Head of Estates Operations

Head of Estates Operations

Nuffield College, Oxford University

Oxford

£60,000 - £70,000 per annum

Permanent Full-time 35 hours per week

Good estates management is about more than keeping buildings working.

It's about planning ahead, developing people and finding better ways of doing things. And having the support to put those ideas into practice.

At Nuffield College, there's an opportunity to do just that.

Working with the support and supervision of our Director of Estates, you'll take ownership of day-to-day maintenance, statutory compliance, contractors and the in-house team, with genuine scope to influence how the service develops.

That could mean strengthening planned maintenance programmes, making better use of management systems, reviewing contractor arrangements or helping the team develop new skills and capabilities.

It's a chance to use your experience, introduce fresh thinking and see the results first-hand.

Nuffield is a small, postgraduate-only Oxford college, with a compact estate centred on the main College and nearby accommodation buildings. Rather than managing a sprawling portfolio, there's time to get to know the buildings, the academics, students and staff who use them.

There's also the opportunity to work alongside a Director of Estates with a strong technical background who values operational expertise, sound judgement and people who take ownership.

A rewarding role should leave room for life outside work, too.

Benefits include a 35-hour working week, 41 days' paid leave including bank holidays, a generous USS pension, subsidised private healthcare, free meals when the kitchen is open, and support for professional development.

All within a close-knit College community in central Oxford, just a short walk from the railway station.

What you'll bring

You'll have a proven track record of managing estates or hard FM operations, with the technical knowledge to oversee M&E systems, statutory compliance, maintenance programmes and contractors.

Perhaps you're an experienced Head of Estates, Facilities Manager, or Maintenance Manager. Equally, you could be a Building Surveyor with a strong operational background.

You'll know how to motivate and lead a frontline team, make sound technical decisions and balance competing priorities.

We're also looking for that experience to be backed by membership of a relevant professional body, such as IWFM, RICS, CIOB or an appropriate engineering institution.

Above all, you'll enjoy taking ownership, developing people and finding practical ways to improve how things work.

Closing date for applications: Friday 27th November 2026