Executive Director - Estate Operations

Job Overview:

Are you passionate about creating an exceptional working environment for educational institutions? We have an exciting opportunity for an Executive Director - Estate Operations to lead and manage our college’s physical resources, ensuring they are utilized to their full potential. Reporting directly to the Chief Finance Officer, you will play a pivotal role in the strategic management of our college’s estates and related services.

Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement a visionary plan for the College's estates and facilities, aligned with our overall strategic aims. Lead key capital projects, ensuring effective management and delivery. Optimize space and resource allocation for new buildings and reorganize existing premises.

Estates Management: Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations and College standards, maintaining a safe and secure working environment. Implement planned maintenance programs for efficient and cost-effective operation of our estate. Manage and lead change initiatives with minimal disruption.

Estate Operations: Plan and direct essential services such as maintenance, cleaning, catering, and waste disposal. Establish procedures and protocols for effective utilization of facilities by students, staff, and external stakeholders. Collaborate with academic and administrative departments to understand their needs and provide support.

Health & Safety: Champion a culture of safety and security, ensuring compliance with regulations and best practices. Develop and implement health and safety policies and risk management protocols. Provide strategic direction for health and safety initiatives and resources.

Financial and Resource Management: Oversee the budget for the estates and facilities department, ensuring efficient allocation of resources. Identify opportunities for commercial income generation through partnerships and efficient facility usage. Monitor financial performance and recommend cost-saving initiatives.

Communication: Foster strong relationships with the Senior Management Team and Board of Governors, promoting teamwork and collaboration. Contribute to the College's strategic and corporate planning processes. Liaise with internal and external stakeholders, including contractors and consultants.

Service Delivery: Provide high-quality services to colleagues, students, and other clients across our various campuses. Ensure facilities management services adhere to professional and business standards. Advise on health, safety, and environmental matters to ensure compliance.

Job Requirements:

• Proven experience in estates and facilities management, ideally in an educational setting.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to foster a culture of excellence and collaboration.
• Knowledge of strategic planning, procurement, and project management.
• Familiarity with health and safety regulations and practices.
• Financial acumen to manage budgets and identify revenue-generating opportunities.
• Excellent communication skills to engage with diverse stakeholders.
• Flexibility to meet deadlines and handle challenging situations.
• Commitment to promoting welfare, safeguarding, and equality and diversity.

The right candidate will have:

• Experience of working with young people.
• Excellent communication Skills
• Ability to work in a busy environment
• Knowledge of Microsoft office and ability to adapt to new software
• Ability to prioritise their workload
• Have a team orientated ethos

Why choose us:

Our strategy is to create a Career Focused, Digital Learning environment, ensuring that the learner experience and our relationship within our community, local and regional employers, are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to be selected as finalists for the AoC Beacon awards for effective use of digital Technology in FE.  Providing a high achieving, focused learning environment allowing our students to achieve the grades they need for higher educations, or the skills and aptitude required to secure a suitable role in their chosen career. Our college is set in the leafy suburbs of Essex, with easy access to surrounding areas and amenities, we are based in a well-connected location both by road and rail.

What we offer:

• A dedicated and friendly team of professionals who are keen to develop and learn.
• Excellent pension provision
• Annual Staff Awards
• CPD days - opportunities to grow and development through mentorship and coaching
• Free onsite parking
• Staff appreciation days
• Eye care vouchers
• Onsite Starbucks & Restaurant
• Well-being days & activities 
• Electric Vehicle Scheme*
• Discounted gym membership.
• Fully immersive teaching rooms allowing online teaching simultaneously at multiple locations.
• Hybrid Working available.

*subject to terms & conditions

This role is considered exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. Which means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected’, so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS filtering guide.  It is an offence to apply for the role if you are barred from engaging in regulated activity relevant to children.

Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete a self-declaration of their criminal record or information that would make them unsuitable to work with children. Self-declaration is subject to Ministry of Justice guidance on the disclosure of criminal records, further information can be found on GOV UK

USP College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, we therefore expect all staff to share this commitment. The successful applicant will be required to undertake an enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service, and any other checks that the role requires to ascertain suitability for working with children and/or vulnerable adults, which may include online searches.

We will hold and process any personal data, including sensitive (special category) personal data, relating to you in accordance with our legal obligations, in the manner set out in the Privacy Notice for staff and in accordance with our Data Protection Policy, which is set out on the College’s website, found here.  You should familiarise yourself with our Data Protection Policy (and all other subsidiary policies to it) and comply with them at all times. Neither the Privacy Notice for Staff nor those policies form a part of your contract of employment.