Head of Estates

Consult; Northampton; On-site; GBP 75,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Consult is seeking an experienced Head of Estates & Operations to oversee estates, facilities and operational management across a growing multi-site education portfolio. You will lead site management teams, ensure compliance, manage budgets, and drive efficiency and sustainability.

The role requires strategic leadership with a hands-on approach, regular site visits, and collaboration with school management teams to maintain safe and well-maintained educational environments.

Qualifications

• Senior Estates/Facilities/Operations leadership in a multi-site portfolio.
• Experience leading estates and facilities across multiple sites.
• Strong knowledge of statutory compliance and health & safety.
• Experience with PPM programmes, asset registers and maintenance schedules.
• Budget management, procurement and contractor management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop estates, facilities and site management teams across multiple locations.
• Oversee delivery of Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM), reactive maintenance and building repairs.
• Ensure full statutory compliance across all sites including fire safety, asbestos and water hygiene.
• Develop and implement estates management strategies and improvement plans.
• Conduct site inspections, compliance audits and risk assessments with corrective actions.
• Manage external contractors, suppliers and service providers against KPIs.
• Oversee procurement, supplier negotiations and contract renewals across services.
• Support capital projects, refurbishment programmes and lifecycle planning.
• Manage operational budgets and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Drive sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives.
• Establish consistent procedures, reporting and service standards across locations.
• Provide senior leadership updates on performance, compliance and risk.

Skills

Estates management

Facilities management

Operations management

Team leadership

Budget management

Procurement

Contractor management

Compliance management

Health & safety

Stakeholder management

Education

NEBOSH General Certificate

IOSH Managing Safely

IWFM qualification

Tools

Compliance management systems

Job description

The Role

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Head of Estates & Operations to oversee the estates, facilities and operational management of a growing multi-site education portfolio. This is an excellent opportunity for an established Estates or Facilities Management professional to take a senior leadership position, overseeing property maintenance, statutory compliance, health & safety, procurement and operational service delivery across multiple school sites. The successful candidate will combine strategic leadership with a hands‑on approach, working closely with site management teams to maintain safe, compliant and well‑maintained educational environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop estates, facilities and site management teams across multiple locations.
• Oversee the delivery of Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM), reactive maintenance, building repairs and grounds maintenance.
• Ensure full statutory compliance across all sites, including fire safety, asbestos, water hygiene, gas and electrical safety.
• Develop and implement estates management strategies, maintenance programmes and operational improvement plans.
• Conduct regular site inspections, compliance audits and risk assessments, ensuring corrective actions are completed.
• Manage external contractors, suppliers and service providers, monitoring performance against agreed standards and KPIs.
• Oversee procurement, supplier negotiations and contract renewals across cleaning, grounds maintenance, catering, waste, energy and compliance services.
• Support the delivery of capital projects, refurbishment programmes and lifecycle maintenance planning.
• Manage operational budgets, identifying opportunities for cost savings and improved service efficiency.
• Drive sustainability initiatives, energy efficiency improvements and environmental best practices.
• Establish consistent operational procedures, reporting systems and service standards across all locations.
• Provide senior leadership with regular updates on estates performance, compliance, financial management and operational risks.

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience in a senior Estates Management, Facilities Management or Operations Management position.
• Strong background managing estates and facilities across a multi-site portfolio.
• Demonstrable experience leading and developing operational teams, including site managers and maintenance personnel.
• Excellent knowledge of statutory compliance, health & safety legislation, COSHH, fire safety, asbestos and water hygiene requirements.
• Experience developing and managing PPM programmes, asset registers and building maintenance schedules.
• Strong commercial awareness, including budget management, procurement, supplier negotiations and contractor management.
• Experience conducting compliance audits, managing risk and implementing operational improvements.
• Understanding of education estates requirements
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and organisational skills.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel between sites.

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

• NEBOSH General Certificate or IOSH Managing Safely.
• Professional qualification in Facilities Management (IWFM) or Estates Management.
• Previous experience working within education, multi-academy trusts or the public sector.
• Experience using compliance management systems
• Knowledge of sustainability initiatives, decarbonisation and energy management.
• Experience supporting estates expansion, site mobilisation or integration of additional properties.

The Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to take responsibility for a diverse education estates portfolio, with significant autonomy to shape operational standards, improve compliance and develop a high-performing facilities management function. The successful candidate will play a key role in delivering long-term estates strategies while ensuring the day-to-day operation of each site remains safe, efficient and well-managed.