Director of Estates

Wiltshire College & University Centre have an exciting new opportunity for a Director of Estates to join their team.

Location: Flexible Working (across all four main campus locations)

Salary: £57,856 - £63,060 per annum (Director Grade 1-3) (Dependant on skills, qualifications & experience)

Job Type: Permanent, Full Time 37 hours per week, 52 weeks per year

Close Date: 1st June 2025

Interview Date: tbc

About Us:

Wiltshire College & University Centre plays a vital role in Wiltshire’s economy, inspiring people to develop the skills they need to achieve.  Our four main campuses are learning hubs in their communities, and we aspire to be an outstanding, financially robust and commercially agile provider, achieving our clear social mission on behalf of learners and employers across Wiltshire and beyond. Our campuses deliver a diversity of facilities from the country estate and farm of our Lackham campus to new hi-tech digital and state of the art facilities at our Trowbridge, Salisbury and Chippenham sites. We have invested £65 million in our estate over the past 10 years. Our turnover is £45 million per annum and growing, we employ some 650 staff, and support around 11,500 students.

Director of Estates – The Role:
The Director of Estates is a new role which will lead the Estates and Services team in ensuring that the college’s estate is well-maintained, future-proofed, and aligned with curriculum and operational needs.

You will be responsible for driving continuous improvements in sustainability, health and safety, and operational performance, while also overseeing capital projects and managing external relationships. Your strategic leadership will ensure that the college’s estate continues to meet the evolving demands of both students and staff.

As important, is driving high standards and consistent performance of the estates and services teams, plus our outsourced partners in everything we deliver.

Director of Estates - Key Responsibilities:
In this role, you will manage a diverse team across multiple college campuses, ensuring high standards in the upkeep and development of our estate. You will:

• Lead and manage the Estates and Services team, ensuring the development and implementation of effective estate management plans.
• Oversee the implementation of the Property Strategy, ensuring that the estate is fit for purpose and meets the needs of both students and staff.
• Develop and implement environmental strategies aimed at reducing the college’s carbon footprint and promoting sustainability.
•  Ensure health and safety standards are maintained, with a focus on compliance across all college sites.
• Manage and oversee capital projects, including refurbishments and new builds, ensuring they are delivered on time and within budget.
• Foster effective relationships with external partners, contractors, and local communities, promoting the college’s goals and objectives.

Director of Estates - You:

We are looking for a candidate with a proven track record of leading in a multi-site environment, ideally within the education sector. You should have experience of managing capital projects and implementing property strategies, with a strong understanding of health and safety, sustainability, and contractor management. Your ability to lead and develop a team, while maintaining effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders, will be critical to your success.

You will need to be proactive and solution-focused, with excellent communication and reporting skills. Your ability to work collaboratively across departments and ensure that the estate meets the college’s educational and operational needs will be a key aspect of your role.

Essential Qualifications

• Possession of Management Qualification at minimum Level 4 or to be able to demonstrate equivalent leadership, knowledge and experience.
• To hold, be willing to work towards a relevant professional qualification at level 6 or to be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and experience.
• To hold Literacy and Numeracy at Level 2 (GCSE A-C).

If you are a strategic thinker with the leadership skills to drive continuous improvement and maintain the highest standards in estates management, we would love to hear from you.

Director of Estates – Benefits:

• Competitive salary
• 35 days annual leave for Director Staff plus bank holidays and additional closure days over the Christmas period
• Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Discounts with a wide variety of retailers
• Free onsite car parking

Director of Estates - Application Process:

Wiltshire College & University Centre follows Safer Recruitment Guidance outlined by the Department for Education in ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’. This involves conducting enhanced DBS checks, including checks against the children’s barred list, and other employment verifications, including an online presence review for shortlisted candidates.

We embrace diversity, recognising the valuable perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and cultures individuals from different backgrounds bring. Committed to safeguarding, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we pledge to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for a job vacancy and assess them based on their abilities.

To submit your application for this exciting Director of Estates opportunity, please click ‘Apply’ now.

Applications close on the 1st June 2025.

PLEASE NOTE: Your Application Form will be shortlisted against how your skills, qualifications and experience match the Essential and Desirable points on the Person Specification for this role, located at the bottom of this page as a downloadable document.