Head of Estates Partnering – University of Manchester
Job reference: PSX-030825
Salary: £59,966 – £71,566 per annum depending on experience
Location: Oxford Road
Employment type: Permanent
Hours Per Week: Full time (1 FTE)
Closing date: 20/03/2026
Contract Duration: Permanent
Join us at a pivotal moment in the University’s evolution.
As we shape a campus that inspires world-class teaching, research, and student experience, the Head of Estates Partnering will play a central leadership role in ensuring our estate fully supports the University’s ambitions for 2035 and beyond.
About the role
We are seeking an outstanding senior estates professional to lead one of the Estates Partnering Teams. This is a high-impact strategic leadership position at the heart of the Estates & Facilities Directorate. This role acts as the University’s strategic Estates business partner, ensuring that Faculty and Professional Services estate-related needs, plans, and aspirations are translated into cohesive, future-focused estates solutions that deliver value for money, support institutional performance, and align with the University’s 2035 vision.
Working as a trusted business partner to senior academic and professional services leaders, you will play a central role in shaping the development of Faculty-level estates strategies, driving high-quality service delivery, and ensuring our physical and digital infrastructure supports a world-class experience for students, staff, and researchers.
This post is campus-based for a minimum of 4 days per week or full time if business needs dictate. There will, from time to time, be a need to visit off-site locations across the North West.
What you will be doing
In this influential role, you will:
- Lead and develop one of the Estates Partnering Teams, ensuring consistent, professional business partnering and high-quality estates advice across the Faculty.
- Lead, shape, and deliver strategic and operational estates plans aligned with academic priorities and the University’s 2035 vision.
- Provide expert guidance to senior leaders and act as a key member of Faculty and Directorate leadership groups.
- Ensure value for money across estates activity through effective budget management, prioritisation, performance monitoring, and optimisation of resources.
- Act as Estates Partnering lead for major capital projects, ensuring Faculty priorities and value for money considerations are embedded throughout design and delivery.
- Champion sustainability, statutory compliance, energy efficiency, and best practice in estate management.
- Lead performance frameworks for Estates Partnering, overseeing spatial information, KPIs, reporting, and service-level agreements to drive continual improvement.
- Build strong, collaborative, trust-based relationships across the University, promoting transparency, accountability, and shared ownership of estates outcomes, ensuring that Faculty staff receive responsive, high-quality estate management support.
- Contribute to major University-wide change programmes, ensuring business partnering insight and performance impact are fully integrated.
- Deputise for the Director of Estates (Partnering) and participate in the Estates Emergency Contact Rota.
What we’re looking for
- A degree and/or professional qualification in a construction, estates, or related discipline, with substantial experience in a large and complex environment.
- Proven leadership and development of multi-functional teams, with the ability to inspire, influence, and build strong professional partnerships.
- Deep knowledge of estates operations, including maintenance planning, project delivery, compliance, and budget management.
- Strong strategic capability, with the ability to drive value for money and experience shaping and delivering change in a complex organisation, ideally within higher education.
- Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships, negotiate effectively, and influence at senior levels.
- Commitment to equality, diversity, sustainability, and the University’s values.
- The professionalism, judgement, and resilience to lead a function that supports academic and operational success.
- You are adaptable and ready to challenge the status quo to drive continuous improvement.
Why work at the University of Manchester?
- Join a world-class institution that values diversity and equality in the workplace.
- Benefit from a range of staff benefits, including family-friendly policies, flexible working arrangements, and career development opportunities.
- Access to training and mentorship to support your career growth, with structured development plans and performance reviews.
- Be part of a global institution in a vibrant, culturally diverse city.
- The University of Manchester is committed to providing a supportive and inclusive environment where all employees can thrive.
We invite applications from all backgrounds and look forward to welcoming the next member of our team to the Directorate of Estates and Facilities. We’re an equal opportunities employer and welcome all applications; appointments are based on merit.
Enquiries about the role, shortlisting and interviews
Michelle Harper Email: [email protected]
General enquiries and administrative support: [email protected]
Technical and job portal support: https://jobseekersupport.jobtrain.co.uk/support/home
Applications close at midnight on 20 March 2026.
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