School Estates Manager

Claires Inc.; Maidenhead; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary

Job summary

Claires Court School seeks an experienced School Estates Manager to lead operations across three campuses, ensuring buildings, infrastructure, grounds and transport are safe, compliant and well maintained.

You will direct Estates, Maintenance, Caretaking and Transport teams, manage budgets, oversee contractors, and drive preventative maintenance, risk assessments and compliance with fire, asbestos and other safety standards.

Qualifications

• Experience managing a multi-site estate.
• Experience in regulated environments (education/healthcare/hospitality).
• Strong knowledge of health and safety and compliance.
• Experience managing planned and reactive maintenance programmes.
• Contractor, supplier and budget management experience.
• Leadership of estates/facilities teams.
• Ability to respond during emergencies.
• Full UK driving licence.
• Relevant estates/fm/building services qualification.
• Fire safety qualification or experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Estates, Maintenance, Caretaking and Transport teams.
• Manage daily operation of school buildings and facilities.
• Develop preventative maintenance and oversee repairs.
• Conduct estate inspections and ensure safety.
• Maintain asset registers, compliance records.
• Manage CAFM system, inspections and work orders.
• Lead maintenance, improvement and capital projects.
• Procure, vet and manage contractors.
• Review risk assessments, permits to work.
• Monitor contractor performance and value for money.
• Manage budgets, supplier agreements and forecasts.
• Oversee vehicle compliance, MOTs and training.
• Support emergency planning and business continuity.
• Monitor utilities and sustainability initiatives.

Skills

Estate management

Leadership

Health & safety

Contractor management

Budget management

Multi-site operations

Stakeholder management

Driving license

Communication skills

Education

Estates management qualification

Facilities management qualification

Construction or engineering degree

NEBOSH General Certificate

IOSH Managing Safely

Fire safety qualification

Tools

iAM CAFM

Job description

Claires Court School is seeking an experienced and proactive School Estates Manager to lead the operational management of its estate across all three campuses. Reporting to the Head or Director of Estates, you will ensure the school's buildings, infrastructure, grounds and transport services remain safe, compliant, well maintained and fit for purpose. You will lead the Maintenance, Caretaking and Transport teams while managing specialist contractors. The Role You will provide a responsive estates service that supports teaching, learning and wider school activities. Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing the Estates, Maintenance, Caretaking and Transport teams
• Managing the daily operation of school buildings, facilities and infrastructure
• Developing planned preventative maintenance programmes and overseeing reactive repairs
• Conducting estate inspections and ensuring buildings remain safe and inspection-ready
• Maintaining accurate asset registers, compliance records and audit trails
• Managing the school's CAFM system, ideally iAM, including inspections, schedules and work orders
• Leading approved maintenance, improvement and capital projects
• Procuring, vetting and managing contractors and service providers
• Reviewing risk assessments, method statements and permits to work
• Monitoring contractor performance, service standards and value for money
• Managing operational budgets, supplier agreements, expenditure and forecasts
• Overseeing vehicle compliance, servicing, MOTs, driver training and licence checks
• Supporting emergency planning, business continuity and out-of-hours response arrangements
• Monitoring utility consumption and supporting sustainability initiatives

Health, Safety and Compliance

As the operational lead for Estates Health and Safety, you will ensure compliance across fire safety, asbestos management, legionella control, electrical and gas safety, pressure systems, lifting equipment, working at height, COSHH and manual handling. You will monitor actions arising from audits, inspections and fire risk assessments and oversee fire alarms, emergency lighting, fire doors, evacuation drills and contractor permits.

You will be an experienced estates or facilities professional with strong leadership skills, commercial awareness and a hands-on approach. You will need:

• Experience managing a multi-site estate or facilities operation
• Experience within education, healthcare, hospitality or another regulated environment
• Strong knowledge of health and safety and statutory building compliance
• Experience managing planned and reactive maintenance programmes
• Contractor, supplier and budget-management experience
• Experience leading operational or maintenance teams and delivering projects
• Confidence using CAFM systems
• Excellent communication, organisation and stakeholder-management skills
• The ability to respond effectively during emergencies
• A full UK driving licence
• A relevant qualification in estates management, facilities management, construction, engineering or building services
• A NEBOSH General Certificate or IOSH Managing Safely qualification
• A fire-safety qualification or demonstrable fire-safety management experience

An IWFM Level 4 or 5 qualification, project-management qualification, professional membership or Fire Risk Assessor qualification would be advantageous.

Claires Court is a leading independent school educating pupils from Nursery through to Sixth Form. It forms part of the Licensed Trade Charity EducationGroup, which providesstrategic leadership, investment and shared professional services across its schools.

• Competitive Salary