Head of Estates and Facilities

NHS National Services Scotland; Carstairs; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare provider in Scotland is seeking an experienced Head of Estates and Facilities to lead on strategic management and provide expert advice to directors. The successful candidate will oversee critical forums and ensure compliance with legislative requirements. Applicants should have a master's degree in engineering, financial acumen, and proven leadership skills in Facilities Management. This is a permanent position, offering a competitive salary package in a dynamic healthcare environment.

Qualifications

• In-depth managerial, financial and strategic knowledge in Facilities Management.
• Good working knowledge of health and safety legislation.
• Strong analytical skills at management level are essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist advice to Directors on Estates and Facilities.
• Lead strategic and operational management within the department.
• Chair key governance forums and oversee long term strategic planning.

Skills

Managerial skills

Financial knowledge

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Masters degree in engineering or equivalent

Corporate member of a relevant institute

Job description

Head of Estates and Facilities

AfC Band 8C (pro rata) plus a High Secure Environmental Allowance of £1,750.47 per annum (pro rata)

Hours – 37hrs*

Contract Duration – Permanent

Post Details

Join Our Team as Head of Estates and Facilities

We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Head of Estates and Facilities to play a pivotal role at The State Hospitals Board for Scotland. This is an exciting opportunity for a forward thinking professional to influence corporate decision making and drive the delivery of person centred, high quality care aligned with both local and national objectives.

As the Board’s leading expert in Estates and Facilities, you will provide specialist advice to Directors and take ownership of interpreting and implementing legislative requirements. You will lead on strategic and operational management within the Estates and Facilities Department, ensuring national NHS policy and guidance are effectively embedded through NHS Assure and collaborative working groups. Your expertise will contribute significantly to the formulation of policies and strategies that underpin the organisation’s objectives.

In this senior role, you will chair and contribute to key forums such as the Climate Change and Sustainability Group, Workforce Governance Group, Health & Safety Committee, Infection Control Committee and influential Health Facilities Scotland Groups, including the Strategic Facilities Group and Scottish Engineering and Technical Advisory Group. You will oversee long term strategic planning and the provision of Estates & Facilities services that directly support both clinical and non‑clinical operations.

Your formal technical leadership will be vital in supporting the hospital’s Capital Programme and you will take responsibility for the effective management of both hard and soft Estates and Facilities Teams. You will lead, direct and instruct staff across the Estates and Facilities Department in line with the Hospital’s Annual, Medium and Long Term Delivery Plans, always upholding the highest professional standards of best practice.

This role carries significant responsibility, including being the designated person for fire safety; asbestos management; confined spaces; legionella; medical gases; sterilisation; waste; water; housekeeping; catering; laundry and overall estates. You will also hold senior authorised person status for high and low voltage electrical systems and water management within the hospital.

If you are ready to take on this challenging and rewarding leadership position, shaping the future of Estates & Facilities in a world‑class healthcare environment, we would love to hear from you.

Experience

• Qualified to masters degree level (or hold acceptable equivalent qualifications, experience and knowledge) in an engineering discipline.
• Corporate member of a relevant institute e.g. IHEEM (Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estates Management).
• In addition to the above qualifications the post holder will have the ability to demonstrate in depth managerial, financial and strategic knowledge within the field of Facilities Management. e.g. Experience of managing diverse financial budgets.
• Evidence of specialist knowledge acquired through the relevant professional and personal development (CPD).
• Experience should be supported by a good working knowledge of health and safety legislation, professional best practice and NHS technical memorandums. Well developed interpersonal abilities and strong analytical skills at management level are also essential training, qualifications and experience to carryout nominated person’s and authorised person’s responsibilities / duties.

Closing Date

The closing date for applications is Sunday 21 December 2025.

For an informal discussion please contact Allan Hardy, Acting Director of Security, Estates and Resilience on 01555 842015.

If you have any queries or require assistance regarding the application form or recruitment process, please contact the HR Team on [e-mail] to discuss your requirements.

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society. It should be noted that the State Hospital is a high secure hospital and the current organisational position based on a risk assessment is that we welcome applications from people under the age of 18 for non clinical roles however to be eligible for a clinical role applicants should be 18 years and older. Should you have any questions in relation to this please contact [e-mail].

Right to Work

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre‑employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check this entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa and settled and pre‑settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission and if you can demonstrate such cover, please refer to the GOV.UK website here.

For specific types of post, it might be possible to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found here.

Please note that the State Hospital is NOT licensed to issue certificates of sponsorship under current UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) regulations. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship to work with us.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you have an appropriate right to work in the UK BEFORE applying.

Reduced Working Week*

From 1 April 2026 the working week for NHS Agenda for Change staff in Scotland will reduce from 37 to 36 hours for full time employees. Part time staff will receive a pro‑rated reduction in hours, with no loss of earnings. The State Hospital is committed to implementing this change however, it may not be possible to fully transition on 1 April 2026 in all areas. In some departments, implementation may take longer to ensure patient safety and service continuity. If your department cannot safely accommodate the reduced hours from 1 April 2026, you may be required to continue working 37.5 hours per week (pro‑rated for part‑time staff) until adjustments can be made. You will, of course, be remunerated accordingly. Our priority is to implement the 36 hour working week across all areas as soon as it is safe and practical to do so.