Deputy Director of Estates and Operations
Your new company
We are pleased to continue our successful partnership with Westminster School in their search for a Deputy Director of Estates and Operations to join their team.
Westminster is a leading academic school in the centre of London offering a passionate, purposeful and progressive place to study across a complex site in and around Westminster. The school has over 100 buildings comprising a varied estate, ranging from listed and ancient buildings, classroom blocks in office conversions, boarding houses, offices, a music centre, a theatre, private residences and a large sports centre and sports ground.
The school is currently in the process of an exciting expansion project with multiple phases over the next 5 years. To support this, they are hiring a Deputy Director of Estates and Operations, which is a new position in the team, to support the operational and strategic delivery of facilities management services for the estate.
Your new role
As Deputy Director of Estates and Operations (DDEO), you will play a vital role in supporting the Director of Estates and Operations (DoEO) in the delivery of operational excellence and improvement of estate performance across the complex estate.You will have leadership oversight of site maintenance, outsourced catering, cleaning & laundry, security, transport (including minibuses and outsourced school bus at prep school), site support services and environmental sustainability. Key duties will include:
Operational leadership, supporting the DoEO with the strategic planning and delivery of estates and operational services.
Manage catering and cleaning services through outsourced providers, ensuring these provide the school with appropriate protection, value for money and required service levels.
Transport management, overseeing the schools minibus fleet and other transport services, ensuring vehicles are maintained, roadworthy and compliant with regulations, as well as managing driver schedules, training, licenses and safeguarding compliance.
Facilities and estates, managing the M&E and general maintenance of site buildings through direct teams and external providers.
Security, overseeing the security provision for relevant sites through line management of the Head of Site Services. This is inclusive of access control, CCTV, physical security and incident control teams.
Sustainability and compliance, developing, leading and implementing on the sustainability net-zero strategy to reduce the schools carbon footprint.
Budget and resource management, preparing and managing budgets, monitoring expenditure and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
Residential management, supporting the DoEO in the management of all residential lettings and properties on the estate.
What you'll need to succeed
To succeed in this role, you will require strong facilities and estate management experience and bring leadership and innovation to this newly created role. You will be adaptable, flexible, and willing to conduct the wide range of duties required to succeed in this challenging and rewarding role. You will also require:
Proven track record in managing facilities services across a large, complex estate of commercial properties, ideally within an educational or similar environment.
Experience working with heritage, listed or ancient buildings.
Relevant professional qualifications (such as a degree, HNC, H&S certificate, or other CPD).
Experience in managing the above-listed services, including catering and/or transport.
Excellent problem-solving skills with strong organisational abilities.
Line-management experience including direct and indirect reports.
Budget and resource management experience.
What you'll get in return
When successful in securing this role you will receive a permanent contract with a world-leading academic school based in the heart of Westminster. This is an incredibly exciting and rare opportunity to join a prestigious organisation and work across an interesting, complex estate. You will also receive:
£75,000 salary
Generous school pension scheme
Private medical insurance (opt-in)
25 days leave + bank holidays
Discretionary Christmas shutdown period
Free access to school meals when on site (breakfast, lunch and dinner as relevant)
Free access to school leisure facilities, including a gym
Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loans
Professional development opportunities
School fee remission (subject to meeting admission requirements)
What you need to do now
If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.
If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.
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