Interim Head of Estates Operations

**18 Month Fixed Term Contract /Full time**

We are looking for an Estates or Operations professional with demonstrable experience in leading an estates or operations function across a large portfolio and is passionate about creating an exceptional working environment and driving performance improvement.

This is a pivotal fixed-term role, which will create foundations that will set the team up for its next ten years of success and calls for an individual with proven leadership skills, change management experience and strong focus on delivering excellent customer service.

**About Us**

Clifton College is a leading independent day and boarding school educating over 1,200 pupils aged 3 to 18. Founded in 1862, the College provides an all-round education, a rich heritage with modern state-of-the-art facilities. Located in the beautiful suburb of Clifton, we lead the way as one of the best independent schools in the country.

**The Estates Department**

Clifton College’s Estates and Facilities Department is multidisciplinary and provides a comprehensive estates planning, management and maintenance service to ensure the College’s smooth operation. The successful post holder will report to the Commercial Operations Director and will line manage hard and soft facilities managers and grounds manager, as well as holding accountability for delivery against outsourced cleaning and catering contracts.

**What You Will be Doing (Objectives)**
- You will manage all aspects of the College’s estate and its related resources and facilities, to provide an integrated, safe and efficient operation.
- Foster a culture of excellence and collaboration and lead a continuous improvement ethos, to set the team up for success in the delivery of a five-star service provision that meets the growing and dynamic needs of all College users.
- Provide a long-term comprehensive and integrated resource plan for the core running of the College’s estate.
- Ensure our team keeps buildings and grounds to high standards and provide a safe, welcoming and well-presented environment.
- Help us to optimise our space and resource allocation.

**Key Results Areas**

**Strategy**
- Ensure the department is equipped to support the achievement of the College’s Estates Masterplan objectives and the progressive development of the estate and its services, including monitoring staffing structures and performance.
- Provide strategic leadership and direct management control of the department
- Lead the implementation of a detailed, risk-profiled rolling ten-year capital works programme and rolling ten-year PPM programme.

**Planning and Processes**
- Cultivate an operationally effective department, establishing robust and efficient systems and processes, introducing relevant policies and guidance and making any required changes to allow ongoing efficient and safe management of the department.

**Team**
- Instil a strong service ethos that places our pupils, colleagues and commercial users at the forefront of all estates work and ensures all work is carried out whilst providing exceptional customer service.
- Ensure the appropriate interaction and collaboration within the Estates teams to achieve common goals and create a culture of communication and engagement with Clifton colleagues, across the board
- Lead the Estates department teams to identify and implement new ways of working, within the constraints of legal requirements, regulatory compliance and College values, to instil an innovative approach to maintenance and operational management.
- Undertake the line management of the core Estates management team of senior staff, who will be responsible for the smooth running of functions and allocation of tasks and projects.
- Adopt a coaching and mentoring approach to empower direct reports to successfully run their own areas now and into the future.
- To keep the departmental skills-mix under review to ensure the continual efficient and effective delivery of day to day and longer-term goals.

**About You**

**Essential Qualifications**
- You will be educated to a degree standard in a relevant discipline, preferably with postgraduate or professional qualifications.

**Essential Experience**
- Significant experience in the estates or facilities management industry.
- The successful post holder will demonstrate a thorough understanding of general management techniques in a large or complex organisation and be able to manage a complex property and estate portfolio and budgets.
- You will have a sound understanding of the legal and financial aspects of major property projects and transactions.
- Broad experience in the preparation and control of estates management and development programmes and managing facility operations and maintenance services.
- Working in a fast-paced environment, embracing new challenges and instigating and championing change
- Management of small to large sized estates-related projects from conception to completion.

**Skills**
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