Estates Operations & Capital Projects Manager in Watford

We’re looking for an experienced Estates & Project Manager to help shape and support the operational future of one of the UK’s most unique technical and scientific estates. Joining BRE at a time of significant growth and transformation, you’ll play a key role in ensuring our buildings, laboratories and infrastructure remain safe, compliant and operationally effective, while leading the delivery of estates-related capital projects and improvement programmes. This is a highly varied role combining operational estates management, project delivery, contractor management and compliance oversight within a complex technical environment that supports world-leading research, testing and innovation across the built environment sector.

Your role at BRE

• Support the day-to-day management of BRE’s estate, ensuring buildings, infrastructure and operational services remain safe, compliant and fit for purpose.
• Lead the planning and delivery of estates-related projects including refurbishments, upgrades, compliance works and infrastructure improvements.
• Work closely with laboratory managers and operational stakeholders to minimise disruption and support business-critical activities.
• Support operational estates planning, maintenance coordination and prioritisation of works across the estate.
• Manage statutory and regulatory compliance including Health & Safety, CDM and building regulations.
• Oversee contractor, consultant and supplier performance, ensuring delivery against agreed SLAs, KPIs and governance standards.
• Manage project budgets, forecasting, reporting, risks and change control processes.
• Support procurement activity, Capex planning and business case development.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives across estates operations, project delivery and estate resilience.
• Act as a key operational support to the Managing Director – Assurance on estates-related activities and issue resolution.

What We Are Looking For

• Proven experience within estates, facilities or operational building management environments.
• Strong project management experience, ideally supported by a recognised qualification such as PRINCE2 or APM.
• Sound knowledge of Health & Safety, CDM regulations and building compliance requirements.
• Experience managing contractors, consultants, suppliers and outsourced FM services.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to work across operational and technical teams.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple operational demands and projects simultaneously.
• Commercial awareness with experience managing budgets, procurement activities and supplier performance.
• Experience working within large, complex or operationally sensitive estates environments would be advantageous.
• Exposure to laboratory, scientific, infrastructure or technical estates environments would be beneficial.
• Experience with CAFM systems, asset planning or sustainability/decarbonisation initiatives would be advantageous.

Work Location

This role is primarily site-based at our Watford campus due to the operational nature of the position and the need to support a live technical estate. However, some flexibility for occasional remote working may be available where operational requirements allow.

BRE Benefits

• Pension scheme – 5% employer-matched contribution.
• Life assurance – 4x your basic salary.
• Enhanced maternity package.
• HealthPartners cashback scheme – Reclaim costs on prescriptions, physiotherapy, dental care, and more.
• Onsite facilities – Restaurant, nursery, and free parking, including at-cost EV charging points.
• Learning & development – Free access to BRE Academy and our online learning platform.
• Professional membership reimbursement.

Equal Opportunities Statement

BRE is an equal opportunities employer. We assess all qualified applicants based on merit and do not discriminate on the grounds of race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristics.