Head of Commercial Property

The Social Investment and Property (SIP) department at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea was established as part of the Housing and Social Investment Directorate in Housing in 2020. As SIP, we are passionate about making a difference in local government property projects and handling. This is how our five main functions currently do it:

• Social Investment - We are dedicated to maximising the social value of our property and transactions. By collaborating with various teams across the Council, including Communities, Procurement, and Housing Management, we ensure that our efforts produce meaningful outcomes for our residents.
• Operational Property - We manage the Council’s impressive property estate, valued at around £540 million. With over 175 assets under our care, we are committed to maintaining and optimising these properties to generate significant capital receipts, income, and revenue savings. We are continuously focusing on making sure all of our properties are health and safety compliant as well as cost-effective for the Council.
• Strategic Property - Our team is responsible for managing the Council’s diverse £235 million commercial property portfolio, which includes nearly 300 properties across a range of sectors, such as retail, office spaces, community centres and educational buildings. In addition to overseeing the properties, we also manage the leasing of the operational portfolio, as well as properties used by the voluntary and community sector. Through our activities, including lettings, rent reviews, and lease renewals, we generate a significant and vital revenue stream for the Council.
• Capital Programme PMO - We ensure that projects within the Capital Programme are delivered on time, within budget, and to a high standard. Managing a substantial budget of around £180 million for the corporate capital programme and £100 million for the departmental (SIP) capital programme, we focus on delivering value for residents and developing the Council’s Asset Strategy.
• Capital Delivery and delivery of the Council’s New Homes programme - We are on a mission to address the critical shortage of affordable housing by building 600 new homes. Our ambitious Capital Programme, valued at £285 million, includes this residential new build initiative.
• Asset Strategy - The Asset Strategy team plays a crucial role in ensuring that the Council's property portfolio supports the ambitions of the Council Plan. The team is focusing on setting out the future direction of the use of Council land and property, including acquisitions and disposals.

Your new role involves managing the day-to-day operations and ongoing assessment of the commercial property portfolio, identifying opportunities and crafting strategies to reduce costs, maximise returns, boost revenue, and optimise usage, all in line with the Council’s policies, asset strategy, Council Plan, and social investment strategy. You will serve as the expert advisor on commercial property matters, formulating and executing a long-term strategic vision for the commercial property function that aligns with the Council’s broader goals, ensuring the portfolio remains competitive and profitable. Additionally, you will lead the development and implementation of innovative commercial property strategies that support the Council’s strategic objectives, utilising data analytics and market intelligence to guide strategic decisions and enhance portfolio performance.

What you’ll need to succeed:

• A Member or Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
• Experience in senior leadership or leadership roles within a commercial property practice, ideally local authority or public sector/client side.
• Ability to ensure Value for Money and that the organisation is maximising the use of its Investment Assets.
• Extensive experience in Landlord and Tenant, Property Valuation, Commercial Property Management.

What you’ll get in return:

• Pay - very competitive pay rates often with an annual pay rise within a range.
• Pension - The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is a secure, flexible and tax-efficient way of making sure you have a decent pension to look forward to in retirement.
• Progression - excellent learning and development opportunities along with performance management and career progression support.
• Holidays - generous annual leave entitlement up to 30 days each year plus 8 public holidays.
• Flexible working - as circumstances suit, these include working from home, flexi time, job sharing, compressed hours and term-time working.
• Staff discounts - excellent staff discounts in many local shops, restaurants, and sports facilities.
• Health and wellbeing - a dedicated occupational health service that can give you a health check, help with workplace adjustments and also a free, confidential counselling service available 24/7 to assist with any personal or work-related issues.

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 on your career. This role closes on the 21st of April, and the consultant managing this role is Molly Spencer.