Estates Surveyor

About the role
Property Strategy & Estates is one of the three main units of Assets & Environment and is central to both our corporate landlord role and transforming the Council’s estate to meet its needs and aspirations. Key current projects include:

- Large scale photovoltaic roll out (solar energy)
- Office optimisation - rationalising WNC’s estate for the future of work
- Parks development strategy
- Large scale EV infrastructure roll out
- Estate Climate Strategy
- New care home
- New children’s homes

As a key member of the team, the Estates Surveyor will have the opportunity to work on an extremely varied and diverse property portfolio. The role will include responsibility for completing a programme of Landlord and Tenant activities, including lease renewals / rent reviews, delivering asset disposals and acquisitions, and providing professional estates advice to colleagues and other stakeholder.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the team and support the Councils objectives of shaping a Property Strategy and Estates function that will be an example of best practice, and one that will deliver the best outcomes for the residents of the West Northamptonshire.

What will you be doing?
In the role of Estates Surveyor, you will have the opportunity to work on an extremely varied case load, covering a diverse property portfolio. Reporting into to the Estates Manager or the Property Strategy and Major Projects Manager (as appropriate), you’ll be responsible for completing a programme of Landlord and Tenant activities, including lease renewals / rent reviews, and delivering asset disposals and acquisitions to meet the Council’s best value obligations.

You will also be involved in the day-to-day management of the Council's extensive commercial investment portfolio which includes office, retail, and industrial properties across West Northamptonshire. You will support the Estates Manager or the Property Strategy and Major Projects Manager (as appropriate), and the wider Estates team to minimise outgoings and maximise revenue income. You will also be able to make recommendations to support the Council longer term strategic visions for its commercial estate.

You will deliver high quality professional and technical advice to internal and external clients, and stakeholders, and support the Council’s transformation and property rationalisation agenda.

About you
You’ll bring with you existing experience which will enable you to ensure the efficient and cost-effective running of operational, income producing and strategic sites and individual assets to minimise outgoings and maximise revenue income. Your negotiation skills will aid the acquisition and disposal of property, rights, and licences, including compensation claims. You’ll provide valuable estates support on legal and contract issues.

Project management skills are desirable as you’ll be involved is complex projects on behalf of the Council and other stakeholders and will identify and anticipate challenges and obstacles within those projects and work with stakeholders. Your communication skills will enable you to represent the team as an interface between Tenants and the Council on operational property matters, and to represent the interests of key stakeholders and to provide good quality professional advice on estate management matters, and to advise colleagues on professional and technical issues

You will need to:

- Be educated to Degree level or equivalent in an Estates Management or similar discipline
- Be a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (or equivalent professional qualification)
- Have thorough post-qualification professional experience in estate management, including property management, valuations (including Fixed Asset Valuations for accounting purposes) and transactions
- Have experience of dealing with a range of cases in Landlord and Tenant, Disposals and Acquisitions.
- Have experience of working within a public sector environment and delivering best value.
- Have experience of working with the private sector, and driving best value

About us
We’re a new council, following one of the largest shake-ups in local government reform in recent history. As a new authority, we’re embarking on an exciting journey to deliver exceptional services for our residents, customers and communities.

Our vision at West Northamptonshire Council is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services.

At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to