Head of Estate Management

Overview

Are you a strategic leader with experience of maintaining a broad and varied estate inclusive of facilities, property and energy functions and looking for a new challenge where your skills and expertise can flourish? If so, this could be the role for you.

We are seeking a Head of Estate Management to provide effective leadership, management and strategic direction for the facilities, property and energy service area comprising of up to 70 professional building managers, surveyors and energy specialists who are responsible for the Council’s substantial and diverse range of property holdings spanning over operational buildings, community assets and schools.  

This is an extremely exciting time to join our expanding and forward-thinking Property team who are essential to the delivery of the Council’s Estate Strategy, Strategic Asset Management Plan and the implementation of a Corporate Landlord. No two days are the same, as you will be part of a team that manages and maintains a large, diverse and ever-changing property portfolio ranging from corporate offices, leisure centres, theatres, car parks, farms, schools and other assets across a ~1,000 individual estate. 

About us

The Corporate Property & Assets service area, within the Council’s Communities Directorate, are responsible for maintaining the Council’s estate portfolio. The service area comprising of Asset Management, Estate Management (facilities, property services and energy), Construction and Major Projects.

We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality property services that meet the needs of our clients and stakeholders. We value collaboration, innovation, and excellence in everything we do.

This is an opportunity to build on the legacy work already undertaken as part of the Unitary process and continue to shape the service of a strategically important part of the organisation. Any day will rarely be the same and we will provide the support to enable the successful candidate to make the most of the opportunity this role affords. The role is challenging but professionally very rewarding. The Council is looking for applicants who possess all the technical abilities required of a professionally qualified chartered Surveyor and are also sufficiently experienced with the ability to problem solve for themselves whilst building a high performing team.

Why Join Us?

You will join a highly supportive team and gain fantastic exposure within the Public Sector environment. We support professional development and there are lots of opportunities to be part of high-end projects and to develop in your career with us.

Additionally, you will enjoy a range of benefits, including a very competitive employer pension contribution, a great work life balance, generous annual leave allowance, and discounts on a variety of services and restaurants.

About the role

We are seeking a Head of Estate Management to lead the organisation through the next stage. Reporting to the Service Director of Corporate Property and Assets this is a senior role forming part of the senior management team that will bring together skills in service provision delivery as well as the ability to work in a changing strategic and operational environment, by actively managing and driving forward the Council’s Property Portfolio to ensure service delivery is efficient.

Responsible for a team of dedicated professional surveyors, building managers, energy specialists and administration staff the role will include leading the team and responding to the service and operational needs of the Council. Working within Corporate Property and Assets senior management team the role will be expected to contribute strategically to the Council's aims and objectives as well as the more general day-to-day operations of the wider team. Occasional deputising for the Service Director of Corporate Property and Assets will be required as well as the opportunity to be able to take a wider strategic view of service directorate objectives.

Key Accountabilities:

• Provide visible, engaging and directional leadership to the entire estate’s teams, including performance management, professional development and workforce engagement, ensuring a positive, productive and output driven work culture is embedded and role modelled.
• Responsible for the development and implementation of strategic and innovative service plans for estate management, inclusive of energy, facilities, reactive and planned preventative maintenance.
• Prepare comprehensive business cases, options appraisals, presentations and other reports for decision making providing effective presentation, communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to apply these effectively to a variety of audiences.
• Develop policies to affirm corporate strategic goals and service level agreements to align with service specific needs under a Corporate Landlord Model.
• Work collaboratively with internal stakeholders (e.g. housing, education, children’s services) to ensure strategies and policies support wider Council priorities.
• Ensure legal compliance with health and safety, environmental and building regulations.
• Maintain robust reporting systems, providing regular updates to the Service Director, Corporate Management Team, and elected Members on the estate condition, compliance and performance.
• To oversee all property related emergency procedures and be responsible for the management and delivery of an out of hours service for Council properties and to ensure a rapid response in the event of an emergency. This will include agreements with contractors to ensure disruption to building users is minimised.
• Represent the Service at meetings with Members, Council Services, Consultants, Contractors, Housing tenant groups, Community Councils/Groups, commercial undertakings and the public.
• Ensure all financial transactions are authorised, processed, controlled and reconciled correctly to assure financial integrity, regulatory and Council policy compliance. Systematically identify and deliver savings and efficiencies, maximising value for money.
• Accountable for the statutory responsibilities which fall within the remit of the post, meeting all statutory duties as outlined in the relevant legislation. Constraints and opportunities posed by regulatory changes are identified and incorporated into strategic decision making. Response to service-related Scrutiny Committee enquiries are supported effectively.

About you

We’re looking for applicants who possess all the necessary professional skills and attributes that are required to deliver the accountabilities listed here and in the job summary. Naturally, we are looking for you to have the necessary qualifications and possess membership of professional body, with sufficient experience in solving issues under pressure and uphold the Council’s ‘PACT Values’ – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

Significant demonstratable experience in the field of facilities and property services with a preferable understanding of energy management and the Buckinghamshire County area. Also, an understanding of how property can support the general aims of the Council and its Corporate Plan is essential to the role. Familiarity in managing the Corporate Landlord model is also key.

The scale of this role which covers strategic and operational will attract a candidate experienced in managing a complex management function across a multi-site diverse estate. The role will be attractive to someone who finds the mix of strategic and operational as well as the everyday demands of the role exciting and interesting. In addition to the ability to shape a service and a portfolio of place-making opportunities, the role will cover operational, commercial and community on a significant scale.

Given the scale and nature of the role, the candidate will be expected to be able to present a complex set of information and opportunity to a wide audience of key stakeholders.

Other information

Please see the attached job summary for further information on this role and person specification.

Number of positions available: 1

Closing date for applications: 18th November 2025

Salary: £87,362

Proposed Interview date: Thursday 27^th November

Interview-type: In person

If you would like to have an informal conversation with the recruiting manager, please email Executive Assistant Rebecca Henson, [email protected] who will arrange a call with recruiting manager Amy Bridgford, Service Director of Corporate Property and Assets.

Any Desk:

As an ‘any-desk’ worker, you’ll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of days a week, depending on your role and team requirements.

This post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent cautions and/or unspent convictions

For further information on how long it takes for cautions and convictions cautions to become spent, please refer to our guide on the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (updated 2023) | Nacro

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications, so please be advised to submit your application as early as possible.

Our values and culture

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are – Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy.

By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well-being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that’s why we’re working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation.

From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it’s important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments.

We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like-minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

About the Business Unit

Our Communities directorate works across the county to deliver a number of the key customer-facing services that our residents, businesses and visitors rely on every day. 

This directorate includes a wide range of services, including:

• collecting and disposing of waste and recycling
• maintaining our roads and Rights of Way network and parking
• ensuring the delivery of school transport, and supporting sustainable travel including public bus services and School Crossing Patrollers
• managing Country Parks
• leisure facilities, museums, theatres and libraries, as well as developing our Cultural Strategy
• Licensing, Environmental Health and Trading Standards
• Cemeteries and Crematoria

The customer is central to how we develop and deliver all of these services, which help promote our rich and vibrant culture and special environment. 

We are looking for enthusiastic, ambitious and committed individuals to join our team and help us to continue to make Buckinghamshire a great place to live, work and visit. This is an exciting time for us as we bring together the services previously run by five separate councils before Buckinghamshire Council was created. Whilst making major changes to contracts affecting residents across Bucks, we continue to focus on delivering great customer service. You will join us on our journey of continuous improvement - whether that’s through developing strategies and ways of working or delivering services on the ground, every person in Communities is a valued member of the team.

We recognise and reward you

Hard work and success deserves recognition. That’s why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work-life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.

https://jobs.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/working-buckinghamshire-council/