Deputy Accommodation Manager

Are you a dedicated subject matter expert in Facilities Management with strong accommodation planning abilities? Do you want the opportunity to work in a positive and supportive environment? We’re actively seeking a Deputy Accommodation Manager to join our Facilities Management service.

Facilities Management provides a vital service to maintain and support a diverse range of buildings and services including planning and allocating space for teams in corporate offices, libraries, fire stations and day centres. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone passionate about delivering exceptional service and managing accommodation operations effectively.

Salary: £46,731 to £49,764 per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Full-time (37 hours per week)

Base Location: County Hall, West Street, Chichester, PO19 1RQ (Flexible and Hybrid Working with countywide travel)

The role will offer hybrid working arrangements where there will be opportunities to work from home part of the time. You will predominantly work across a range of locations in West Sussex. You can expect to spend at least 3 days per week working away from the base location. Final arrangements to be confirmed with the successful candidate. You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes are available to book from main county council buildings (subject to availability).

About the Job

As a Deputy Accommodation Manager, you play a vital role in improving the use of accommodation in 230 corporate properties all while providing a customer-focused service that truly makes a meaningful impact. Our work in Facilities Management can often feel quite different from the next! There will be some key responsibilities likely to feature in a typical week, including:

• Deciding on building and site usage allocations while developing thoughtful strategies and policies to ensure we make the very most of our sites and buildings.
• Presenting costed alternatives for the commissioning or decommissioning of surplus owned and rented accommodation, with the aim of maximising capital receipts and ensuring a reduction in revenue expenditure.
• Collaboratively engaging with key stakeholders to thoroughly understand the ambitions and expectations of property users, ensuring alignment with strategic property goals such as carbon reduction initiatives and smarter working policies.
• Act as a representative for the Facilities Management service in meetings with numerous stakeholders.
• Gather vital accommodation data, thoughtfully analyse it, and present compelling business cases to advocate for options that will enhance and optimise the WSCC property portfolio.
• Accountable to and working in close collaboration with the Strategic Accommodation Manager. In their absence, you will step up as the key decision maker, carrying the responsibility with dedication.
• Work as a proactive leader to undertake the line management of an Accommodation Support Officer while skilfully managing the interaction with relevant Facilities Management teams, often collaborating with peers as needed.

If you are a motivated individual with demonstrable property knowledge, we would love to hear from you!

About You

We are looking for someone with exceptional communication skills, strong problem-solving skills and a desire to use these in influencing colleagues, partners, and decision-makers. You will possess the ability to understand and appreciate diverse perspectives, skilfully gathering and presenting evidence in a thoughtful and respectful manner. The successful candidate will thrive in working on their own initiative, have experience managing a team and will bring valuable experience in managing income generation and/or overseeing expenditures from a substantial budget. Qualified to degree level, or with an equivalent qualification or experience in a relevant subject such as Facilities Management, you will seamlessly transition between strategic property planning discussions and intricate technical issues, carrying with you a wealth of building expertise and a keen sense of political acumen.

Rewards and Benefits

From flexible working (where possible) to access to our Employee Assistance Programme, we aim to create a supportive and dynamic working environment where employees can achieve their full potential, achieve a healthy work-life balance and are rewarded for the work they do. A laptop, iPad and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 30 days annual leave, plus the opportunity to buy additional leave, an excellent local government pension scheme as well as a range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers.

A range of discounts give our staff access to hundreds of offers; groceries, travel, cinema tickets, days out, leisure activities, high street retailers and the opportunity to save over £1,000 a year through our West Sussex Choices benefits platform. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is EIE01399. Does this sound like the opportunity for you? Click apply below, upload your CV and cover letter. Your cover letter should:

• Outline your motivations for applying.
• Explain the skills and experience you can bring to the role (please refer to the key skills in the attached job description).

Please ensure you have saved the job description attached to the main advert on our website as, once the job has closed, you may not have the opportunity to download again. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. This post is subject to right to work within the UK, satisfactory references, and a health check. Equity, inclusion and accessibility is very important to West Sussex County Council. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, as this helps us build a diverse and talented workforce, that reflects the communities we serve. We ensure our approach to recruitment is flexible and supportive to enable all applicants to be at their best and to ensure they have the best possible chance of success. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for applicants that have a disability, are a veteran or are a care leaver. More information can be found on our application help page.