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Head Of Estates
Posted 12 days 17 hours ago by Sielo Search
Take ownership of a large, live estate, and run it properly. This is a senior, hands on role within a leading independent boarding school, set across a complex, multi building campus operating 24/7, supported by a multidisciplinary estates team of around 20 staff.
You'll lead the day to day maintenance and facilities operation, owning compliance, driving standards, and ensuring everything runs safely, efficiently, and without drama. This is full operational control, not just task management.
Why join? This is an environment where estates is taken seriously. You'll be working across a single, well invested campus, complex enough to be interesting, without the fragmentation and politics of commercial portfolios. You can see the full picture and take real ownership. The role is varied. You'll lead PPM and compliance, manage contractors, oversee smaller projects, and work closely with the school day to day. It's a sizeable, well structured operation, big enough to be interesting, but still close knitted enough to lead properly. It's also a stable, well funded setting, with a long term approach to investment, structured annual pay reviews, and a focus on doing things properly, not constant cost cutting. There's a clear sense of purpose. The estate directly supports pupil safety, wellbeing, and daily school life, and your work is visible and valued. This is a step up role for someone ready to take ownership and progress.
Alongside the role, there's a strong benefits package including free meals, on site gym and swimming facilities, generous pension and life assurance, and a clear focus on wellbeing, development, and long term stability.
What you'll doYou'll lead maintenance and facilities across the estate, with a core focus on PPM and compliance. Owning statutory compliance (fire, water, electrical, asbestos), you'll ensure everything is planned, delivered, and audit ready, while managing contractors closely and holding them to account.
You'll oversee a multidisciplinary team and in house specialists, setting standards and ensuring work is delivered properly, while managing smaller projects and supporting larger works on site. You'll also act as a visible presence across the school, working with staff at all levels in a live environment.
What you'll bringYou'll have a solid grounding in maintenance and compliance within a complex site, and a good working knowledge of PPM, statutory requirements, and contractor management. You'll already be leading a team, or ready to take on more, and confident setting standards and holding people to account. You'll be practical, calm under pressure, and able to communicate clearly with non technical stakeholders. Ideally, you'll hold a NEBOSH or IOSH qualification.