Head of Maintenance

Burman Recruitment; Northampton; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic Head of Maintenance to lead the Estates & Campus Services team. This pivotal role involves overseeing maintenance and infrastructure projects while ensuring compliance with safety regulations and best practices. You will be responsible for managing multimillion-pound budgets, driving sustainability initiatives, and providing expert advice to senior leadership. If you are a strategic thinker with a passion for delivering high-quality services and leading teams, this is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact in the higher education sector.

Qualifications

• Professional accreditation (e.g., RICS, CIOB) is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of estates compliance and capital project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage large-scale capital and infrastructure projects.
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and best practices.
• Oversee budget management and procurement for maintenance projects.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Stakeholder Management

Project Management

Budget Management

Education

Qualification in Surveying

Qualification in Architecture

Qualification in Building Services

Qualification in Engineering

Qualification in Project Management

Tools

Compliance Software

Project Management Tools

Job description

This range is provided by Burman Recruitment. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base Pay Range

Head of Maintenance

Role Overview

The Head of Maintenance plays a key leadership role within the Estates & Campus Services team, supporting the Director of Estates in delivering a strategic, high-performing maintenance and infrastructure service. This role oversees projects, building services, timetabling, space management, and sustainability, ensuring alignment with the university’s strategic plan and estates development framework.

Key Responsibilities

1. Act as the technical lead for hard services, ensuring compliance with legislation, safety, and best practices.
2. Develop and deliver large-scale capital and infrastructure projects on time and within budget.
3. Drive estates development, maintenance, and sustainability initiatives in line with university strategy.
4. Represent the university in sector-wide networks, local planning authorities, and regulatory bodies.

Operations & Compliance

1. Oversee hard FM services, timetabling, space management, and environmental sustainability.
2. Ensure compliance with statutory regulations (fire safety, asbestos, legionella, CDM, etc.).
3. Lead on planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and end-of-life replacement programs.
4. Manage risk, audits, and performance reporting for estates development.
5. Oversee multimillion-pound budgets, ensuring cost control and value for money.
6. Lead procurement and contract management for major maintenance and development projects.
7. Ensure effective financial planning for estate improvements and capital investments.

Stakeholder Engagement & Leadership

1. Provide expert advice to senior leadership on estate strategy and compliance.
2. Lead, develop, and motivate a multi-disciplinary estates team to deliver high-quality service.
3. Communicate and collaborate with senior management, local authorities, and external partners.

Person Specification

1. Qualification in Surveying, Architecture, Building Services, Engineering, or Project Management.
2. Professional accreditation (e.g., RICS, CIOB, CIBSE, IWFM).
3. Strong knowledge of building services, estates compliance, and capital project delivery.
4. Proven experience in managing budgets, contracts, and multi-disciplinary teams.
5. Excellent leadership, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.

Seniority Level

Mid-Senior level

Employment Type

Full-time

Job Function

Management, Other, and Engineering

Industries

Higher Education