aiming for leadership, you'll find a clear path to progress and development here - from apprenticeships and professional qualifications to senior roles and Partnership.

We seek out a broad range of challenging, high-quality legal work, enabling our people to build meaningful and progressive careers. And we don't just talk about development - we invest in it, with a significant proportion of our colleagues working towards relevant qualifications at any given time.

We reward those who help build our success and live our values. Our benefits package is designed to grow with you, offering real opportunities to share in our long-term strength. Our base pay and bonus structure is built to recognise and reward high performance.

Join us and be part of a law firm that's not only growing, but redefining what it means to work in legal services.

Fletchers Group is an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce: we welcome applications from any and all backgrounds. We're committed to providing a culture and environment where everyone can thrive, understanding and celebrating that no colleague is the same. We're proud of our work on the Disability Confident scheme, and we are signing up to other diversity standards to reflect our ethos.