Head of Estates in Northampton, Northamptonshire

The Role

We are currently recruiting for an experienced Head of Estates & Operations to oversee the estates, facilities and operational management of a growing multi-site education portfolio.

This is an excellent opportunity for an established Estates or Facilities Management professional to take a senior leadership position, overseeing property maintenance, statutory compliance, health & safety, procurement and operational service delivery across multiple school sites.

The successful candidate will combine strategic leadership with a hands-on approach, working closely with site management teams to maintain safe, compliant and well-maintained educational environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop estates, facilities and site management teams across multiple locations.

• Oversee the delivery of Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM), reactive maintenance, building repairs and grounds maintenance.

• Ensure full statutory compliance across all sites, including fire safety, asbestos, water hygiene, gas and electrical safety.

• Develop and implement estates management strategies, maintenance programmes and operational improvement plans.

• Conduct regular site inspections, compliance audits and risk assessments, ensuring corrective actions are completed.

• Manage external contractors, suppliers and service providers, monitoring performance against agreed standards and KPIs.

• Oversee procurement, supplier negotiations and contract renewals across cleaning, grounds maintenance, catering, waste, energy and compliance services.

• Support the delivery of capital projects, refurbishment programmes and lifecycle maintenance planning.

• Manage operational budgets, identifying opportunities for cost savings and improved service efficiency.

• Drive sustainability initiatives, energy efficiency improvements and environmental best practices.

• Establish consistent operational procedures, reporting systems and service standards across all locations.

• Provide senior leadership with regular updates on estates performance, compliance, financial management and operational risks.

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience in a senior Estates Management, Facilities Management or Operations Management position.

• Strong background managing estates and facilities across a multi-site portfolio.

• Demonstrable experience leading and developing operational teams, including site managers and maintenance personnel.

• Excellent knowledge of statutory compliance, health & safety legislation, COSHH, fire safety, asbestos and water hygiene requirements.

• Experience developing and managing PPM programmes, asset registers and building maintenance schedules.

• Strong commercial awareness, including budget management, procurement, supplier negotiations and contractor management.

• Experience conducting compliance audits, managing risk and implementing operational improvements.

• Understanding of education estates requirements

• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and organisational skills.

• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel between sites.

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

• NEBOSH General Certificate or IOSH Managing Safely.

• Professional qualification in Facilities Management (IWFM) or Estates Management.

• Previous experience working within education, multi-academy trusts or the public sector.

• Experience using compliance management systems

• Knowledge of sustainability initiatives, decarbonisation and energy management.

• Experience supporting estates expansion, site mobilisation or integration of additional properties.

The Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to take responsibility for a diverse education estates portfolio, with significant autonomy to shape operational standards, improve compliance and develop a high-performing facilities management function.

The successful candidate will play a key role in delivering long-term estates strategies while ensuring the day-to-day operation of each site remains safe, efficient and well-managed.

If you're an experienced Head of Estates, Estates Manager, Head of Facilities or Senior Facilities Manager with a strong multi-site background, we'd be keen to hear from you.