Estates Manager

Working Arrangements:

This is a field-based role – head office attendance is only required for specific meetings/purposes.

Objectives of the role:

• To utilise your RICS qualification in positive pub valuations.

• To deliver high quality estate management support to regional field based teams and licensees in both L&T and Proper Pubs.

• To enhance the company's income through proactive management of rent assessment, rent negotiation and other relevant processes.

• To optimise the company's net income and asset value through proactive management of the non-licensed property and leasehold estate.

• To manage external agents to ensure provision of a high-quality service.

• Deliver great customer service, aligned to company values and associated behaviours (shown below), to licensees, Operations and other teams.

• Ensure compliance with statutory and other legal obligations around the estate.

Key Responsibilities:

Driving income and sales

• Ensuring high quality rent assessments are produced through positive challenge on the potential of each of our sites for the purpose of new lets, rent reviews, renewals and investment proposals.

• Managing the rent assessment process to ensure compliance with the company's Code of Practice, the Pubs Code and relevant RICS guidance.

• Providing proactive support and leadership to field based teams on potentially difficult rent reviews and renewals to ensure that the company's income is protected and enhanced.

• Engaging and managing external agents where additional support is required in advance of final rent and lease negotiations with licensees and their agents, or for third party referrals, to ensure effective solutions are obtained.

• Working with Operations Administration to serve relevant notices and managing possession actions where required to enhance future income.

• Proactively managing non-licensed estate income and identifying additional non-licensed properties or other opportunities to deliver income growth.

Enhancing value

• Identifying surplus non-licensed and land assets in the estate and develop plans to crystallise value, including securing vacant possession and working with planning consultants.

• Pursue opportunities to buy in the freehold interests of leasehold pubs.

• Proactively managing the non-substantive estate tenure in conjunction with Operations teams to protect the company's assets, ensuring licensees do not inadvertently obtain rights to renewal.

• Developing and implementing an estate plan for the leasehold estate to mitigate property costs (rent, service charge etc. and dilapidations).

• Enhancing and protecting value through compliance with head lease requirements and actively managing the relationship with superior landlords and negotiation of surrender or acquisition of relevant identified sites.

• Managing the estate and ensuring protection of the company's assets through challenging potential boundary encroachment, easements and other ownership issues.

• Negotiating with relevant parties regarding potential compulsory purchase orders to extract the maximum value through negotiation or the statutory process.

• Reviewing all title plans, particularly prior to substantive lettings, to protect any surplus land potential and to identify any title shortfalls that need to be addressed.

• Managing the rating agents to provide high quality service to licensees and regional teams to reduce licensee costs, and to ensure that opportunities to appeal excessive rateable value assessments are identified.

Improving skills and relationships:

• Providing estate management expertise and advice to the field operations teams through regular reviews and leading regional training sessions, ensuring that understanding is improved where relevant.

• Providing high quality support to the Operations Director on all estate management areas.

• Establishing professional relationships with licensees to influence and secure cooperation and agreement to advice provided.

• Providing high quality support to licensees on all estate management areas in line with company objectives.

Person Specification:

Competency

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. An ability to be autonomous and team orientated.

• An ability to challenge positively to achieve desired outcomes.

• Highly driven and committed with excellent planning and organisation skills.

• Commercial acumen and analytical and negotiation skills.

Technical Requirements

• RICS qualified with pub valuation experience.

• Strong track record of completing pub rent reviews and evidencing recommendations.

• Comprehensive experience with managing compliance and legal matters.

• Computer literate – a minimum of intermediate Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams.

• Degree calibre.

• Full GB Driving License.

Key Relationships

• Head of Estates and wider Estates Team

• Business Development Managers

• Regional Operations Director

• Licensees

• Legal Department

• Operations Administration

• Group Property & Strategy Director

• External agents and suppliers